New Hope For Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention

Nearly $200 billion (with a “B”) in prescription drugs are purchased each year on heart disease and high blood pressure remedies, including high blood pressure pills and cholesterol lowering drugs. With all that money being spent by consumers we should be sitting confident and secure with nothing to worry about except the Big “C” and how these obscene “financial bailouts” will really impact our lives. Well, if you get a chance to read a new book; “How to Really Prevent and Cure Heart Disease” by Dr. Gottfried A. Lange, M.D., you may be able to regain some peace of mind.

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death throughout the world. That is a profound statement, one that I did not know. I’d always thought that cancer or world hunger and starvation in emerging countries were the top mortality leaders. However, according to the World Health Organization, 1 in every 2 people continue to die from cardiovascular disease; heart attack or stroke. You would think with all of the wonder drugs out there, that these conditions would have been eradicated a long time ago.

Supported by over two decades of personal and professional research and backed by over 240 published peer review studies and reports, “How to Really Prevent and Cure Heart Disease” not only enlightens the reader as to the cause and effect of these fatal diseases, but it also provides natural and economical solutions to resolve them – in easy, layman’s terms.

How to Really Prevent and Cure Heart Disease, publishing by HealthNet Publishing and is available through the publishing and Amazon.

[Via http://lordloehwing.wordpress.com]

Double Your Fiber Intake

You should average 25-30 grams of dietary fiber per day. The average American (Joe the Plumber?) averages somewhere around 11 grams per day. If I could give only one dietary recommendation to all people on a Western diet, it would be to double, or triple your total fiber intake.

Fiber is an indigestible form of carbohydrate that is contained mainly in the cellulose (stored energy) of plants. Our bodies lack the enzyme to digest cellulose, so it passes through our system.  Don’t assume that this means it is unimportant.

Our digestive tract relies heavily on fiber to sweep the intestinal lining clean like a broom and add bulk to the stool. It also slows digestion, which helps us stay full longer and can therefore help reduce overall caloric consumption.* One study found that a “small reduction in dietary fiber intake over [one to two years] can have profound effects on increasing visceral adiposity”(belly fat).** In addition, fiber lowers serum cholesterol levels (specifically LDL cholesterol). An unbelievable portion of the population is on prescription medicine to lower cholesterol. It is unfortunate that doctors don’t push harder for increased fiber intake, because many studies have shown fiber’s ability to reduce cholesterol.***

As discussed in my post about bread, the introduction of refined, white flour was a crushing blow to our daily fiber intake, and therefore our health. Whole wheat products are great sources of fiber, along with:

• Oats – oatmeal, granola (beware of excess sugar)
• Almost any fruit or vegetable – especially dried fruit
• Legumes – beans, peanuts
• Nuts – almonds, pecans, walnuts
• Flaxseed – also a great omega-3 source

Insufficient fiber intake is associated with a whole slew of problems, such as overweight and obesity, constipation and/or irregular bowel movements, diverticulitis, diabetes and much more.

Focusing on high fiber intake (through food, not supplement) will essentially guarantee you a healthy diet because high fiber foods are almost always the healthiest, most nutrient dense options available. Here is a one day example menu of high fiber foods from my picture food diary:

• Fruit and granola parfait
• Whole wheat spaghetti for lunch
• Whole wheat crackers with tuna, avocado and tomato
• Vegetable, brown rice and fish stir fry

Get started on bringing your daily fiber intake up to 25-30 grams. It is important, however, to raise daily fiber intake gradually, say by 5 grams per week. If you currently eat around 10g a day, eat 15g per day for the next week, and continue until you reach 25+ (women) or 30+ (men). A sudden, dramatic increase will result in intestinal distress and a guaranteed bad day. Keeping a food journal for a few days or weeks will help you determine how much fiber you eat. If you’re not up to this, that’s okay, simply make a conscious (and earnest) effort to eat more fiber. Branching out with higher fiber foods will be a learning experience and a step towards improving your health. Spread the word to friends and family to help them feel better too!

