Your Healthy Heart
It is interesting that cardiovascular disease is unknown among other mammals. Why are humans the only species afflicted with this disease? Nobel laureate Dr. Linus Pauling and Dr. Matthias Rath, MD, a German physician and leading expert in cardiovascular disease believe that the root of the problem is our inability to produce vitamin C. Only Homo Sapiens, primates and guinea pigs do not manufacture vitamin C internally. Drs. Pauling and Rath believe that cardiovascular disease is a form of early scurvy and that the vitamin C deficiency inherent in both diseases manifests itself by the development of fragile blood vessels lacking in collagen - the reinforcing rods of arteries. They also believe that we developed the artery wall repair mechanism thousands of years ago as a compensation for our inability to produce vitamin C and sufficient collagen to maintain strong, healthy arteries which would not be prone to tears and injuries(2,13,14).
Many scientific studies have shown that a lack of vitamin C and other antioxidants increases the risk of heart disease and stroke(2,15-23). Other major risk factors for cardiovascular disease are a high level of cholesterol and lipoproteins, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), 25,26). Genetic predisposition can also be a factor in the development of heart disease, but some experts downplay its importance(3,5,25).
Iron has recently been implicated in heart disease(34,35). Researchers at Harvard University now conclude that it is not the overall iron intake which increases the risk of heart attack, but rather the intake of heme iron as found in red meat. The Harvard researchers found that men who ate beef four times or more per week had a 38% greater risk of having a heart attack than did men who ate beef once per month or less(36). More recent studies show that the body is remarkably efficient in keeping the blood's iron content within safe limits(37).
Finnish researchers have discovered that mercury is a potent initiator of heart disease and other researchers have found that the risk rises with the number of amalgam tooth fillings(45). The Helicobacter pylori bacterium has also been implicated in the development of coronary heart disease(46).
Further calcification can be prevented by developing strong artery walls, by controlling the factors which cause injuries to them and by minimizing the level of fats, lipoproteins, cholesterol and homocysteine in the blood. A healthy diet is the strongest protection against cardiovascular disease. A heart-healthy diet is rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat, cholesterol, meat, and sugar(2,3,24,25,47-49).
Trans-fatty acids found in hydrogenated vegetable oils are particularly harmful(51,52). A recent study at the Harvard Medical School found that people who had a high intake of margarine had more than twice the risk of having a heart attack than did people with a low intake(53). Another study found that women who had changed from butter to margarine to lower their cholesterol and avoid heart disease actually had a 67% higher incidence of heart disease than did women who had not made this switch(54).
A significant increase in the intake of fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes and a drastic reduction in the consumption of saturated fats, cholesterol, meat and sugar are the cornerstones in any cholesterol reduction program. There is extensive evidence that such dietary modifications on their own can bring about impressive reductions in overall cholesterol levels(24,25,55,61,62,67-70). Very effective cholesterol-lowering programs have been developed by Dr. Julian Whitaker MD, Dr. Dean Ornish MD, and Dr. Hans Diehl. These programs are based on low fat diets, exercise and stress reduction. They not only lower cholesterol but actually reverse blockages in the arteries(24,25,55).
There are many specific dietary components and supplements which are highly effective in lowering cholesterol levels. Among them are oat bran, calcium, green tea, nuts, and omega-3 fatty acids specifically fish oils and flax oil(71-84).
