Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the U.S.A and a cause of much disability and grief to families stricken by the sudden loss of a father or mother.  It comes stealthily many times with no warning or with warnings that are unrecognized or ignored.

 

    What are the contributing forces that are silently gathering strength like a sunami far under the surface of the ocean, building momentum without creating a ripple on the surface, only to crash suddenly on the land with cataclysmic force of destruction.

 

     We know about major risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, high cholesterol, etc.,, but nearly 1/2 of people who get heart attacks have none of the known major risk factors.

 

     Regarding the risk factors of which w are aware, we have reduced their effect somewhat, but we have a long way to go to modify them enough to make a major impact on the disease.  Many people with hypertension don't know they have it; of those who

are aware of it, a large part do not seek treatment; and of those who are treated, many do not consistently follow treatment.  The same goes for diabetes and high cholesterol.

 

     The focus of our treatment of these aforementioned conditions has been primarily medical.  The drugs used of ten cause many adverse reactions, disease, and death.  They many times cause people to feel worse, and they may have as yet undiscovered long term ill effects. 

 

     Then there are the less well publicized or less well known risk factors.  Stress factors without adequate stress management, social isolation, anger and hostility, and poverty, with its concomitant sense of loss of control of one's life, all contribute to heart disease.  Some hereditary factors contributing to heart disease have to do with cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, and also homocysteine

 

     Most of these contributing factors could be addressed with educational programs aimed at changing behaviors and destructive habits such as smoking, lack of exercise, and poor food choices.  Most of the efforts so far have been focused on drugs to modify risk factor, as well as to try to treat the disease after it shows up.  This is a very costly and inefficient approach.

 

     A large part of a cost-effective risk reduction program would utilize a nutritional approach, educating, training , an encouraging people in choosing preparing foods conducive to good cardiac health, as well as making judicious use of dietary supplements. Financial incentives could be built into insurance plans, giving reduced premiums to those who participate in these programs.  Additional benefits of such programs would likely be the reduced rates of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, asthma, gallbladder disease, dilveticulitis, and many other diseases of  Western Civilization, all linked to similar dietary patterns.

 

     One risk factor primarily related to nutrition and exercise is insulin resistance.  Much of the association of diabetes with heart disease comes from this condition that occurs long before diabetes develops.  Insulin resistance prevails in a large part of the adult population and in many children, many of whom never develop diabetes but who nevertheless develop heart disease. High insulin levels have been known for a long time to contribute to heart disease, but serum insulin is seldom currently checked because it is not recognized as disease per se, to be targeted with a drug and to be detected in tests covered by insurance.

 

     Insulin resistance occurs more in people who have large abdomens, hypertension, high uric acid, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and symptoms of inflammatory conditions such as joint pains, fatigue, ets.

 

     Insulin resistance can be reduced by many of the nutritional improvements that help to prevent and reverse heart disease.  Most of these nutritional recommendations are: decreasing sugar and refined starches, increasing fiber, getting more protein from plant sources and less from animal sources, getting fats more  from plant sources such as olive oil, flax seeds, and vegetables.  Also it is important to get less fat from domestic animals such as pork, beef, chicken and turkey, and more from wild game when available and cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines.

 

     An overall good dietary plan to prevent heart disease would mean that for carbohydrates, one would choose whole vegetables, 100% whole grains, would avoid processed flours and starches; for fat one would choose the ones mentioned above and would avoid altogether the hydrogenated oils (contain trans fatty acids); and for protein sources one would get more from soy products such  soy milk and tofu, and less from meats.

 

     Some of the most important supplements include high potency antioxidant combinations, including especially vitamin E, folic acid and vitamin B-12, fish or flax oil capsules, coenzyme Q-10, L-carnitine, and Hawthorne berries.  Also there are medical foods that are good for regulation of sugar and insulin because they have resistant starch (high amylos and low amylopectin).  There are intravenous supplements also that can beneficial as well, such as chelation therapy and oxidation therapy, all of which could be discussed in another paper. 

Diabetes [1] Alzheimer's [2] Prevention and Wellness Program [3] Heart Disease  [4] The Tomato Effect [5] A Model for Wellness Program [6] Hormone Replacement [7]  Nutrition & Estrogen Metabolism[8]

Nutrition & Osteoarthritis[9] Detoxification "Vital Imparitive[10] Toward Freedom from Mercury Toxicity[11] MODERATE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION/ CONTROVERSY AND CONFUSION  [12] THE TRIUMPH OF OPTIMISM [14] AMALGAM REMOVAL PREPARATION AND SUPPORT[15]

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