Coronary artery disease is the result of the narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart with blood, oxygen, and nutrients. It is caused by atherosclerosis, the build-up of cholesterol-rich fatty deposits, or plaques, on the inside of arterial walls.<\/p>\n
As these deposits accumulate over time, the coronary arteries narrow to the point that the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart is restricted. This causes increased blood pressure and can result in angina, heart attacks and strokes.<\/p>\n
Most medical attention and drug development has been directed at the question “How do you lower blood cholesterol?” That does have a positive effect, so it\u2019s one we will address. But it\u2019s more complicated than that. To really reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke you need to know the answer to two other key questions:<\/p>\n
1. Why do the cholesterol deposits build up in the first place?<\/p>\n
2. Why do almost 50% of people who suffer a heart attack have normal cholesterol levels?<\/p>\n
Why do cholesterol deposits build up?<\/strong> This inflammation also upsets the normal balance of \u2018dilator\u2019 and \u2018constrictor\u2019 muscles. Dilators<\/em> encourage the arteries to keep open, constrictors<\/em> encourage them to close. When inflammation develops, the arteries become less sensitive to dilators and the constrictors dominate. The arteries narrow, and blood pressure goes up.<\/p>\n The fact that chronic sub-clinical inflammation is the root cause of the problem has recently been acknowledged in many articles (\u2018chronic\u2019 = long term and \u2018sub-clinical\u2019 = below the level of detection).<\/p>\n \u201cLow-grade inflammation is associated with everything from heart disease and diabetes to Alzheimer\u2019s and arthritis, and may even be the cause of most chronic diseases.\u201d So the first priority in reducing your risk of heart disease is to increase your intake of anti-inflammatory nutrients from foods and supplements.<\/p>\n In particular you\u2019ll want to increase your intake of the polyphenols and flavonoids – naturally occurring anti-inflammatory compounds in fruits and certain spices. These target the blood vessel linings and restore normal vascular function surprisingly rapidly.<\/p>\n These compounds are relatively easy to put into supplements, as they can be extracted from a variety of fruits and spices. Some of the most potent natural anti-inflammatory supplement sources are curcumin<\/strong>, green tea<\/strong>, grape-seed<\/strong> and bilberry<\/strong>.<\/p>\n As we have been eating them as part of our normal diet for millennia, they are of course completely safe to take. Which raises the question – why prefer more expensive and synthetic compounds like statins, given there is a natural alternative?<\/p>\n Statins are expressly designed to lower levels of LDL cholesterol; but cardiologists now realise that lowering cholesterol levels is not necessarily the most effective way of reducing the risk of a heart attack. In fact, around half of all heart attacks occur in people who have apparently normal levels of LDL cholesterol!<\/p>\n There are at least four other problems \u2013 each with its own natural solution.<\/p>\n LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol may be insufficiently protected by anti-oxidants and therefore too prone to oxidation, also known as free radical damage. In this state Cholesterol Oxidation Products (COPs) are formed which damage the lining of the arteries, setting up sites of inflammation.<\/p>\n NUTRITIONAL SOLUTIONS<\/em>: Ensure that your diet is rich in anti-oxidants<\/strong>, which are found in fruits and vegetables. In a supplement you need good levels of vitamin E<\/strong> and C<\/strong> and the carotenoids<\/strong> like beta carotene, lycopene and lutein \u2013 plus other flavonoids which also have an anti-oxidant as well as anti-inflammatory effect.<\/p>\n Eating nuts<\/strong> – walnuts, almonds, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, almonds – has also been found to reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, nuts also help keep blood vessels healthy. But, of course, nuts are high in calories, so stick with a handful and choose unsalted in preference, as excess salt can raise blood pressure.<\/p>\n Levels of HDL cholesterol (the protective form) may be too low. HDL particles seem to \u2018scrub\u2019 the artery walls, removing excess LDL cholesterol that might otherwise be used to make the atheroma plaque that causes coronary (heart) disease. The cholesterol is then carried to the liver, where it is processed into bile and excreted out of the body.