Cardiovascular disease is the leading health problem in America, killing over one million annually.  Over 50 million Americans have cardiovascular disease, many of them unknowingly.  Like most of the “killer diseases”, heart disease appears to largely be a disease of civilization.  Primitive peoples eating whole, natural foods, getting good exercise, and living relatively free from stress seldom have heart trouble.  It is often said that a doctor 100 years ago might have to drive 100 miles in his horse and buggy to study one case of heart disease.  Today the same doctor wouldn’t have to walk across the room to study it.

            First, let’s define some of the main categories of heart disease (high cholesterol and high blood pressure are addressed in separate Better Health Updates):

1. Coronary Artery Disease — The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart.  CAD is characterized by plaque build-up in these arteries.
2. Angina — When the coronary arteries narrow sufficiently, inadequate oxygen reaches the heart causing angina chest pains.
3. Coronary Thrombosis — Blood clot due to a blocked artery.
4. 4. Arteriosclerosis — Hardening of the arteries.  This is the most common cause of obstruction of the coronary arteries.
5. Atherosclerosis — A type of arteriosclerosis characterized by fatty deposit build up in the arteries..
6. Arrhythmia — Irregular heart beat.
7. Stroke — A sudden disruption of the blood flow to a part of the brain, which in turn affects the area of the body controlled by that part of the brain.  Full or partial paralysis is a common result.
8. Congestive Heart Failure — CHF refers to the inability of the heart to pump adequate blood.  Fatigue, shortness of breath, and lower leg edema are common symptoms.  This may be caused by high blood pressure, previous heart attacks, dysfunction of the heart muscle or valves, water build-up, kidney malfunction, or lung diseases.
9. Cardiomyopathy — This condition refers to a reduction of the force of the heart muscle’s contraction and the corresponding decrease in the circulation.
10. Mitral Valve Prolapse — Loss of tone or a slight deformity in the valve that blocks the left atria from the left ventricle.  Leakage and a heart murmur result.  Studies have shown that 85% of those with this condition are magnesium deficient.
11. Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) — Death of the heart muscle caused by a blocked artery.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE APPROACH

            On the preventive side, conventional medicine has promoted exercise, weight reduction, low salt and low cholesterol diets for the various forms of cardiovascular disease.  Though I cannot argue about the need for weight loss and exercise, the low salt and low cholesterol diets have not hit the mark.

            In Better Health Update #56 I’ve discussed the definite problems of refined, adulterated table salt and so-called “sea salt”, and have discussed the positive cardiovascular benefits of natural Celtic Sea Salt with its full range of trace minerals.  Various authorities dismiss the theory that a high cholesterol diet causes heart disease (see Better Health Update #40).  At least 40% of the people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels! Unfortunately, doctors, and people in general, like to get on bandwagons — and once they get on the bandwagon, they put on their blinders to any other ideas.  So now it’s my turn, like in the children’s story, to say, “The Emperor has no clothes!”

            It gets much worse when it comes to conventional treatment of cardiovascular disease.  We have balloon angioplasty to mechanically enlarge blood vessels, coronary bypass surgery to put in new coronary arteries, and even heart transplants.  Though these procedures have extended many lives, they are also high risk and very expensive.  More importantly, they follow the usual conventional medicine philosophy of “treat the symptom.”  Since the underlying cause is still there, you really have solved nothing. 

            In addition to these surgical interventions, conventional medicine has put millions of people on various drugs  — drugs for cholesterol, high blood pressure, blood thinning, arrhythmia, you name it.  And all these drugs have side-effects.

CAUSES OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

            Let’s talk about the causes of cardiovascular disease that conventional medicine has ignored.

1. Refined Sugar — John Yudkin, M.D., Ph.D., formerly Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at London University, relates excess sugar consumption to both atherosclerosis and coronary thrombosis.  In controlled studies Dr. Yudkin found that someone eating 110 grams of sugar per day was five times more likely to have a heart attack than someone eating less than 60 grams per day.  By the way,  Americans on average eat 140 grams of refined sugar per day.
   The Masai and Sumburu tribes of East Africa eat a high cholesterol diet of milk and meat yet have little heart disease.  One of the distinguishing points of their diet is that eat practically no refined sugar.  Some would argue that these tribes live more primitively, get lots of exercise, and don’t have the stress of more civilized people — thus they escape heart disease.  Studying another group of people disproves this, however.
   I’m referring the the people of St. Helena, the remote island where Napoleon lived in exile.  The islanders eat less fat than the Americans or British, and they are physically active since the island is hilly and has few motor vehicles.  But they consume about the same amount of refined sugar as Americans.  Guess what?  Heart disease is very common.  Conclusion:  It’s the sugar, not the fat.  Refined sugar is an antinutrient — it depletes the body of key nutrients, including magnesium, which is essential to heart health.

2. Vitamin C Deficiency —   Lack of vitamin C causes a collagen deficiency and creates cracks in the coronary arteries.  Muscle cells then grow into these cracks making bumps, or what we usually call plaque.  The body then tries to patch up these bumps with lipoprotein-a, a sticky, glue-like substance.  Then cholesterol in the blood stream accumulates on these bumps making them bigger.  The cholesterol isn’t the problem—it’s the body’s response to the problem of blood vessel injury.    Though 60 mg. of vitamin C per day will prevent scurvy, much more is required to prevent collagen breakdown and blood vessel cracking.
   Ever hear of a dog or cat having a heart attack?  Probably not.  You don’t have to feed your dog or cat fruits or vegetables because they produce their own vitamin C.  Only guinea pigs and humans cannot synthesize their own vitamin C.

