Collin County Living Well Magazine March/April 2018 | Page 32

Do you know the first sign of heart disease ?

By Dr . Donna Barsky , PharmD

Most cardi- ologists say heart disease cannot be reversed , but some heart issues are driven by alcoholism for years . It ’ s well documented alcoholism causes a type of malnutrition that affects the heart . Physicians have attributed cardiovascular disease to smoking , eating habits , weight problems , high-cholesterol , high blood pressure , and bad genetics . Even now , scientists are discovering that free radicals , Omega-6 fatty acids , high homocysteine levels , circulating immune complexes in the blood , and overall systemic inflammation play fundamental roles in the onset of heart disease .

Dean Ornish . MD describes patients waiting to undergo a heart transplant -- those with the worst possible damage -- who enrolled in his program while on the transplant list . Some of them improved so much , they no longer needed a transplant . “ Our studies show that with significant lifestyle changes , blood flow to the heart and its ability to pump normally improve in less than a month , and the frequency of chest pains fell by 90 % in that time ,” Ornish says . “ Within a year on our program , even severely blocked arteries in the heart became less blocked , and there was even more reversal after 5 years .” “ Just making moderate changes in your diet may be enough to prevent heart disease , but it won ’ t be enough to reverse it ,” Ornish says .
Diet may be the biggest thing you ’ d change to try to reverse heart disease , walking at least half an hour a day , or for an hour three times a week . Yoga , meditation , and stress reduction are also parts of his program . Naturally reversing heart disease and alternative medicine can help heal even the arrest health conditions , once you get to the root of the problem in the first place .
For detoxification using the nutritionals listed below , start by doubling the maintenance dosage , then tripling it if needed , and even quadrupling it -- until you notice benefits , or as recommended by your health professional . You ’ ll want to run a detox program for a minimum of 30 days and up to 12-24 months -- depending on the state of your health and how much damage you are trying to repair .
Secrets of the Heart . Learn to take the mystery out of a doctor ’ s diagnosis so you know what your doctor is analyzing when looking at your heart . Arm yourself with some basic diagnostic knowledge so you ’ re not at the mercy of the medical mystique with the results of your next physical .
The Anatomy of the Heart . Once we understand the underlying basis of medical treatments used to correct heart disease , we can make informed decisions as to which of those alternative health treatments and medications make sense for your heart disease symptoms and what alternatives might work to improve your cardiovascular health .
Heart Problems and Alternative Health Solutions . Although many problems with the heart may seem to be biomechanical in nature and beyond the purview of nutrition and supplements , that ’ s not necessarily true . Some natural health remedies you will learn about concerning heart disease are how :
• Magnesium supplementation ( Glycinate form ) can change the shape and condition of heart valves-500mg at night .
• B vitamins can help rebuild the heart , especially ones that include B6 , B12 , and Methylfolate . Use twice daily .
• CoQ10 can reenergize every single cell in the heart and can literally remold the size and shape of the heart after the onset of congestive heart failure . Use 100mg twice daily or 200mg daily in the morning . For congestive heart failure , start with 180mg daily and increase to 360mg over three weeks . Significant relief from symptoms may take a few weeks to months .
• Proper dental care can reduce the incidence of periodontal disease , which reduces the chances of an acute coronary event .
• L-Carnitine , an amino acid may increase energy available to the heart muscle cells of congestive heart failure patients by supporting free fatty acid metabolism . Aim for 500mg twice daily .
• L-Arginine is another amino acid that improves blood flow to the heart by stimulating endothelial cell releasing factor , thereby inhibiting a chain of complex reactions that might otherwise cause plaque to form in the arteries and stifle blood flow to the heart . Use 2 – 4 grams before bedtime .
• Biotin is a vitamin used for preventing and treating biotin deficiency associated with pregnancy , long-term tube feeding , malnutrition , and rapid weight loss . It is also used orally for hair loss , brittle nails , skin rash in infants , diabetes , and mild depression . How does it work ? Biotin is an important component of enzymes in the body that break down certain substances like fats , carbohydrates , and others . Take 3 mg daily ( 3000mcg ).
• Probiotics twice daily will help rebuild the immune system .
• The use of Omega-3 fatty acids can help in reversing heart damage caused by non-esterified fatty acids ( NEFAs ). Use 1200mg twice daily . Proteolytic enzymes can provide nutritional support for your body as it works to clean out the coronary arteries and repair damage to epicardial tissue surrounding the heart in different activity units for each type of enzyme . For the above formula , that would be : Protease enzymes -- 300,000 HUT ( Hemoglobin Units , Tyrosine basis ).
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COLLIN COUNTY Living Well Magazine | MARCH / APRIL 2018