Articles on the Heart
Cholesterol Part 1
There are two indicators that put you at higher risk for heart attacks and strokes. One is your cholesterol level and the other is your homocysteine level.
Today I'm going to talk about cholesterol. I'll finish off the subject in two weeks time with a discussion on homocysteine levels - what they are and what they mean.
Cholesterol has been on people's minds for some time now - and it should be. Nanaimo has an aging population. I see more and more people coming into my office saying, "My cholesterol is creeping up. What does this mean and what should I do?"
Cholesterol isn't all bad. It performs a useful function in the body. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance manufactured by the liver. It's present in animal foods only - not in vegetable foods. The diet supplies only 10 to 20 per cent of the body's cholesterol - the liver produces the rest.
Cholesterol helps to make up the fatty plaques inside the arteries and is one of the factors in arteriosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis is a condition where the arteries to the heart becoming constricted and smaller thus starving the heart of the nutrients it needs. The same thing occurs in the arteries that lead to the brain.
So cholesterol can be a problem. But it also benefits the body. Cholesterol is the precursor of many of our hormones like estrogen and testosterone. It makes up a part of each cell and is a necessary component of bile acids that digest our food.
Cholesterol is made up of two lipoproteins. The good guys are HDL's. They take the cholesterol from the liver and excrete them from the body. The bad guys are LDL's which transport cholesterol from the liver to the body's cells. So what you want is for you HDL's to be high and your LDL's to be low.
The body's ratio of HDL to LDL determines whether the cholesterol is going to be deposited into the tissues or broken down and excreted.
So what causes high cholesterol levels? Most often it's diet and lifestyle. In only one in 500 cases it's a genetic predisposition.
If you've just been given the news that you have high cholesterol, the first thing that needs to be ruled out is hypothyroidism.
Typically the person with high cholesterol is a middle aged man or woman. He or she will come into my office asking what to do. My first suggestion is diet. A plant based diet has little cholesterol. Some animal protein is good - just watch the amount. Add oat bran to your breakfast routine. Three tablespoons daily has been shown to bring cholesterol levels down. Garlic and onions are also good news. A diet rich in allium (the active ingredient in garlic) can lower cholesterol by 15 per cent. Two raw garlic cloves a day should do it. But if you don't live on a desert island, you may want to take your garlic in pill form - 4,000 mgs. a day. Other good things to add to your diet are flax seed oil in salads and olive oil in cooking.
Contrary to popular belief, margarine is not useful for lowering cholesterol. It can actually raise the LDL's. On top of that, margarine contains trans fatty acids which can raise the free radicals in the blood and promote heart disease.
I recommend niacin as a supplement to help reduce cholesterol. If you've had niacin in the past and experienced those red flushes, take a predigested form of niacin called inositol hexaniacinate which doesn't produce the red flushes. This supplement has been tested against other commonly prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs and has been show to be just as effective without the side effects.
For moderately raised cholesterol levels take 500 mgs. of niacin three times a day - 1,000 mgs. for high cholesterol levels. Take it for three months to see results. Vitamin C can also help because it's known to increase HDL's.
Last but not least, I recommend a liver cleanse. This is easily done with compounds made up of lipotropic factors and herbs like milk thistle and dandelion.
Watch for my next article in two weeks time when I'll talk about high homocysteine levels and how you can lower them.
Cholesterol Part 2
This week I want to talk about treatments for high cholesterol. I'll start with the liver.
Since the liver is an important organ in the breakdown of cholesterol, it's important to ensure proper liver health. Lipotropic factors such as choline and methionine help lift the liver's sluggishness by helping it to decongest. They enhance liver functions and fat metabolism.
Milk thistle, a common liver herb, protects the liver from damage by toxins and also stimulates the generation of new liver cells. The common dandelion will also increase the liver function and aid in its detoxification.
A herb called commiphora mukal, or common myrrh from India, has shown excellent results in lowering cholesterol. Several studies have shown that this herb can lower cholesterol by 15 to 30 per cent without the side effects of other drugs. In animal tests it has been shown to prevent arteriosclerosis and to reduce existing fat on the arteries.
Then there's niacin - the most studied and certainly the best non-drug treatment for high cholesterol. But before I talk about niacin I want to say something about cholesterol lowering drugs. Many of them have two potentially dangerous side effects: they tend to be toxic to the liver and you must consider that 80 per cent of your cholesterol is formed in the liver so you need to keep your liver functioning well. In some animal studies these drugs have been shown to promote cancer. Although the extrapolation of animal data to humans is an uncertain process, there is enough evidence to warrant concern.