3. Homocysteine Elevation —           Homocysteine is an amino acid (i. e. protein building block) produced in the body.  High levels of homocysteine can cause cholesterol to turn into oxidized low density lipoprotein, which damages the arteries.  Homocysteine may also cause blood to clot more easily.  A 1997 five-year study of 587 people with heart disease found their mortality rate was corresponded to their blood levels of homocysteine.  Many feel that homocysteine levels are a much better predictor of heart disease than measuring cholesterol.
   So what causes your blood homocysteine to elevate?  Perhaps the main cause is B vitamin deficiency, particularly B-6, B-12, and Folic Acid.  A Norwegian study found that homocysteine also appears to be affected by smoking and coffee drinking.  The combined effect of low folic acid, smoking, and high coffee consumption appears stronger than any of these factors individually.
   Conventional medicine is quick to point out that no controlled study has (as yet) proven that reducing homocysteine reduces the incidence of strokes and heart attacks, supplementation in these areas is a “no brainer” in my view (unless you want to die while waiting for them to come out with a study proving the rather obvious).

4. Other Nutrient Deficiencies —  Vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, chromium and other nutrients, when deficient, may contribute to cardiovascular disease.
5. Chlorine Toxicity — Increased heart disease risk has been linked to both drinking and bathing in chlorinated water.  Chlorine is known to destroy Vitamin E in the body, which may be part of the reason for it’s adverse effect on the heart.

CHELATION THERAPY

            Chelation (pronouned “key-LAY-shun”) is an intravenous therapy done by some natural medicine-oriented medical doctors.  A chelating chemical called EDTA (often combined with vitamin C and other nutrients) is put into the body through a slow-drip infusion “cocktail” over a two to three hour period.  Someone might have 20 or 30 or more daily treatments.

            The chelating agent has the effect of pulling calcium deposits, along with other plaque materials, out of the blood vessels and flushing them out through the urine.  Unlike angioplasty, it’s a very safe procedure and very effective, while costing a fraction of what coronary bypass surgery does.  Perhaps because it’s a threat to the coronary bypass and angioplasty “industry”, medical doctors doing chelation have encountered vicious persecution.

            While I think chelation is a good approach, keep in mind that it’s still treating the symptom.  The nutritional problems that set people up for cardiovascular disease in the first place are the root causes we need to go after.

NATURAL MEDICINE REMEDIES

            The overall principle, as with virtually any other health problem would be to (1) find out what’s missing nutritionally, and (2) fix it.  Thus individualized testing at one of our clinics is the best way to approach a cardiovascular problem.  But some of the possible supplements that may be appropriate include:

1. Buffered (Ascorbate) Vitamin C — Though essential for virtually any health problem, the effect of vitamin C in maintaining elasticity of the blood vessels may make it the most important nutrient for preventing cardiovascular disease.
2. B-6, B-12, Folic Acid — Particularly these three vitamins appear to lower homocysteine levels and the cardiovascular mortality rate.  These would be included in a good multi-vitamin/mineral or B-complex, but taking extra of the individual supplements may be appropriate as well.
3. Chelated Multi-Mineral — Mineral deficiencies, particularly of magnesium, are very significant with most cardiovascular problems — particularly arrhythmias and heart attacks.  Magnesium has a relaxing effect on the muscles, so it’s not too hard to understand that magnesium deficiency could contribute to a heart attack.  The proper balance between calcium, magnesium and potassium is essential for cardiovascular health.
4. EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) — Found in fish oils, EPA has been shown to lower cholesterol.  The right kinds of fats are essential to cardiovascular health, instead of the nonsensical paranoia about all fats that has pervaded the public consciousness for the past 30 years.
5.  GLA (gamma linoleic acid) — Another “good” fat, GLA is a vegetable fat found in borage oil, primrose oil, and flax oil that likewise has cardiovascular benefits.
6. Vitamin E — As one of the main antioxidant vitamins, Vitamin E has long been associated with a healthy cardiovascular system.  Wilfred Shute, M.D., of the Shute Institute in Ontario, Canada spent over 40 years investigating the medical properties of vitamin E.  He found it excellent for both dissolving and preventing blood clots and by decreasing the need for oxygen by as much as 41%.  But be sure to use natural vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol), not the synthetic vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopherol).  Vitamin E is also known to aid the recovery from stroke.
7. Coenzyme Q-10 — This enables the heart to hold onto oxygen and thus prevent additional heart damage.  It’s also recommended for treating mitral valve prolapse and cardiomyopathies.  Co Q-10 increases the force of the heart muscle somewhat like digitalis, though not as dramatically.  It often helps angina.
8. L-Carnitine — May be helpful for congestive heart failure and breaking down fatty deposits.
9. Garlic — This favorite herb helps many people lower their blood pressure and cholesterol.
10. Hawthorn Berry — Another heart herb noted for treating arrhythmias and congestive heart failure.
11. Grape Seed Extract — This antioxidant may help prevent arterial damage, lower serum cholesterol, and even shrink cholesterol deposits already in the arteries.

Again, individual testing is the key for finding out what specific supplements are the right ones for you.

Better Health Update is published by Pacific Health Center, PO Box 1066, Sisters, Oregon 97759, Phone (800) 255–4246 with branch clinics in Boise, Idaho, Post Falls, Idaho and Portland, Oregon.  E-Mail:  drkline@pacifichealthcenter.com.   Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist, Author.  Reproduction Prohibited.

DISCLAIMER:  The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only.  It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment.  Rather, this material  is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems.  Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.