Natural Remedies to Treat and Prevent Heart Disease
From bottomlinesecrets.com

   Gary Null, PhD

Heart disease is America's number-one killer. Yet heart disease, which is primarily caused by inflammation and an accumulation of plaque in the coronary arteries, is one of the most preventable of all illnesses.

The key is to make lifestyle changes and take natural supplements. In fact, there is scientific evidence that people who already are suffering from heart problems can reverse the effects of the disease.

Here are three all-natural programs -- one for general heart health, another for high cholesterol, a third for high blood pressure. Choose one, two or all three programs.

If you are doing more than one at a time, don't double or triple up on supplements. Take no more than the highest amount called for in one program. All the supplements listed are available at most health-food stores.

Regular aerobic exercise is part of each of these programs, and I offer advice on getting the most out of exercise at the end of this article.

Important: Review these programs, including supplement dosages, with your doctor. Natural remedies are not a substitute for traditional treatment but are meant to be done in conjunction with whatever your primary doctor or cardiologist recommends.

GENERAL HEART HEALTH

Your body needs certain nutrients to counteract the effects of internal inflammation on the coronary arteries...

Coenzyme Q10, one of my favorites, is a superstar in protecting the heart. It increases oxygenation to the heart and helps prevent recurrences in people who have had a heart attack. Recommendation: 100 mg to 300 mg daily.

Omega-3 fatty acids decrease the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque, which can lead to atherosclerosis, known as hardening of the arteries. Omega-3s also reduce the risk of arrhythmias, which can lead to sudden cardiac death. Recommendation: 3,000 mg daily.

L-carnitine helps transport long-chain fatty acids, which bring energy to the heart and aid in prevention of heart disease, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases. Recommendation: 500 mg to 1,000 mg daily.

Vitamin E, which has tocotrienols and gamma tocopherol, is an antioxidant that helps protect cells against damage. Recommendation: 200 international units (IU) to 400 IU daily.

Cayenne pepper contains the active ingredient capsaicin, a natural blood thinner that helps prevent heart attacks and strokes. Dosage: Sprinkle regularly on food. Caution: Check with your doctor if you are on a blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin (Coumadin).

Hawthorn berry relaxes blood vessels, enhances circulation and helps prevent arterial hardening. Recommendation: 100 mg twice daily.

REDUCE CHOLESTEROL

Elevated levels of cholesterol are a major marker for heart attacks. Cholesterol provides the raw material for plaque, a fatty substance that builds up inside arteries and clogs them. Optimal levels: A combined blood cholesterol count under 200 mg/dL, with LDL levels (often referred to as "bad" cholesterol) under 100 mg/dL and HDL levels ("good" cholesterol) over 40 mg/dL.

L-carnosine is an amino acid found naturally in the body. This antioxidant helps rejuvenate cells and protect them from premature aging. Recommendation: 500 mg to 1,000 mg daily.

Niacin/vitamin B3, also known as nicotinic acid, lowers LDL cholesterol and raises HDL cholesterol. Recommendation: 100 mg daily.

Shiitake mushrooms speed up the processing of cholesterol in the liver and stimulate the immune system. Recommendation: One-half to one cup of shiitake mushrooms daily. I like them lightly sautéed in olive oil.

Fruits and fruit juices are rich in phytonutrients, which are powerful antioxidants. Recommendation: Two to three servings daily. Look for juices that have no added sugar. Best: Tart cherry, pomegranate, wild blueberry.

LOWER HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

Prolonged high blood pressure (hypertension) damages the lining of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. This can lead to atherosclerosis. Optimal blood pressure levels: A systolic rate (the top number) under 120 mm/Hg and a diastolic rate (the bottom number) under 80 mm/Hg.

Calcium citrate and magnesium. This combination supplement promotes relaxation of the muscles, including the heart. Recommendation: 1,500 mg daily.

Garlic lowers blood pressure by thinning the blood, thus enhancing circulation. Recommendation: Two to three cloves daily. It is easiest to digest when sautéed until translucent (not brown). Or take a 1,000-mg garlic supplement, but check with your doctor if you are on a blood-thinning drug.

Potassium is needed for electrolyte balance, especially if you take blood pressure medication. Recommendation: 500 mg daily.

Green vegetable juices, especially those from spinach, broccoli and kale, help thin the blood, lowering blood pressure. You can buy them at health-food stores or make them yourself with a vegetable juicer (add a pear or an apple if you like a sweeter taste). Recommendation: Two to three six-ounce servings daily. Check with your doctor if you are on blood-thinning medication.

EXERCISE

Regular aerobic exercise, such as fast walking, reduces cholesterol, increases circulation and keeps arteries healthy. To get the most out of exercise...

Work up to 45 minutes of aerobic exercise four times a week. This can take several months. Get a clean bill of health from your doctor before starting.

Take your pulse. Take it before you exercise, then immediately upon stopping, then every five minutes until your pulse has returned to its pre-exercise level. You know you are in shape if your pulse returns to its pre-exercise level in less than five minutes.

When you walk or jog, keep your feet as close to the ground as possible, almost as if you're shuffling. The higher the knee comes off the ground, the greater the pressure and the risk of injury when your leg comes down.

Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Gary Null, PhD, consumer health advocate and educator for more than 30 years. He is a nationally syndicated talk show host and author of more than 70 books, including Complete Encyclopedia of Natural Healing and Bottom Line's Power Aging (both available from Boardroom, Inc., 800-678-5835, www.BottomLineSecrets.com/store). He is adjunct professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, New Jersey, and research director of Institute of Applied Biology, New York City. www.garynull.com

How To Eat Healthier

*           Consider growing your own vegetables and fruits. They can be grown in your yard or in hydroponic gardens indoors.

*           Buy locally grown foods. Talk to local farmers and ask about pesticide and herbicide use. Organic farms are popping up all over the place, and have been growing at a rate of 15 percent a year.

*           Choose organically fed and free-range meats. But don’t expect even organic meats to automatically free you from the fear of mad cow disease. Unfortunately, the government prevents cattle ranches from testing their cattle for mad cow disease.

*           Wash vegetables and fruits. To properly wash your vegetables, fill a two-gallon pot with purified water (filtered) and add two caps of vegetable wash, such as Fit Fruit & Vegetable Wash.

*           When buying organic produce, make sure that it looks healthy. Plants with spots and bruises are not safe to eat.

*           Avoid injected meats and poultry. Most whole birds and many hams have a carefully-worded label that says that they were injected with either gluten, natural flavors, or hydrolyzed protein extracts. In essence, this is a glutamate mixture much like MSG. And like MSG, it is toxic to your body, especially the brain.

*           Wash your poultry well. It is also important to wash whole birds before you cook them. Many are covered in chemicals and have bacteria contamination.

*           Cook all meats completely through, even steaks. Most animals, especially cattle and chickens, are infected with carcinogenic viruses and there is compelling evidence that humans can develop cancer from these viruses.   Sent by Candace Z.  Edmond, OK

For Optimum Health

White flour or any product that contains white flour is dead and has been stripped of any goodness it might have once had. If you see a product containing "enriched flour," stay as far as away as possible from it. Enriched means any vitamins and minerals that were once in the flour have been completely removed through processing and have been replaced with synthetic vitamins -- these synthetic vitamins being derived from coal-tar.

White flour is also stripped of its natural bran or fiber. Dietary fiber promotes the growth of friendly flora (beneficial bacteria), such as acidophilus, which produces essential vitamins and controls unwanted yeast in the intestinal tract.

Manufacturers also bleach it, using an agent that is similar to chlorine bleach.

Not to mention that the white flour we are consuming in our breads and other products is also used in grade schools to make craft paste, which is exactly what it does in our colon - it becomes "sticky" and begins to layer our intestinal tract.

For more information see these sites:
http://www.naturesbestnews.com/flrsugsa.htm and
http://www.visitnewlifebaptistchurch.com/indexa-files/ahealth4.htm

White sugar, or any processed sugar for that matter, causes a number of problems to the body. Some of these include suppressing the immune system, significantly increasing triglycerides and LDLs, interfering with mineral absorption, decreasing the body's insulin sensitivity and accelerating the aging process.

For more information on dangers see:
http://www.mercola.com/article/sugar/dangers_of_sugar.htm

Milk that has been pasteurized and/or homogenized should also be avoided. The process of pasteurization not only kills the harmful bacteria targeted but it also kills anything that was once good in the milk, such as key enzymes, and leaves you again with another dead product. Besides destroying the key vitamins and enzymes, pasteurization also turns the sugar of milk, known as lactose, into beta-lactose, which is far more soluble and therefore more rapidly absorbed in the system, with the result of a greater insulin response.

If that were not bad enough, many companies homogenize their milk so that the fat/cream doesn't separate and people do have to make the effort to shake the milk each time they want to drink it. The process of homogenization also explodes the fat molecules. Once a fat molecule's membrane is damaged, the fat is easily oxidized and becomes rancid.

If you choose to consume any type of dairy product, those made with raw milk should be of first choice. If raw milk is not available to you and feel you need to have dairy, look for Certified Organic; it will be pasteurized but will not have any chemicals, antibiotics or hormones added to the milk or the cows that produce it.

Source: Total Health
http://www.mercola.com/2003/mar/26/pasteurized_milk.htm

White table salt is another white substance that creates untold physical problems and suffering. The body needs sodium, but it must be in an organic form in order to be usable by the body. Table salt, sodium chloride, is an inorganic sodium compound formed by the union of sodium and chlorine that is extremely toxic to the body, causing it to retain fluid in an effort to keep this protoplasmic poison in suspension and out of the cells.

Season your food using unprocessed sea salt, which can have as many as 90 trace minerals and ocean elements that have vital regulatory functions in your body. When you purchase this type of salt, you'll notice the best salt has perfectly cubed crystals, and it has a slightly gray color to it rather than the white salt to which we are accustomed to. This is because it contains all the important minerals and trace minerals and other elements. The best to purchase is called Celtic followed by the sea salt from New Zealand.

!!Remember it's not only important to avoid these white products as a whole but also avoiding products made from them!!

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