Perfect Food
Resources
Natural Health

Posts Tagged ‘types of heart disease’

Reversing Heart Disease

Monday, March 9th, 2009
heartimage1 Reversing Heart Disease

Reverse Heart Disease Image

Reversing heart disease is possible. One must return the body to the natural / normal healthy state instead of the diseased state it has become. It takes years to achieve the diseased state and will take some time to recover natural health. Pharmaceutical drugs such as, statins or blood thinners DO NOT help to achieve health – they actually adversely affect your health. More and more studies are coming out disputing the effectiveness of statins for prolonging life. Statins (and all pharmaceuticals) actually destroy a bodies healthy state, adversely affecting all bodily systems and balance. Statins deplete Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 levels essential to a healthy heart.
The Cause of Heart Disease

Inflammation, not cholesterol is the main cause of heart disease. Inflammation is the body’s reaction to injury, free radicals or illness. It’s purpose is to concentrate blood flow to mobilize the immune system to fight bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungus or any invader of the body or concentrate the body’ s healing ability to an injured area. There are many sources of inflamation that contribute to heart disease.

Fibrin is produced in the body to initiate healing. Scabs and scar tissue are made of fibrin. Fibrin seals off an injured area to prevent bleeding and initiate the repair of damaged tissues. When fibrin’s job is done, but the fibrin does not disolve, this contributes to sustained inflamation.

Cholesterol is one of the body’s tools for healing (good thing). It is when cholesterol is oxidized by free radicals and/or calcified (hardened with the wrong form of calcium in the bloodstream) that becomes a problem. Omega 6 oils contribute to inflamation and cholesterol plaque build-up.
Free Radicals and Heart Disease

Free radicals are unbalanced molecules (short of an electron) that attempt to achieve balance by stealing electrons from other molecules (your cells). This causes oxidation (same as rust) to cells of the body causing the cells to be damaged (less than perfect). When the lining of the arteries are damaged by free radicals in the blood, the body attempts to repair the artery with a cholesterol patch. As free radicals continue robbing electrons now from the cholesterol patches, they too become damaged and this sets the cycle of atherosclerosis.

Free radicals can be controlled with anti-oxidants. White tea contains catechins, quercetan, kaempferol, chlorogenic acid, theanine, theobromine and theophylline which are potent antioxidants and/or fight inflammation (white tea contains the least amount of flouride and aluminum found in all teas – white, green or black teas). Many vitamins fight free radicals and have other benefits for heart health. Heart healthy vitamins include A, B, C, D, E and K – yes, that is every vitamin, has heart health aspects to itself (natural form vitamins only – not the big name useless chemical crap).

Magnesium and CoQ10 is especially crucial to heart health. Your heart needs enormous amounts of energy to function properly – and CoQ10 is its main power supply. Consider this: if your heart’s CoQ10 levels were to decline by 75 percent, it would stop beating. Statins deplete CoQ10 from the heart – very bad thing.

Omega-3 fatty acids and specifically the lipid resolvin E1 component of fish oils (omega 3s) has a powerful natural anti-inflamatory function in the human body. The lipid inhibited the migration of particular human immune cells and dramatically reduced inflammation. This anti-inflamitory action is highly beneficial to many diseases, especially auto-immune diseases.

Avoid drinking and bathing in chlorinated water. Chlorine is a strong free radical source and has many negative health issues related to it. Showering in chlorinated water is worse than drinking it. When showering, the entire skin’s surface and the lungs are exposed to the chlorine in the water and as a gas.