*Lower total energy intake with high fiber breakfast

**Visceral adiposity among Latino youth

***Fiber and cholesterol

All studies are from the American Journal of Clinical Dietetics

[Via http://p4pdietetics.com]

The Truth About Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in America

Americans are consuming less animal fat than ever before, but rates of heart disease are at their highest. Are saturated fats and cholesterol really to blame?

Myth: The Lipid Hypothesis

1. Saturated fat raises cholesterol
2. Cholesterol causes heart disease

The belief that saturated fats and cholesterol are to blame for heart disease is a major problem. Cholesterol and saturated fat have actually never been proven to cause heart disease (Framingham Heart Study). Saturated fats have minimal effect on cholesterol. As Gary Taubes writes in his book, Good Calories, Bad Calories, “Since the mid-1950’s, researchers have known that the total amount of dietary fat has little effect on cholesterol levels” (19). Further proving the irrelevance of saturated fat and cholesterol as the cause of heart disease, Taubes writes, “The Masai nomads of Kenya have some of the lowest blood-cholesterol levels ever recorded… they live exclusively on [full-fat, raw] milk, blood and occasionally meat…”(25). The Masai eat around three thousand calories of saturated fats daily, yet they have extremely low levels of cholesterol and zero deaths from heart disease.

Truth: Excess Carbohydrates Cause Heart Disease

Unlike cholesterol, triglycerides have been proven to be a major cause of heart disease.  All carbohydrates are converted to glucose (sugar). Excess glucose is converted to triglycerides and stored as fat. The average American consumes 1/3 his or her body weight in sugar (carbohydrate) each year. Sugar inflames and damages the arteries, while cholesterol attaches to the damaged areas like a bandage. Dr. Mary Enig, author of Know Your Fats, writes, “Cholesterol is used by the body as a raw material for the healing process. This is the reason the injured areas in the arteries (as in atherosclerosis) or the lungs (as in tuberculosis) have cholesterol along with several other components in the ‘scar’ tissue that is formed to heal the ‘wound’ (58). In simple terms, Cholesterol repairs the body from sugar damage.

Cholesterol to the Rescue

In conclusion, a heart attack is caused by excess sugar clotting the blood and preventing blood and oxygen from circulating to the heart. Elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels are just a result of having too much sugar in the blood. Cholesterol should not be blamed, but praised. In fact, the body cannot function without cholesterol. It is found in all body tissues and is essential to life. Instead of avoiding foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats, avoid consuming sugar, processed foods and excess carbohydrates.

I highly recommending watching the movie Fat Head by Tom Naughton!

Dr Kelly Sennholz, New England Journal of Medicine Study Regarding Cholesterol Drugs

If you or your loved ones take any of the following drugs: Zetia, Vytorin or Inegy, you may need to see your doctor as soon as possible to have your medications evaluated.

 

A new study, just published in the New England Journal of Medicine, evaluated the addition of either Extended-Release Niacin (also known as vitamin B3 or nicotinic acid) or Ezetimibe (found in the above named drugs) to statin therapy for reduction of cardiovascular risk factors.  The study found that despite the fact that Ezetimibe was designed to further lower bad cholesterol levels, the end result was thickening of the arteries (a bad thing!) and increased rates of cardiovascular events.

 

Authors of the study state: “Thus, we believe that prudent clinical practice currently favorsthe avoidance of ezetimibe, with consideration of further restrictionon its use in lieu of clinically validated regimens, until itsnet effect on clinical outcomes can be fully ascertained.”

 

It is important that you not change your medication without seeing your doctor first.  It is also important to know that if you can tolerate Extended-Release Niacin, this may be a better choice for reduction of cardiovascular risk factors, as we have previously recommended.