REFERENCES
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. Healthy People 2000: National health promotion and disease prevention objectives, 1991, p. 71
2. Rath, Matthias. Eradicating Heart Disease. 1993, Health Now, San Francisco, CA
3. Harrison, Tinsley R. Principles of Internal Medicine. 1994, 13th edition, McGraw-Hill, pp. 1106-15 and pp. 2434-35
4. Johnson, Jeffrey A. and Bootman, J. Lyle. Drug-related morbidity and mortality. Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 155, October 9, 1995, pp. 1949-56
5. Cheitlin, Melvin D., et al. Clinical Cardiology. 1993, 6th edition, Appleton & Lange, Norwalk, CT
6. Vingerling, Johannes R., et al. Age-related macular degeneration is associated with atherosclerosis. American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 142, No. 4, August 15, 1995, pp. 404-09
7. Goldberg, Burton. Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide. 1993, Future Medicine Publishing, Puyallup, WA, pp. 711-22
8. Stampfer, Meir J., et al. Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary disease in women. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 328, No. 20, May 20, 1993, pp. 1444-49
9. Stadtman, Earl R. Protein oxidation and aging. Science, Vol. 257, August 28, 1992, pp. 1220-24
10. Cooper, Kenneth H. Antioxidant Revolution. 1994, Thomas Nelson Publishers, pp. 3-28 and pp. 173-87
11. Halliwell, Barry. Free radicals and antioxidants: a personal view. Nutrition Reviews, Vol. 52, No. 8, August 1994, pp. 253-65
12. Halliwell, Barry. Free radicals, antioxidants, and human disease: curiosity, cause, or consequence? The Lancet, Vol. 344, September 10, 1994, pp. 721-24
13. Rath, M. and Pauling, L. Solution to the puzzle of human cardiovascular disease: its primary cause is ascorbate deficiency leading to the deposition of lipoprotein(a) and fibrinogen/fibrin in the vascular wall. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, 6 (1991), pp. 125-34
14. Rath, M. and Pauling, L. Hypothesis: lipoprotein(a) is a surrogate for ascorbate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, Vol. 87, No. 16, August 1990, pp. 6204-07
15. Diplock, Anthony T. Antioxidant nutrients and disease prevention: an overview. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 53, 1991, pp. 189S-93S
16. Street, Debra A., et al. Serum antioxidants and myocardial infarction. Circulation, Vol. 90, No. 3, September 1994, pp. 1154-61
17. Morris, Dexter L., et al. Serum carotenoids and coronary heart disease. Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 272, No. 18, November 9, 1994, pp. 1439-41
18. Meydani, Mohsen. Vitamin E. The Lancet, Vol. 345, January 21, 1995, pp. 170-75
19. Khaw, Kay-Tee and Woodhouse, Peter. Interrelation of vitamin C, infection, haemostatic factors, and cardiovascular disease. British Medical Journal, Vol. 310, June 17, 1995, pp. 1559-63
20. Gale, Catherine, et al. Vitamin C and risk of death from stroke and coronary heart disease in cohort of elderly people. British Medical Journal, Vol. 310, June 17, 1995, pp. 1563-66
21. Woodhouse, P.R. and Khaw, Kay-Tee. Seasonal variations in vitamin C status, infection, fibrinogen and cardiovascular disease - Are they linked? Age and Ageing, Vol. 23, Supplement No. 2, 1994, pp. P5
22. Rimm, Eric B., et al. Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease in men. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 328, No. 20, May 20, 1993, pp. 1450-56
23. Kardinaal, A.F.M., et al. Antioxidants in adipose tissue and risk of myocardial infarction: the EURAMIC study. The Lancet, Vol. 342, December 4, 1993, pp. 1379-84
24. Ornish, Dean. Program for Reversing Heart Disease. 1991, Ballantine Books, pp. 55-80
25. Whitaker, Julian M. Reversing Heart Disease. 1985, Warner Books, NY, pp. 3-14
26. Victoria Declaration on Heart Health: Conference report. Canadian Medical Association Journal, Vol. 147, No. 12, December 15, 1992, pp. 1794-95
27. Kawachi, Ichiro, et al. Symptoms of anxiety and risk of coronary heart disease. Circulation, Vol. 90, No. 5, November 1994, pp. 2225-29
28. Willich, Stefan N., et al. Weekly variation of acute myocardial infarction. Circulation, Vol. 90, No. 1, July 1994, pp. 87-93
29. Hoffer, A. Schizophrenia: an evolutionary defence against severe stress. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Vol. 9, No. 4, Fourth Quarter 1994, pp. 205-21
30. Fuhrman, Bianca, et al. Consumption of red wine with meals reduces the susceptibility of human plasma and low-density lipoprotein to lipid peroxidation. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 61, No. 3, March 1995, pp. 549-54
31. Renaud, S. and de Lorgeril, M. Wine, alcohol, platelets, and the French paradox for coronary heart disease. The Lancet, Vol. 339, June 20, 1992, pp. 1523-26
