Sure, you likely have heard how nutrition can prevent heart disease. Maybe you’ve even heard how nutrition can reverse heart disease .. It’s true! Certainly, understanding how powerful nutrition can be is something that every person can benefit from.
Heart disease is the #1 killer today.
Watch this video to discover how you CAN take control of your heart health by adopting simple nutritional strategies.
Treating Heart Disease: Nutritional Aspects
Heart disease is greatly feared by many individuals due to its reputation of being the leading cause of death in Western and Westernized countries today. However, many dedicated doctors have discovered, through several comprehensive and long-running studies, that there is a strong correlation between diet and heart disease. The works of Dr. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish, among others, have shown that by the use of largely nutritional methods, heart disease can be conquered.
A research study that paved the way for this conclusion was begun 70 years ago and continues to this day. This landmark study is known as the Framingham Heart Study. This study, half a century ago, showed the high correlation between blood cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease. What many people don’t realize is that the Framingham Heart Study is ongoing, with new data continually being collected. The findings from this study and the works of Drs. Campbell, Esselstyn and Ornish all point to animal-based diets as the main culprit behind coronary heart disease.
So let’s now look at the specific aspects involved in treating heart disease using nutritional methods.
The first aspect is controlling the concentration of blood lipids, specifically LDL. The main causes of increased blood lipoproteins are 1) saturated fats and 2) cholesterol. On the other hand, consumption of soluble fiber is instrumental in reducing LDL levels. So the recommendation would be to decrease intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, and simultaneously increase intake of soluble fiber. Based on these simple dietary guidelines, studies have shown that the most effective diet would be a low-fat vegetarian or even a plant-based or vegan diet.
The second major aspect is consumption of soy products. This has also been seen as an effective means of reducing cardiovascular heart disease risk. Aside from the reduction of LDL levels, other effects of soy consumption include lower homocysteine and blood pressure levels. So, the recommendation here is to include soy based foods such as soy milk and meat substitutes, in conjunction with other vegetarian foods, in order to maximize its beneficial effects.
The third aspect heart-healthy nutronal intervention is to increasing intake of anti-oxidants and natural vitamins. This is best done by reducing or preferably eliminating animal-based foods, and replacing them with fruits and vegetables. This will provide substantial amounts of fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, folic acids and other flavonoids in the diet while not adding any cholesterol or saturated fat.
The last aspect of nutritional methods involves the reduction of inflammatory processes present in arteriosclerosis. Numerous studies have shown that reduction of excess body fat results in a reduction of inflammation, which further results in a reduction of the risk for cardiovascular events. A realignment of fat intake, from saturated fats to omega-3 fatty acids, has also been shown to be effective in reducing inflammation. The easiest way to do this is to eliminate consumption of animal products, tropical oils and trans-fatty acids.
All the nutritional aspects mentioned here can be found in a plant-based or vegan diet. A plant-based diet is precisely what studies have shown to be most effective in curing and reversing heart disease. Aside from this substantial cardiac benefit, adopting such a diet is instrumental in reducing weight to optimal levels and reducing the risk of contracting dreaded diseases such as cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and many more. In practically all of these diseases, multiple studies point to animal-based foods as the main risk factor. By simply replacing animal food with plant-based food, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing chronic disease.