 

 

www.symtrimics.com

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NEJM, Nov 15, 2009, Extended-Release Niacin or Ezetimibe and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness, Taylor et al

Positive Heart Health Update

Well, I can’t resist sharing the news with everyone and anyone who reads this. Six months ago I was diagnosed with high total cholesterol. My harmful cholesterol, LDL (low density lipoprotein) was in the scary range. My nutritionist game me a meal plan to follow. It basically involved monitoring my saturated fat intake and eliminating (or severely limit) trans fats.

Background: My entire life I have prided myself in eating healthy and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Then, I tried to fit in and began eating foods I normally wouldn’t. I ate out regularly. I didn’t care what I ate. Most of the food was new to me since I had only eaten “healthy” foods previously. This included cream sauces, larger than usual portion sizes, sugary and fatty foods and all the fun stuff. That tastes great. I even drank whole fat egg nog, something I wouldn’t dream of previously. (Have you ever tasted that stuff?! Yumm..)

After receiving the shocking news, the you know what was scared out of me. Cardiovascular disease runs in my family. I absolutely refuse to be put on heart medications for the rest of my life and that is what I may have faced if I didn’t change my eating habits. So…I got back to my “old” way of eating. And..it has paid off…

Yesterday I received news that my total cholesterol level has decreased by 60 points. How cool is that?!!

I’m not saying this to brag. I’m just saying, it was done through diet and exercise. No medication. And…I’m as happy as a clam in mud. lol

Hope you found this interesting. Kindly share, if you did….

11 foods that lower cholesterol -from Harvard HealthBeat

Here is some good advice for anyone concerned about cholesterol  from the Harvard Medical School free email newsletter. You can search the HealthBeat archives for many more informative articles.

Changing what you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the armada of fats floating through your bloodstream.

 

In with the good

Different foods lower cholesterol in various ways. Some deliver soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol.

1. Oats. An easy first step to improving your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram. Current nutrition guidelines recommend getting 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, with at least 5 to 10 grams coming from soluble fiber. (The average American gets about half that amount.)
2. Barley and other whole grains. Like oats and oat bran, barley and other whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, mainly via the soluble fiber they deliver.
3. Beans. Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. They also take awhile for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. That’s one reason beans are a useful food for folks trying to lose weight. With so many choices — from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, and beyond — and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food.
4. Eggplant and okra. These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber.
5. Nuts. A bushel of studies shows that eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and other nuts is good for the heart. Eating 2 ounces of nuts a day can slightly lower LDL, on the order of 5%. Nuts have additional nutrients that protect the heart in other ways.
6. Vegetable oils. Using liquid vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower, safflower, and others in place of butter, lard, or shortening when cooking or at the table helps lower LDL.
7. Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits. These fruits are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL.
8. Foods fortified with sterols and stanols. Sterols and stanols extracted from plants gum up the body’s ability to absorb cholesterol from food. Companies are adding them to foods ranging from margarine and granola bars to orange juice and chocolate. They’re also available as supplements. Getting 2 grams of plant sterols or stanols a day can lower LDL cholesterol by about 10%.
9. Soy. Eating soybeans and foods made from them, like tofu and soy milk, was once touted as a powerful way to lower cholesterol. Analyses show that the effect is more modest — consuming 25 grams of soy protein a day (10 ounces of tofu or 2½ cups of soy milk) can lower LDL by 5% to 6%.
10. Fatty fish. Eating fish two or three times a week can lower LDL in two ways: by replacing meat, which has LDL-boosting saturated fats, and by delivering LDL-lowering omega-3 fats. Omega-3s reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream and also protect the heart by helping prevent the onset of abnormal heart rhythms.
11. Fiber supplements. Supplements offer the least appealing way to get soluble fiber. Two teaspoons a day of psyllium, which is found in Metamucil and other bulk-forming laxatives, provide about 4 grams of soluble fiber.

via 11 foods that lower cholesterol – Harvard Health Publications.