32. Frankel, E.N., et al. Inhibition of oxidation of human low-density lipoprotein by phenolic substances in red wine. The Lancet, Vol. 341, February 20, 1993, pp. 454-57
33. Shaper, A.G., et al. Alcohol and mortality in British men: explaining the U-shaped curve. The Lancet, No. 8623, December 3, 1988, pp. 1267-73
34. Salonen, Jukka T., et al. High stored iron levels are associated with excess risk of myocardial infarction in Eastern Finnish men. Circulation, Vol. 86, No. 3, September 1992, pp. 803-11 and 1036-37
35. Magnusson, Magnus K, et al. Low iron-binding capacity as a risk factor for myocardial infarction. Circulation, Vol. 89, No. 1, January 1994, pp. 102-08
36. Ascherio, Alberto, et al. Dietary iron intake and risk of coronary disease among men. Circulation, Vol. 89, No. 3, March 1994, pp. 969-74
37. Bothwell, Thomas H. Overview and mechanisms of iron regulation. Nutrition Reviews, Vol. 53, No. 9, September 1995, pp. 237-45
38. Klag, Michael J., et al. Serum cholesterol in young men and subsequent cardiovascular disease. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 328, No. 5, February 4, 1993, pp. 313-17
39. Bass, Katherine Miller, et al. Plasma lipoprotein levels as predictors of cardiovascular death in women. Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 153, October 11, 1993, pp. 2209-16
40. Stensvold, Inger, et al. Non-fasting serum triglyceride concentration and mortality from coronary heart disease and any cause in middle aged Norwegian women. British Medical Journal, Vol. 307, November 20, 1993, pp. 1318-22
41. Stampfer, Meir J. and Malinow, M. Rene. Can lowering homocysteine levels reduce cardiovascular risk? The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 332, No. 5, February 2, 1995, pp. 328-29
42. Boushey, Carol J., et al. A quantitative assessment of plasma homocysteine as a risk factor for vascular disease. Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 274, No. 13, October 4, 1995, pp: 1049-57
43. Nygard, Ottar, et al. Total plasma homocysteine and cardiovascular risk profile. Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 274, No. 19, November 15, 1995, pp. 1526-33
44. Perry, I.J., et al. Prospective study of serum total homocysteine concentration and risk of stroke in middle-aged British men. The Lancet, Vol. 346, November 25, 1995, pp. 1395-98
45. Salonen, Jukka T, et al. Intake of mercury from fish, lipid peroxidation, and the risk of myocardial infarction and coronary, cardiovascular, and any death in Eastern Finnish men. Circulation, Vol. 91, No. 3, February 1, 1995, pp. 645-55
46. Patel, P., et al. Association of Helicobacter pylori and Chlamydia pneumoniae infections with coronary heart disease and cardiovascular risk factors. British Medical Journal, Vol. 311, September 16, 1995, pp. 711-14
47. Davis, Goode P. The Heart: The Living Pump. 1984, Torstar Books, NY, pp. 73-94
48. McGinnis, J. Michael and Nestle, Marion. The Surgeon General's report on nutrition and health: policy implications and implementation strategies. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 49, No. 1, January 1989, pp. 23-8
49. Barnard, Neal D., et al. The medical costs attributable to meat consumption. Preventive Medicine, Vol. 24, No. 6, November 1995, pp. 646-55
50. Frentzel-Beyme, Rainer and Chang-Claude, Jenny. Vegetarian diets and colon cancer: the German experience. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 59, May 1994, pp. 1143S-52S
51. Troisi, Rebecca, et al. Trans-fatty acid intake in relation to serum lipid concentrations in adult men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 56, December 1992, pp. 1019-24
52. Kromhout, Daan, et al. Dietary saturated and trans fatty acids and cholesterol and 25-year mortality from coronary heart disease: the seven countries study. Preventive Medicine, Vol. 24, No. 3, May 1995, pp. 308-15
53. Ascherio, Alberto, et al. Trans-fatty acids intake and risk of myocardial infarction. Circulation, Vol. 89, No. 1, January 1994, pp. 94-101
54. Willett, Walter C., et al. Intake of trans fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among women. The Lancet, Vol. 341, March 6, 1993, pp. 581-85
55. Diehl, Hans. To Your Health. 1987, The Quiet Hour, Redlands, CA, pp. 41- 53
56. WHO and FAO joint consultation: fats and oils in human nutrition. Nutrition Reviews, Vol. 53, No. 7, July 1995, pp. 202-05
57. Seidelin, Kaj N., et al. n-3 fatty acids in adipose tissue and coronary artery disease are inversely related. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 55, June 1992, pp. 1117-19
58. Kromhout, Daan, et al. The protective effect of a small amount of fish on coronary heart disease mortality in an elderly population. International Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 24, No. 2, April 1995, pp. 340-45
