Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 REPPED: In the first part of this question on avoiding atherosclerosis and improving cardiovascular health, we talked about what to avoid so that you don't worsen your situation. Here in the second part, we'll talk about more proactive strategies that you can use for reversing the build up of plaque in your arteries.
First off, one of the better-known therapies for eliminating the buildup of arterial plaque is called intravenous chelation. This is a therapy that can truly work miracles and help people avoid heart bypass surgery and other complications from atherosclerosis. |
Benjamin H. Natelson, M.D.
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 In the nineteenth century, doctors learned that atherosclerosis, or clogging of the arteries in the heart, was a common cause of heart attack and heart failure. The twentieth century brought the understanding that nutritional factors related to eating fatty foods increased the risk of a person's getting atherosclerosis and heart disease. But the twenty-first century has brought other factors into focus—for example, that a smoldering infection can occur within the walls of coronary vessels, and the resulting inflammation can lead to clogging of the vessel. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| But I think that the big solution here when it comes to avoiding atherosclerosis, and doing what many people describe as unclogging their arteries, really comes down to avoiding hydrogenated oils, fried foods, and trans fatty acids.
This is a disorder for which avoidance is really the best treatment. In fact, if you avoid those foods and engage in basic nutritional supplementation and cardiovascular exercise, your body will clean out the arteries for you over time all on its own. |
| This is a therapy that can truly work miracles and help people avoid heart bypass surgery and other complications from atherosclerosis. Intravenous chelation involves the introduction of certain minerals and binding compounds into the human bloodstream through an intravenous solution. In other words, they put an IV in your arm and drip fluids containing chelated minerals into your bloodstream.
What does this do? This chelation solution binds with the plaque in your cardiovascular system and then helps flush it out of your system. |
| It's been around for decades and has been well proven to reduce the buildup of atherosclerosis or plaque in your arteries.
However, remember that if you continue to pursue a diet and lifestyle that created the plaque in the first place, then engaging in intravenous chelation is really only going to help for the short term. To have long-term results, you need to change your lifestyle, as was discussed in part one of this article.
Next on the list is what's called oral chelation. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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 They destroy the things they touch and pry open the endothelial cell panels that protect our arteries, fostering atherosclerosis.
In the skin: With the glycosylation of collagen, the collagen in your skin becomes less elastic and stiffer than a happy-hour martini.
In your connective tissues: When glucose attaches to collagen in your connective tissues, you end up with less elasticity. You need collagen for the smooth functioning of joints. High blood sugar magnifies all aches and pains and can lead to impaired joint movement—and eventually arthritis. |
Elaine Magee
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 It is well known, for example, that high doses of alpha-tocopherol supplements decrease gamma-tocopherol concentrations in the blood, according to Sridevi Devaraj, PhD, an associate professor with the Laboratory for atherosclerosis and Metabolic Research at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center. That may be undesirable, as gamma-tocopherol may help reduce free radicals and be more potent than alpha-tocopherol in inhibiting inflammation associated with heart disease. |
| However (just when you thought we were on to something), researchers from the atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study (ARIC) reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine that CRP adds no value to determining risk for heart disease. Even so, high CRP levels can at least alert your doctor to a potentially serious problem worth further investigation.
DIET AND STROKE
Many of the same blood vessel problems that can lead to heart disease can also cause a stroke. Similar to a heart attack, when bloodflow to the brain is interrupted due to a clot or hemmorhage, brain injury results. |
| According to the American Heart Association (AHA), homocysteine may play a role in atherosclerosis (blood plaque deposits in the arteries) by damaging the inner lining of arteries and promoting blood clots. According to a report in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, high levels of homocysteine may be significantly associated with an increased risk of stroke in people who already have coronary heart disease.
Two things are thought to influence homocysteine levels: genetics and diet. |
| The smaller, heavier cholesterol molecules (a protein linked to LDL and other bad cholesterol particles) increase the risk of heart disease because they can more easily invade the artery wall, causing inflammation and atherosclerosis plaque, he explains. This factor alone may increase your risk of heart attack by as much as 54 percent. Blood tests such as the apoB (apolipoprotein B) can help measure the amount of these smaller, denser cholesterol particles.
Experiment with a vegetarian diet. |
| Narrowed arteries from atherosclerosis can cause turbulent bloodflow.)
Step 2. Inflammation occurs in the artery.
Step 3. LDL cholesterol becomes oxidized and flows through the bloodstream.
Step 4. Plaque from cholesterol sticks to the lining of the arteries.