Avoid unhealthy oils and fats – imbibe in the healthy oils and fats.
Unhealthy Fats

* Omega-6 oils – corn, sunflower, canola, soybean, peanut and safflower – omega-6 is not unhealthy, it is way out of proportion with the healthy balance of omega-3 / omega-6 / omega-9 oil ratios

* Trans-fatty acids – margarine, Miracle Whip and other partially hydrogenated oils

Healthy Fats

* Omega-3 fats – flaxseed, Chia / Salba seed, eggs, fish oil and DHA & EPA
* Extra virgin olive oil
* Extra virgin coconut oil
* GLA – Gamma-linolenic acid – borage oil
* CLA – Conjugated linolenic acid

Heart Nutrition

The heart, like every other organ or tissue, down to the cellular level, requires nutrition for proper functioning and repair. In addition to a natural multi-vitamin and multi-mineral, high levels of the amino acid L-Arginine is extremely beneficial with a lesser quantity of the amino acid citrulline. These amino acids increase growth hormone release, relax arterial walls for blood pressure relief (via NO – Nitric Oxide) and a side benefit of being a natural ED (erectile dysfunction) drugless option. OPC will counteract oxidation within the arteries preventing hardening of the arteries and preventing blockages. Heart Nutrition – Accel

Other heart healthy vitamins and supplements are vitamins C, D, E (8 subtypes: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols). E vitamins are designated as alpha, beta, gamma and delta for each type. Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 is an energy source for the heart. A person cannot live without this vital nutrient. Flavonoids – quercetin, hesperidin, luteolin and kaempferol can lower risk in heart patients.

Bacteria, Viruses and Heart Disease

Bacteria, viruses, yeasts and fungus (and/or any foreign bodily invader) can cause damage to the lining of the arteries and set in motion the process of atherosclerosis. The same cycle occurs when the body attempts to repair the injury or scarring to the arterial walls. When my elderly mother has her teeth cleaned by the dentist, she is put on antibiotics 3 days before her teeth cleaning to prevent stress on her heart caused by bacteria being introduced into her blood from the teeth cleaning (common knowledge in the dental and medical fields – yet, you never hear it discussed as a factor in heart attacks) – myocardial infarction. Natural Anti-biotic/anti-viral/anti-fungal/anti-yeast
Stress and Heart Disease

Stress can severely influence our body’s wellness and balance. In itself, it can unleash free radicals, hamper the body’s natural healing abilities and negatively affect every aspect of health. Stress robs the body of energy that should be used for healing and repair of the body and instead, contributes to damaging every system of the body. Stress unleashes adrenaline and cortisol (an adrenal steroid hormone) into the bloodstream producing the same “fight or flight” demands on the body as if your life were in imminent danger. Prolonged stress causes adrenal fatigue and weight gain, nervous system issues, depression, anxiety, ulcers… – all bad for one’s heart.
Stress Relief and Heart Disease

The ability to handle or control stress is vitally important to heart health and every aspect of total health. Mindset, a healthy outlook and healthy perception of outside factors as they apply to oneself is important. Many tools are helpful for stress relief and stress reduction. Exercise, yoga, deep breathing, meditation and bio-feedback are the most effective stress relief tools available.

A very effective stress relief tool I use is a hardware/software solution that connects to your PC and provides instant bio-feedback via a real EEG (electroencephalogram – brain wave meter). It is an easy to follow, guided session with proof (EEG readout) that it is working. It is based on leading edge science and human psychology for combating the effects of stress on the body , anxiety relief, success and achievement and works amazingly. Just hook it up and follow along – it is effortless, simple and produces positive results.

also see Digestive Enymes – The Most Important Nutrient?


bookmark Reversing Heart Disease

Technorati Tags: c reactive protein, co enzyme q10, coronary artery disease, diseases and conditions, health, heart condition, heart disease, Heart Health, homocysteine levels, types of heart disease, wellness

Heart Condition

Monday, March 9th, 2009

HeartImage Heart Condition

Types of Heart Disease

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary Artery Disease or CAD also known as atherosclerosis is the main type of heart disease. Arteries of the heart are blocked or have restricted blood flow to the heart muscle. Generally the arteries are blocked or restricted from oxidized and/or calcified cholesterol or blood clots. CAD or atherosclerosis is the leading cause of heart attack.