59. Agren, J.J., et al. Boreal freshwater fish diet modifies the plasma lipids and prostanoids and membrane fatty acids in man. LIPIDS, Vol. 23, No.10, October 1988, pp. 924-29
60. Nordoy, Arne. Is there a rational use for n-3 fatty acids (fish oils) in clinical medicine? Drugs, Vol. 42, No. 3, 1991, pp. 331-42
61. Law, M.R., et al. By how much and how quickly does reduction in serum cholesterol concentration lower risk of ischaemic heart disease? British Medical Journal, Vol. 308, February 5, 1994, pp. 367-72
62. Allred, John B. Lowering serum cholesterol: who benefits? Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 123, August 1993, pp. 1453-59
63. Sacks, Frank M., et al. Effect on coronary atherosclerosis of decrease in plasma cholesterol concentrations in normocholesterolaemic patients. The Lancet, Vol. 344, October 29, 1994, pp. 1182-86
64. Ravnskov, U. Cholesterol lowering trials in coronary heart disease: frequency of citation and outcome. British Medical Journal, Vol. 305, July 4, 1992, pp. 15-19
65. Haq, I.U., et al. Sheffield risk and treatment table for cholesterol lowering for primary prevention of coronary heart disease. The Lancet, Vol. 346, December 2, 1995, pp. 1467-71
66. Hoeg, Jeffrey M. New guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Modern Medicine, Vol. 56, No. 12, December 1988, pp. 106-112
67. Feldman, Elaine B. and Kuske, Terrance T. Lipid disorders: Diet and drug therapy. Modern Medicine, Vol. 56, No. 9, September 1988, pp. 60-71
68. Denke, Margo A. and Grundy, Scott M. Individual responses to a cholesterol-lowering diet in 50 men with moderate hypercholesterolemia. Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 154, February 14, 1994, pp. 317-25
69. Steinmetz, Kristi A., et al. Effect of consumption of whole milk and skim milk on blood lipid profiles in healthy men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 59, March 1994, pp. 612-18
70. Hegsted, D. Mark, et al. Dietary fat and serum lipids: an evaluation of the experimental data. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 57, June, 1993, pp. 875-83
71. Cara, Louis, et al. Long-term wheat germ intake beneficially affects plasma lipids and lipoproteins in hypercholesterolemic human subjects. Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 122, February 1992, pp. 317-26
72. Kashtan, Hanoch, et al. Wheat-bran and oat-bran supplements' effects on blood lipids and lipoproteins. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 55, May 1992, pp. 976-80
73. Anderson, James W., et al. Meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein intake on serum lipids. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 333, No. 5, August 3, 1995, pp. 276-82
74. Erdman, John W. Control of serum lipids with soy protein. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 333, No. 5, August 3, 1995, pp. 313-15
75. Potter, Susan M., et al. Depression of plasma cholesterol in men by consumption of baked products containing soy protein. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 58, No. 3, September 1993, pp. 501-06
76. Denke, Margo A., et al. Short-term dietary calcium fortification increases fecal saturated fat content and reduces serum lipids in men. Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 123, June 1993, pp. 1047-53
77. Imai, K. and Nakachi, K. Cross sectional study of effects of drinking green tea on cardiovascular and liver diseases. British Medical Journal, Vol. 310, March 18, 1995, pp. 693-96
78. Hertog, Michael G.L., et al. Dietary antioxidant flavonoids and risk of coronary heart disease: the Zutphen Elderly Study. The Lancet, Vol. 342, October 23, 1993, pp. 1007-11
79. Fraser, Gary E., et al. A possible protective effect of nut consumption on risk of coronary heart disease. Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 152, July 1992, pp. 1416-24
80. Phelps, Stacy and Harris, William S. Garlic supplementation and lipoprotein oxidation susceptibility. Lipids, Vol. 28, No. 5, May 1993, pp. 475-77
81. Mantzioris, Evangeline, et al. Dietary substitution with an alpha- linolenic acid-rich vegetable oil increases eicosapentaenoic acid concentrations in tissues. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 59, June 1994, pp. 1304-9
82. Howard, Nigel. Renaud and the mystery of the Cretan diet. ELAN - The European, June 24-30, 1994, p. 20
83. Simon, Joel A., et al. Serum fatty acids and the risk of coronary heart disease. American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 142, No. 5, September 1, 1995, pp. 469-76
84. Kamido, Hiroshi, et al. Lipid composition of platelets from patients with atherosclerosis: Effect of purified eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester administration. LIPIDS, Vol. 23, No. 10, October 1988, pp. 917-23
Saving 