Step 5. Arteries constrict, and plaque ruptures and breaks off the artery wall. A blood clot forms.
Step 6. Arrhythmia, or a chaotic heartbeat, interrupts or stops the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart and body. |
Tom Bohager
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 Poor circulation can result from a variety of conditions (varicose veins, arteriosclerosis, atherosclerosis, peripheral artery disease, diabetes) and can contribute to severe health issues, such as hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and gangrene. Therapeutic considerations for poor or restricted blood circulation should include daily exercise and using enzymes to support the digestive system and optimize the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Optimizing blood flow and maintaining the integrity of the cardiovascular system are essential, and enzyme therapy can support these goals. |
Elaine Magee
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| Spence, MD, with the Stroke Prevention and atherosclerosis Research Centre in London, Ontario. And a recent review of 121 scientific publications all researching
Four Ways Oat Fiber Helps Your Body
1. Slows down digestion, so it takes longer for the stomach to empty into the small intestines, which helps you feel fuller longer
2. Reduces the amount of insulin the pancreas releases after meals, helping steady blood sugar levels
3. Forms a gel that binds bile acids in the intestinal tract, so they're excreted faster, reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed in the intestine
4. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| High triglyceride levels are a risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
Liver, Kidney, and Muscle Function
Alanine transaminase (ALT): Reflects liver function in conjunction with other tests.
Albumin: It's a protein made by the liver and monitors the synthetic function of the liver. Decreased levels can be seen in kidney disease, which allows albumin to escape into the urine, or be caused by malnutrition, a low-protein diet, or liver disease.
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP): It's released into blood from many tissues, including liver, bile duct, placenta, and bone. |
Bottom Line Health
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| She notes that even outwardly "healthy" Americans develop some level of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) as they age, and therefore, the findings would probably apply to the average person, as well.
ANALYZING THE FINDINGS
Loscalzo believes that at the dosages used in the study, folic acid and B vitamins somehow counteract their beneficial effect of reducing homocysteine levels. "Some of those adverse effects may have to do with the complex metabolism of the vitamins," he speculates. "These vitamins are important for cell growth. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| Apo E4 elevations of cholesterol lead to atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's later in life. And in another mutation, those of us whose ancestors lived in areas where the UVB rays were not so plentiful evolved to have less melanin in our skin to allow all those UVB rays to get through. But if the skin color is too light or too much sunlight enters the cells, then folate levels plummet. Without protection from those nutrients, other neurological symptoms increase in people and their offspring are prone to neural tube defects (spina bifida). |
| CRP levels between 3-10 pg/ml are suggestive of the inflammatory process caused by the formation of atherosclerosis. Levels greater than 10 ug/ml suggest other types of inflammation that can occur with such conditions as arthritis or other infection. Common culprits are gingivitis, vaginitis, and prostatitis.
Interleukin-6 (IL-6): It stimulates an immune response to trauma and is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. Aging is associated with low-grade increases in circulating levels of IL-6. |
Donna Jackson Nakazawa
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 It encompasses those with atherosclerosis who do not know that autoimmunity is involved in their disease and who may be unaware that they are more susceptible to other autoimmune diseases as well.
THE POSTWAR CHEMICAL EXPLOSION: A NEW PLAGUE OF AUTOGENS
During the four or five decades that science lingered at the sidelines—at best, underinvestigating autoimmune disease, at worst, ignoring it—another cultural drama was unfolding in America, the portentous ramifications of which were also slipping under the national radar. |
Bottom Line Health
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| In total, 64% of the patients showed a regression of atherosclerosis. The average LDL level fell from 130.4 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter of blood) to 60.8 mg/dL, a reduction of 53.2%. High-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol levels rose from an average of 43.1 to 49 mg/dL, a 14.7% increase.
With very, very low levels of LDL, we can remove some of the plaque from the coronary artery, and that's a pretty good thing.