So if there is a treatment that has real benefits without the side effects, I believe it's important to try that treatment first. Niacin has shown better overall results than the other cholesterol lowering agents. In fact, niacin is a much underused therapy, counting for only eight per cent of all cholesterol lowering treatments. Its action has been shown to reduce LDLs, triglycerides, and fibriogens (a protein that causes clot formation). One heart study showed that niacin was the only lipid lowering agent to actually increase the life span. Another 26 week study showed that the drug lovostatin decreased LDLs by 32 per cent and niacin decreased it by 23 per cent. Lovostatin increased HDLs by only seven per cent whereas niacin increased HDLs by 33 per cent. So while lovostatin produced a greater reduction in LDL levels, niacin provided better overall results. The increase in HDL is a more significant indicator for decreasing cholesterol.
The side effects of niacin are well known. Skin flushing can occur three minutes after taking it. Other side effects may include gastric irritation, nausea, and occasionally, liver damage. In an attempt to decrease skin flushing some manufacturers have put out a time release niacin, which is even more toxic to the liver.
The safest form of niacin is called inositol hexaniacinate and is a predigested from of niacin. This form of niacin has long been used in Europe to lower cholesterol levels and to improve the blood flow to the arteries of the legs. This predigested form of niacin has been found to be virtually free of all side effects.
Since niacin tends to impair blood sugar control, people with sever hypoglycemia or diabetes should use caution.
If you are using any form of niacin, remember to periodically check your cholesterol levels and you liver enzyme levels. Niacin is wonderfully therapeutic. It really works and it's economical as well. Niacin should be the first cholesterol lowering agent you try. Therapeutic doses for inositol hexaniacinate start at 500 mgs. three times a day. If your cholesterol levels are very high work up to 1,000 mgs. three times a day.
I highly suggest your try these alternatives first for lowering your cholesterol. Only in sever cases of chronic high cholesterol, should you consider using other lipid lowering drugs.
High Blood Presssure Part 1
This is the first of two columns I am writing on high blood pressure, a term interchangeable with hypertension. High cholesterol and high blood pressure are two major risk factors for heart and stroke disease.
High cholesterol and high blood pressure are often indicators that you are not taking good care of yourself. And there are many things you can do to treat high blood pressure using natural remedies.
Six million Canadians suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension; 50 per cent of the population over the age of 65 have hypertension. This is an amazing statistic because in 90 per cent of cases, high blood pressure is a preventable condition.
So what is high blood pressure? Blood pressure is a measure of the resistance of the circulatory system each time the heart beats and pumps blood into the arteries. There are usually two readings for blood pressure: the upper or systolic is a measure of the peak reading exerted by the heart's contraction. The lower reading or diastolic is a measure of the lower blood pressure as the heart relaxes between each beat.
A normal reading is 120/80. A diagnose of high blood pressure is made at a reading of 140/90. An adult with moderately high blood pressure is in the range of 150/100. We are usually concerned with the second, or bottom reading - this is the indication of hypertension.
The good news is that 80 per cent of people with high blood pressure are in the borderline or moderate range, the range where natural therapies can work wonders. In most cases this moderately high blood pressure can be brought into line by diet, decreasing your stress, increasing your exercise, and the addition of a few supplements.
The symptoms of hypertension include headache, dizziness, tiredness, and nosebleeds. These symptoms are often masked because everyday fluctuations in blood pressure are usually minor and well compensated for by the body. Sometimes a gradual rise in blood pressure can bypass the body's warning signals.
The causes of hypertension vary and of all the causes, a genetic disposition is the only factor that cannot be changed. (African Americans have a higher risk of developing hypertension.) Other causes include stress and a diet high in fat and salt. Studies of populations in remote areas of Brazil and Africa show virtually no hypertension even with advancing age. The increase in hypertension has taken place entirely in developing countries and is due to Western diets and lifestyle factors.
Lifestyle choices, which promote high blood pressure, include smoking and high consumption of coffee and alcohol. A study done in Paris showed that blood pressure increased in direct correlation to the amount of coffee consumed each day.
Chromic moderate to high alcohol intake can increase blood pressure. Nicotine has a dramatic effect on the arteries, causing them to constrict and increase blood pressure. Hardening of the arteries or arteriosclerosis means the blood leaving the heart has to be pumped more vigorously to force it through the narrower and less elastic channels, thus causing the blood pressure to increase.
Environmental factors like lead contamination from drinking water as well as heavy metal toxicity have also been shown to cause high blood pressure.
Today I have written about what high blood pressure is and what causes it. Watch for my next column when I will write about a solution to high blood pressure using natural regimes.
High Blood Presssure Part 2
In my last column I talked about the causes of high blood pressure. Today I want to talk about natural remedies.
Conventional high blood pressure medications treat the condition by reducing the heart output or by reducing fluid retention through diuretics (fluid reducing pills). These medications may relieve the symptoms of high blood pressure but don't address the causes. If you're a regular reader, you'll know that my aim is to discover and eradicate the causes of disease.
Since arteriosclerosis is a major contributor to high blood pressure, make sure your intake of saturated fat (dairy and meat products) is low. Vegetarians have a much lower incidence of high blood pressure. Lower the fat in your diet as well as sugar, salt, caffeine, and alcohol. Eat a diet rich in potassium-containing fruits and vegetables such as bananas, citrus, the cabbage family, potatoes, and squash. Avoid aspartame - high amounts will increase your blood pressure.
