We all want to live a long life, but did you know eating these simple foods has been proven scientifically to prevent and in some cases reverse the #1 cause of death in the modern world?
At present, atherosclerosis (the progressive narrowing and clogging up of the arteries) is the driving process behind cardiovascular mortality, the #1 cause of death on this planet, at approximately18 million deaths annually. A complex process, involving autoimmunity, infection, dietary incompatibilities, and many known and unknown factors, it is - despite conventional medical opinion - entirely preventable, and in some cases reversible.
Here is the peer-reviewed, published research proving that fact:
- B Vitamins - yes, something as simple as adding a source of B-complex to your regimen can prevent the juggernaut of heart disease from taking your life prematurely. A doubled-blind, randomized study, published in 2005, in the journal Atherosclerosis found that a simple intervention using 2.5 mg folic acid, 25 mg Vitamin B6, and 0.5mg Vitamin B12 for 1 year, resulted in significant reductions in arterial thickness (as measured by intima media thickeness).[1] Even niacin[2]-[3] or folic acid[4]-[5] alone has been show to have this effect in patients. [Note: Always opt for natural sources of the B-group vitamins, including probiotic supplementation (which produce the entire complement for you), or a whole food extract, versus synthetic or semi-synthetic vitamins which, sadly, predominate on the market today].
- Garlic - as we have documented extensively previously, garlic can save your life. It has been found to regress plaque buildup in the arteries, among many other potentially life-saving health benefits.[6]
- Pomegranate - this super healing fruit has been found to regress plaque buildup in the arteries,[7]-[8] as well as being demonstrated to provide dozens of validated health benefits, including replacing the function of the mammalian ovary!
- Fermented Cabbage - Kimchi, a Korean recipe, which includes fermented cabbage, hot pepper, and various other ingredients, including fermented fish, appears to stall the atherosclerotic process in the animal model.[9] Additionally, strains of good bacteria in kimchi have been found capable of degrading toxic chemicals that can additional bodily harm.
- L-Arginine: This amino acid is capable of preventing arterial thickening - up to 24% reduction! -- in the animal model.[10]-[11] We have done an extensive literature review on arginine supplementation and have found that in over 30 studies demonstrating this fact addition to 150 known health benefits, it is capable of addressing the underlying dysfunction associated with cardiovascular disease: endothelial dysfunction, with no less than 20 studies proving this fact.
- Turmeric (curcumin): the primary polyphenol in the Indian spice turmeric known as curcumin has been found to be an excellent cardioprotective, with over 30 studies demonstrating this fact. One study found that curcumin prevented damage to the arteries associated with blockage (neointima formation).[12] We've discussed turmeric's cardiovascular health benefits in greater depth in an article comparing it to aspirin here.
- Sesame Seed: probably one of the most underappreciated super foods on the planet, sesame seed, which we have shown is as effective as Tylenol for arthritic pain, may be an excellent cardioprotective substance, ideally suited for preventing the progression of atherosclerosis. One animal study found it was capable of preventing atherosclerosis lesion formation.[13] Another human study found that eating sesame seed paste can reduce blood markers of cardiovascular disease.
This is a small sample of evidence-based natural interventions for cardiovascular disease prevention and/or regression. We have a much larger set of studies on over 490 natural substances capable of reducing the risk of heart attack and associated cardiovascular diseases.
Remember, heart disease is not a natural process, that we must accept as inevitable based on family history of an outdated gene-based model of human disease risk. Our daily decisions, especially regarding what we decide we are going to eat or do not eat, are first and foremost. We can use food as medicine, sloughing off the pharmaceutical industry meme that we need statins to stave off the 'inevitable.' Take back control of your health with nutrition, and realize that food is the only medicine that will both nourish us and heal our bodies in a way that will produce lasting health.