Steven E. Nissen, MD
"That's the lowest LDL ever that's been achieved in a clinical trial of this kind," says lead author of the study, Dr. Steven E. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| About 90 percent of men with atherosclerosis have calcified arteries, as opposed to women, who calcify their plaques only 30 percent of the time. This means that women respond to heart disease reversal programs even better than men, since their arteries are not lined in a cast of calcium, but it also might mean that their plaques are more precarious and prone to rupture and sudden clot formation. The big point in all of this: You can't become healthy by testing yourself; you have to live healthfully to prevent the sudden explosions that cause heart attacks and strokes. |
| High blood pressure can really magnify the effects of diabetes by aging your arteries; both high blood pressure and high blood sugar cause nicks or holes in the arteries' walls that trigger the destructive process of inflammation and result in atherosclerosis. Clogged arteries lack the ability to deliver blood to certain key areas, like the heart, brain, penis, and clitoris, which leads to heart attack, stroke, impotence, and decline of orgasm quality. A little physical activity can dramatically improve the ability of insulin to get glucose into many cells, especially muscle. |
Marshall Editions
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 A high cholesterol level in conjunction with the adverse lifestyle factors listed above increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
TREATMENT GOAL
Your doctor will assess your condition on an individual basis, taking into account the number of risk factors in your life for heart disease. If your levels are higher than they should be, treatment aims to lower them through lifestyle modification as well as medication. o cc o
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TDiet: Dietary therapy is a fundamental part of any cholesterol treatment program. |
Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.
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 Simply stated, just as you need stone to build a stone wall, you need a specific level of fat and cholesterol in your bloodstream to narrow and clog your arteries with atherosclerosis.
When the cholesterol carried in the bloodstream reaches unsafe levels—levels I will discuss in Chapter 4—fat and cholesterol are deposited on the linings of the blood vessels. These deposits are called plaques. Old plaques may contain scar tissue and calcium and can steadily enlarge, severely narrowing and sometimes blocking the arteries. |
Donna Jackson Nakazawa
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| Recent studies also show that mice exposed to fine particles of pollution at concentration levels equal to those found in the air in major metropolitan areas are more likely to develop atherosclerosis, which researchers now believe involves an autoimmune response.
One of the most potent by-products of exhaust fumes is di-oxin, which is carried into the air by the fuel combustion of diesel trucks and buses. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Scientific evidence: In a German study, 152 patients who had advanced atherosclerosis and took 900 mg of garlic powder daily for four years experienced a 3% decrease in existing arterial plaques in their carotid (neck) as well as their femoral (thigh) arteries.
Patients who took a placebo experienced more than a 15% increase in arterial plaques.
Potential side effects: Bad breath and indigestion. Because garlic has a blood-thinning effect, it should not be used if you take aspirin regularly or an anticoagulant drug, such as warfarin (Coumadin). |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 This makes it the ideal juice for diabetics, as it also helps reduce atherosclerosis risks in diabetics. Read Pomegranate Juice Could Benefit Diabetics for more details.
This is also a good reason to go with the higher-quality pomegranate juices mentioned here rather than low-quality juice blends made with apple juice or grape juice (both of which are high on the glycemic index scale). Pure pomegranate juice is far better for your blood sugar than a blend of apple juice or grape juice. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Folic acid deficiency has been implicated in a wide variety of disorders from Alzheimer's disease to atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, osteoporosis, cervical and colon cancer, dementia, and cleft lip. Nutritionists have long known that high doses (I'm talking 5 to 20 mg, not meg) of folic acid can have a nice brightening effect on mood. That's not surprising because over the past thirty-five years, many studies have shown a high incidence of folate deficiency associated with depression (as well as other mental symptoms like cognitive decline). |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Scrambling oxidizes the cholesterol, and oxidized cholesterol increases the risk of atherosclerosis.
3. Spinach: Excellent source of lutein, which helps prevent age-related macular degeneration.
4. Nuts, preferably raw: Good sources of protein, essential fatty acids, fiber, and magnesium. Eating nuts lowers serum cholesterol and may reduce the risk of heart disease.
5. Onions: They keep serum cholesterol and blood pressure low, and they inhibit platelet aggregation, all of which might prevent heart disease. |
| In mice, ginger extract lowered cholesterol, inhibited the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, and slowed the development of atherosclerosis. Not exactly a bad resume.
Animal studies on ginger also show that it has antitumorigenic effects and helps boost the immune system; it's an effective antimicrobial and antiviral agent. Studies also demonstrate positive effects on the gastrointestinal tract, the cardiovascular system, pain, and fever. No wonder that a nice hot ginger tea with lemon is a home remedy for all sorts of variations of "feeling under the weather. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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 They can even harm DNA, the genetic blueprint that creates who you are, and are considered to underlie many conditions, including cancer, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease.
Fortunately, your body has a defense: specific nutrients that neutralize those free radicals. Fruit and vegetables, whole grains, beans, green tea, and herbs are good for you for many reasons—they're loaded with essential nutrients—but science is revealing that the value of these foods can especially be traced back to their bounty of nutrients that prevent free-radical damage: the antioxidants. |
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