<\/p>\n NUTRITIONAL SOLUTIONS<\/em>: HDL cholesterol can be increased through aerobic exercise<\/strong>, and through a maximum of two alcoholic drinks a day \u2013 ideally of red wine<\/strong> which contains flavonoids.<\/p>\n An increased intake of Omega 3<\/strong> fish oil is especially beneficial. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna, wild but not farmed salmon, and halibut. You should grill the fish to avoid adding extra fats.<\/p>\n Eat more high-soluble-fibre foods like oats<\/strong>. Oats contain a compound called beta glucans which not only increase HDL, but also help reduce bad LDL cholesterol. Beta glucans act like a \u2018sponge\u2019 by binding to cholesterol into your bloodstream, so it is removed as waste.<\/p>\n Soluble fibre<\/strong> is also found in beans, apples, pears, barley, prunes and vegetables like aubergines (eggplant) and artichokes.<\/p>\n You need to average 10 grams or more of soluble fibre a day. A cup of cooked oatmeal provides 6 grams of fibre and you can increase that by adding fruit such as prunes or bananas, which would add about 4 more grams and by eating wholemeal bread.<\/p>\n Most fruits and vegetables will also boost fibre intake. Apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruits are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fibre. There is also an indication that cranberry juice can help raise HDL levels.<\/p>\n Finally, vitamin B3<\/strong> (niacin<\/strong>) as nicotinic acid appears to help raise HDL levels, but be careful not to exceed the RDA for this vitamin.<\/p>\n In many people who have normal cholesterol but still have a heart attack, blood levels of the toxic amino acid homocysteine are too high. Homocysteine can also drive inflammation.<\/p>\n NUTRITIONAL SOLUTIONS<\/em>: The vitamins B6<\/strong>, B12<\/strong> and folic acid<\/strong> work together to help reduce homocysteine levels, and another lesser-known B vitamin called betaine<\/strong> is particularly effective. So an optimum level of these nutrients in your diet and supplement is cardio-protective.<\/p>\n Blood platelets may be too sticky and therefore clump together \u2013 which makes it easier for blockages to take place.<\/p>\n NUTRITIONAL SOLUTIONS<\/em>: Once again Omega 3 fish oil<\/strong> is an effective way to reduce blood platelet stickiness \u2013 and research indicates that lycopene<\/strong>, the \u2018active\u2019 carotenoid in tomatoes, can have the same effect.<\/p>\n The factors listed above explain why LDL cholesterol levels alone are a poor indicator of risk. Total cholesterol levels and LDL levels are just one element in a complex balance of factors which affect overall risk.<\/p>\n If the person with high LDL levels is also low in antioxidants, high in homocysteine and low in anti-inflammatory agents like the flavonoids \u2013 a pattern common in the Western diet \u2013 high LDL levels will indeed increase the risk of a heart attack.<\/p>\n But if the person with high LDL is eating a diet rich in antioxidants, B vitamins, lycopene and betaine and anti-inflammatory compounds like flavonoids and Omega 3, high LDL may have little effect.<\/p>\n It is because there is a complex, combined sequence of events that leads to a heart attack that a single pharmaceutical \u2018magic bullet\u2019 like statins, which target only one element, is an inadequate strategy on its own. (Even apart from the possible side effects!)<\/p>\n STATINS AND OTHER DRUGS CARRY RISKS OF THEIR OWN <\/strong><\/p>\n Recent research shows that some of the drugs in the statin group have slight anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It is now thought that it may well be these effects, rather than any cholesterol-lowering ability, that lie behind their modest cardio-protection. In other words, statins<\/strong> are behaving like synthetic flavonoids.<\/p>\n Other drugs like ACE-inhibitors<\/strong> do lower blood pressure and thereby reduce the risk of strokes, as do other anti-hypertensive drugs such beta blockers.<\/p>\n None of these, however, prevent the accumulation of atheroma in blood vessel walls and none of them reduce the risk of a heart attack significantly, because they are not acting on the root cause of the problem \u2013 which is inflammation.<\/p>\n As for the aspirin-type<\/strong> drugs which reduce the tendency of platelets to form clots \u2013 one of the last links in the chain that leads to a heart attack \u2013 they also have no effect on atheroma formation at all.<\/p>\n In addition, heart disease does not, of course, develop overnight. When its symptoms become overt \u2013 tingling in the arms and hands, high blood pressure, angina, chest pain etc \u2013 the disease has already been progressing for years.