What’s Your Headache Telling You?
Heart Disease is one of the top two ways to die in the developed world today, yet its causes and preventions are fairly simple. Further, the natural healing prevention and therapy for heart disease is very good for overall health. So, healing/preventing heart disease will improve health across the board. The techniques that do this should be hailed as a banner of freedom and followed closely to the delight of those doing so. In this article, we shall discuss one pivotal aspect of healing and preventing heart disease. This is the relationship of heart disease to inflammation.
It is fairly well known that C-reactive protein, a general marker for inflammation, is a better indicator of future heart attack than cholesterol. One study, published in JAMA in 2002, suggested that lowering cholesterol significantly would reduce the chance of a heart attack by 30%, but that lowering C-reactive protein would reduce the risk of a heart attack by 50%. Other studies, frequently published in natural healing publications, have suggested that cholesterol was a completely invalid indicator of heart disease. For me these studies miss the point, since in my practice I consistently find that high cholesterol and triglycerides are the product of inflammation—specifically the product of food allergies.
When the inflammation is removed through wise eating and supplements that help turn the trend, then cholesterol goes down rapidly. Of course, C-reactive protein probably goes down first, but since I do not monitor this in my practice, I cannot be sure. I only know that when these people give up the foods that promote allergies, they lose inflammation from joints, digestion, skin and blood. Free radical damage goes down sharply and cardiovascular healing takes place instead of the shoddy repair that leads to narrowed arteries at every junction.
The process of creating inflammation starts with damage to the arteries. Then calcium is deposited, finally (and this is many months or years later) cholesterol is laid down. This was the conclusion that Dr. Steve Whiting came to also in his research as a biochemist on this subject.
In my practice, I always give cayenne pepper to cardiovascular disease patients, but I do not let them have it on food, since that often irritates the digestion, causing increased inflammation. Instead, I give it to them in water 15 minutes before each meal. This is also what Dr. Christopher, who started the School of Natural Healing did, and in 35 years of practice he never lost a heart attack victim.
Another thing I do in my practice is use a fish-oil DHA/EPA supplement (usually high doses). I urge the avoidance of hydrogenated oils, heat damaged oils, dairy, all bread and all refined sweeteners, since these start the allergy process. Occasionally, I also add various other supplements known to improve overall digestive, endocrine or cardiovascular health. Turmeric is known to lower C-reactive protein, but I am less thrilled with this approach than I once was and have been using large doses of milk thistle seed powder in water instead. This seems to work well to improve liver function for that day enough that inflammation is reduced. Artichoke leaf is also sometimes used to lower cholesterol quickly if a person is threatened with cholesterol meds, which damage the liver. Usually, though, I prefer that each patient lowers cholesterol with improved daily habits, rather than with any supplement, even a natural one. Sometimes, I will also have the person get an allergy test so that the most irritating of other foods can be avoided.
In conclusion, the daily habits of each individual in this processed food world, will lead to either cause or prevention of heart disease. Processed food, dairy, breads and sugars are the primary causes of inflammation, irritation and allergies today, though many other possible causes exist and sometimes individual guidance is needed. Most people can make radical changes in the right direction and reap rewards that their doctor can measure in a few weeks. It can be done faster than on cholesterol meds or on the typical low cholesterol diets, which ignore the cause entirely.
Thanks for reading,
Kal Sellers, MH