References:
[1] Uwe Till, Peter Röhl, Almut Jentsch, Heiko Till, Andreas Müller, Klaus Bellstedt, Dietmar Plonné, Horst S Fink, Rüdiger Vollandt, Ulrich Sliwka, Falko H Herrmann, Henning Petermann, Reiner Riezler. Decrease of carotid intima-media thickness in patients at risk to cerebral ischemia after supplementation with folic acid, Vitamins B6 and B12. Atherosclerosis. 2005 Jul;181(1):131-5. Epub 2005 Feb 16. PMID: 15939064
[2] Allen J Taylor, Hyun J Lee, Lance E Sullenberger. The effect of 24 months of combination statin and extended-release niacin on carotid intima-media thickness: ARBITER 3. Curr Med Res Opin. 2006 Nov;22(11):2243-50 PMID: 17076985
[3] M Thoenes, A Oguchi, S Nagamia, C S Vaccari, R Hammoud, G E Umpierrez, B V Khan. The effects of extended-release niacin on carotid intimal media thickness, endothelial function and inflammatory markers in patients with the metabolic syndrome. Int J Clin Pract. 2007 Nov;61(11):1942-8. PMID: 17935553
[4] George Ntaios, Christos Savopoulos, Dimitrios Karamitsos, Ippoliti Economou, Evangelos Destanis, Ioannis Chryssogonidis, Ifigenia Pidonia, Pantelis Zebekakis, Christos Polatides, Michael Sion, Dimitrios Grekas, Apostolos Hatzitolios. The effect of folic acid supplementation on carotid intima-media thickness in patients with cardiovascular risk: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Int J Cardiol. 2009 Feb 6. PMID: 19201496
[5] T P Smith, C P Cruz, A T Brown, J F Eidt, M M Moursi. Folate supplementation inhibits intimal hyperplasia induced by a high-homocysteine diet in a rat carotid endarterectomy model. J Vasc Surg. 2001 Sep;34(3):474-81. PMID: 11533600
[6] G Siegel, A Walter, S Engel, A Walper, F Michel. [Pleiotropic effects of garlic]. Wien Med Wochenschr. 1999;149(8-10):217-24. PMID: 10483684
[7] Michael Aviram, Mira Rosenblat, Diana Gaitini, Samy Nitecki, Aaron Hoffman, Leslie Dornfeld, Nina Volkova, Dita Presser, Judith Attias, Harley Liker, Tony Hayek. Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation. Clin Nutr. 2004 Jun;23(3):423-33. PMID: 15158307
[8] Michael H Davidson, Kevin C Maki, Mary R Dicklin, Steven B Feinstein, Marysue Witchger, Marjorie Bell, Darren K McGuire, Jean-Claude Provost, Harley Liker, Michael Aviram. Effects of consumption of pomegranate juice on carotid intima-media thickness in men and women at moderate risk for coronary heart disease. Am J Cardiol. 2009 Oct 1;104(7):936-42. PMID: 19766760
[9] Hyun Ju Kim, Jin Su Lee, Hae Young Chung, Su Hee Song, Hongsuk Suh, Jung Sook Noh, Yeong Ok Song. 3-(4'-hydroxyl-3',5'-dimethoxyphenyl)propionic acid, an active principle of kimchi, inhibits development of atherosclerosis in rabbits. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Dec 12;55(25):10486-92. Epub 2007 Nov 16. PMID: 18004805
[10] M G Davies, H Dalen, J H Kim, L Barber, E Svendsen, P O Hagen. Control of accelerated vein graft atheroma with the nitric oxide precursor: L-arginine. J Surg Res. 1995 Jul;59(1):35-42. PMID: 7630134
[11] Mehdi Nematbakhsh, Shaghayegh Haghjooyjavanmard, Farzaneh Mahmoodi, Ali Reza Monajemi. The prevention of endothelial dysfunction through endothelial cell apoptosis inhibition in a hypercholesterolemic rabbit model: the effect of L-arginine supplementation. Lipids Health Dis. 2008;7:27. Epub 2008 Aug 2. PMID: 18673573
[12] Xiaoping Yang, D Paul Thomas, Xiaochun Zhang, Bruce W Culver, Brenda M Alexander, William J Murdoch, Mysore N A Rao, David A Tulis, Jun Ren, Nair Sreejayan. Curcumin inhibits platelet-derived growth factor-stimulated vascular smooth muscle cell function and injury-induced neointima formation. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2006 Jan;26(1):85-90. Epub 2005 Oct 20. PMID: 16239599
[13] Shylesh Bhaskaran, Nalini Santanam, Meera Penumetcha, Sampath Parthasarathy. Inhibition of atherosclerosis in low-density lipoprotein receptor-negative mice by sesame oil. J Med Food. 2006 Winter;9(4) PMID: 17201634
Important Notice: This article was originally published at https://greenmedinfo.com by Sayer Ji where all credits are due.
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