Stress Management

Combating Coronary Heart Disease Without Drugs
by Dr. Mark A. Brudnak

(FeatureSource) Coronary heart disease (CHD) is caused by a narrowing of the coronary arteries that feed the heart. It’s the most common form of heart disease, affecting some seven million Americans, and it’s also the number-one killer of both men and women. Each year more than 500,000 Americans die of heart attacks.

What Causes Coronary Heart Disease?

Like any muscle, the heart needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients, and these elements are carried to the heart by the blood in the coronary arteries. When the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged, they cannot supply enough blood to the heart.

Atherosclerosis, or the thickening that occurs on the inside walls of the coronary arteries, usually occurs when a person has high levels of cholesterol in the blood. We hear a lot of talk about the different types of cholesterol, and a number of abbreviations are thrown around, such as HDL (high-density lipoprotein), LDL (low-density lipoprotein), and HDL/LDL (which is simply the ratio of the two). This is all a lot easier than it sounds. What’s important to remember is that HDL is the good cholesterol and LDL is the bad cholesterol that will clog up your arteries, making them hard and constricted.

Once flexibility is lost in the arteries, blood pressure goes up, and the optimal levels of blood and other nutrients cannot reach the various parts of the body—including the hardest working muscle of the body, the heart.

Lifestyle Changes

Most people are aware that changing their diet to low-cholesterol, low-fat, especially saturated fat, helps reduce blood cholesterol, a primary cause of atherosclerosis. Eating less fat should also help you lose weight. This is important since losing weight is the most effective lifestyle change you can make to reduce high blood pressure, another risk factor for heart disease. Recent research has also shown that even moderate amounts of physical activity is associated with lower death rates from heart disease. And quitting smoking, of course, dramatically lowers the risk of having a heart attack.

These are not the only lifestyle changes that have a significant impact, as explained in "The Probiotic Solution," (Dragon Door, $24.00 at www.EnergyBreakthrough.com). Although many people are unaware of this "essential" nutrient, probiotics are good bacteria that naturally live in our digestive systems, promoting optimal health. They offer powerful protection when it comes to heart disease.

Caution: These remedies are not meant to be used as a treatment for heart attack. If you suspect a heart attack, seek emergency medical treatment immediately.