<\/p>\n Fortunately this state can be halted and even reversed in months, using a combination of dietary solutions listed above, plus …<\/p>\n PRIORITY 6 TO REDUCE RISK – Get moving!<\/strong><\/p>\n Being overweight and not exercising both increase fats circulating in the bloodstream. Excess weight boosts harmful LDL, while inactivity depresses protective HDL. Losing weight if needed and exercising more reverse these trends.<\/p>\n Increased physical activity also helps to reduce insulin resistance and reduce the risk of diabetes, which is an even stronger risk factor for cardiovascular disease in women than in men.<\/p>\n Diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 3 to 7 times among women, compared with a 2 to 3 times higher risk increase among men. Approximately half of all deaths in patients with Type 2 diabetes are due to heart disease.<\/p>\n A ground-breaking French study published in Circulation<\/em> magazine compared the effectiveness of the Mediterranean Diet<\/em> versus drugs in preventing heart attacks. The dietary change was about 3 times more protective than statins.<\/p>\n Similarly, scientists at the University of Naples showed that in a high-risk group of people, the Mediterranean Diet de<\/strong>creased blood pressure, body weight, levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats). It simultaneously in<\/strong>creased levels of HDL cholesterol \u2013 to the point where half the Mediterranean group were effectively cured, and fell out of the high-risk category altogether.<\/p>\n The reason why foods are so much more protective than drugs is because the right combination of foods (plus comprehensive supplements), can support ALL the body\u2019s defence mechanisms and create a body status that is \u2018hostile\u2019 to heart disease and stroke \u2013 and indeed hostile to other so-called age-related diseases, like diabetes, arthritis and even some cancers.<\/p>\n This is a situation that exists naturally in parts of the world where sudden (cardiovascular) death is rare \u2013 as in Crete, where it is as little as 10% of the UK and US rate!<\/p>\n The Mediterranean Diet is characterised by high levels of fruits and vegetables, sea fish, olive oil, minimal processed food and red meat – and some red wine. These findings are one reason why the American Cancer Society now recommends as many as nine portions of fruits and vegetables a day! And other health researchers advise at least two and as many as four servings of oily fish a week.<\/p>\n For many people, these are not very attainable guidelines \u2013 hence the advantage of a comprehensive supplement that goes beyond a simple vitamin and mineral pill. A one-a-day vitamin supplement will prevent outright deficiency \u2013 but does not include any anti-inflammatory nutrients.<\/p>\n In nutrient terms, a Mediterranean-diet-style supplement means adding anti-inflammatory flavonoids like green tea, grape-seed and curcumin, anti-oxidants like beta carotene, lutein and lycopene, vitamin E, betaine, Omega 3 and more to a full range of vitamins and minerals.<\/p>\n What is a healthy cholesterol level?<\/strong> Click here to read more<\/a><\/p>\n
\nAtheroma \u2013 the build-up of cholesterol – starts when there is chronic inflammation of the arteries, which is known as Endothelial Dysfunction or ED. This inflammation attracts immune cells that migrate into the inflamed tissue and break down, forming the atheroma. (This is the main reason why high blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of heart attacks. Both have a common cause, namely the inflammation.)<\/p>\n![\"Vitamin](\"https:\/\/nutrishield.com\/images\/atheroma.jpg\" "\\"Vitamin")
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\nUniversity of California Berkeley, School of Public Health, 2010<\/em><\/p>\n
\nPRIORITY 1 TO REDUCE RISK – Increase anti-inflammatory nutrients<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nPRIORITY 2 TO REDUCE RISK – Add anti-oxidants to reduce LDL oxidation<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nPRIORITY 3 TO REDUCE RISK – Increase good HDL cholesterol<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nPRIORITY 4 TO REDUCE RISK – Reduce homocysteine<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nPRIORITY 5 TO REDUCE RISK – Reduce blood platelet stickiness<\/strong><\/p>\n
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\nMEDITERRANEAN DIET VS DRUGS – Proof of heart disease risk reduction<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nPRIORITY 7 TO REDUCE RISK – Add comprehensive supplements to good food<\/strong><\/p>\n
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