Cholesterol itself is not bad (it is essential to life), it’s when the cholesterol binds to the arterial walls and hardens it becomes a problem. Cholesterol is the main culprit according to the medical establishment, but this does not explain the FACT that 50% of heart attacks occur to individuals with “normal” cholesterol levels. Statins, the “popular” pharmaceuticals profusely prescribed by doctors is finally being exposed as the farce that they are – the side effects actually make things worse for the patients – depleting CoQ10 (Co-enzyme Q10) which if depleted to 75% will in itself cause a heart to stop beating. When cholesterol is too low, it causes strokes!

Big 4 heart disease markers:

  1. lipoprotein(a) – (hereditary condition)
  2. C-reactive protein – (inflamation marker)
  3. homocysteine – methionine breakdown byproduct
  4. fibrinogen – blood coagulation

Lipoprotein(a) Lp(a) a hereditary factor (thick blood). High Lp(a) predicts risk of early atherosclerosis similar to high LDL, but in advanced atherosclerosis, Lp(a) is an independent risk factor not dependent on LDL.

Homocysteine levels are a better marker for heart disease than cholesterol levels. Homocysteine causes tiny pits in arterial walls and sets up cholesterol traps which form a plaque (hardened cholesterol patches) buildup. To control homocycteine levels, one needs to supplement with folate, B-6 and B-12. The mass marketed multivitamins and minerals are worthless as they are synthetic (not natural forms) of vitamins and crushed rock minerals (you can’t absorb a rock). Only natural food based vitamins and minerals are absorbed and benefit the body.

C-reactive protein or CRP is another important heart disease marker, more so than cholesterol. C-reactive protein shows inflamation levels in the body.

Fibrinogen levels determine how easily blood coagulates. High levels indicate that ones blood clots easily.

Angina

Angina is discomfort or chest pain associated with restricted blood flow to the heart muscle. It is essentially a symptom of atherosclerosis or coronary heart disease. Angina can have all the symptoms of a heart attack – chest pain, arm pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, jaw pain, back pain, sweating or indigestion. Severe pain associated with angina is called angina pectoris. These symptoms are usually brought on by digestion of a heavy meal, exposure to cold, physical exertion and/or excitement all of which increase the blood flow demand on the heart.

Heart Arrhythmias

Heart arrhythmia, heart arhythmia or heart arrythmia is a fluctuation or variation of the heart beat. Common arhythmias are racing heartbeat or fluttering heart rhythm. Usually not a serious health issue. A person may feel out of breath, faint or dizzy. A cause is not always known but it can be brought on by an electrolyte / mineral imbalance or mineral deficiency – sodium/potasium or calcium/magnesium.

Heart Attack – Myocardial Infarction (M.I.)

A heart attack is caused by a severe restriction or blockage of the heart’s blood flow for 20 minutes or more. The blockage or restriction is either a blood clot, a cholesterol blockage (possibly a broken free clump of cholesterol) or constriction and blockage of one or many heart arteries. At the first sign of a heart attack one should call or have someone call 911 and the individual should take a aspirin right away to thin the blood. Often taking an aspirin can lessen the damage to the heart by thinning the blood and allowing some blood flow that might not otherwise happen.

The symptoms of a heart attack are similar to angina, but more severe. Once an area of the heart muscle has been without adequate blood flow, the muscle starts to die. This can upset the heart’s electrical activity causing ventricular fibrillation or twitching of the muscle which takes place instead of a steady and effectively pumping heart beat. When ventricular fibrillation occurs, blood flow is interupted and CPR must be performed until a normal heartbeat can be re-established, usually by electrical shock from a defibulator or defibrillator.

Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive Heart Failure is when the heart does not pump sufficient amounts of blood to the rest of the body. The body’s organs do not receive an adequate blood supply to function. Causes can be heart attack, old age, fluid retention surrounding the heart (putting pressure on the heart and lungs), lack of essential nutrients to allow the heart to function or poisoning / toxicity, faulty heart valve or long term high blood pressure.

Reversing Heart Disease


bookmark Heart Condition

Technorati Tags: c reactive protein, co enzyme q10, coronary artery disease, heart condition, heart disease, Heart Health, homocysteine levels, thick blood, types of heart disease

Health Resources
Quality Supplements

Health Products