Since excess weight is a primary risk factor for high blood pressure, eat moderately. Reduce your stress. A regular aerobic exercise program prevents and decreases high blood pressure and stress. Try low impact aerobics. Cycling or a brisk 30-minute daily walk will work wonders.
Many people with high blood pressure have trouble relaxing. A daily stress reduction technique is highly beneficial. Try abdominal breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, biofeedback or meditation.
Look at your daily stress load. Simplify your life. Were do you make space in your week to relax? Find out how to reduce your stress reactions to your home and workplace. Breathe.
Environmental factors like lead contamination and heavy metal toxicity can increase your blood pressure so it's useful to do a detox program once or twice a year. These programs are designed to eliminate toxins through the various organs in the body like the liver, kidney, and bowels. You can work with your naturopath to design a program that is right for you.
Two supplements that help to relax the artery walls are calcium and magnesium. Adding 1,000 mgs. of each to your daily diet will help to lower your blood pressure. Vitamin B6 can positively influence the nervous system to reduce blood pressure. A good B complex can cover your B6 needs. Omega 3 oils, the most common of which is flax oil, have had excellent results in helping to lower blood pressure. Garlic in pill form equivalent to at least 4,000 mgs. of raw garlic, contains sulfur related compounds, which lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Population based and clinical studies have shown that the higher the intake of vitamin C, the lower the blood pressure.
If you have moderate to high blood pressure you may want to add these two supplements: coenzyme Q10, which helps to stabilize the vascular system through its anti-oxidant properties, and hawthorn extract, which can also reduce blood pressure.
If you have severe high blood pressure (160/115) a combination of medication and a naturopathic regime can work well to bring it down.
High blood pressure is a serious condition that can be changed. Don't ignore it. Work with your medical professional to get it under control. A regime of proper diet, stress reduction, exercise, and supplements can lower your blood pressure while increasing your vitality so that you can live a longer and healthier life.
Homocysteine
Please bear with me if I don't seem to be my usual scintillating self today. I have no edge-of-your seat stories about homocysteine - just a lot of dry facts. But if you are worried about heart disease and want to do something about it, I strongly suggest you press on. You may just find this column the most exciting one you've read for some time.
Two weeks ago I wrote about cholesterol and its implications in heart disease and arteriosclerosis. High cholesterol has been an indicator in heart disease for some time. One new indicator is your homocysteine levels.
An avalanche of studies show that this is the new stroke and heart attack villain. Twenty per cent of Canadians have high homocysteine levels.
How homocysteine was discovered is that researchers were finding that 60 per cent of people who had arteriosclerosis had normal cholesterol levels. They had no other risk factors but they did have high homocysteine levels. High levels are above 12 micromoles per litre of blood.
So what is homocysteine? It is a sulfur-containing product of the essential amino acid methioine, which is present in all proteins. Every protein has it. When methioine is broken down, the byproduct is homocysteine. (Are you with me so far?)
So if all of this is quite natural, how do we get high homocysteine levels?
As a rule you get high homocysteine levels by eating too much animal protein. You get it though a deficiency of B vitamins especially folic acid, B12 and B6. You also get it through the regular use of antacids and drugs to control stomach acids. B12 needs high stomach acid to be absorbed. Unfortunately a surprisingly high number of people pop antacid pills regularly.
In a few rare instances, there is a genetic defect that makes it impossible for a person's body to break down homocysteine.
Homocysteine helps to destroy our arteries by promoting arteriosclerosis. Homocysteine is a free radical and may also be implicated in osteoporosis because it interferes with the formation of collagen.
So much for the bad news. The good news is that high homocysteine levels are easy to reduce. All you need to do is follow a low animal fat diet. Switch to a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and vegetable protein. Take a well-formulated multi-vitamin with adequate vitamin B. Then you need to address and heal your digestive complaints so that you don't need to take antacids.
How do you know if you have high homocysteine levels? A simple blood test is all that's needed.
Palpitations
Many people have heart palpitations and are confused about the cause. Sometimes, to your delight, they can be related to love rather than to physical problems. But if they are a concern, they can be caused by various conditions. Today I will address three of them: food sensitivities, low blood sugar and anxiety attacks.
If you are sensitive to certain foods the body may react with a raised pulse and/or heart palpitations. In fact, one method of determining food allergies is by taking your pulse before and after eating a suspect food. You take your pulse before eating it and then again afterwards. If the pulse rate increases then a food sensitivity is suspect. Just for fun, try this experiment before and after drinking a cup of coffee!
Another thing I recommend for controlling heart palpitations is watching your blood sugar. Many clinics are now recommending that people manage their blood sugar in order to control heart palpitations. If you eat regularly and do not let long periods of time elapse between meals your blood sugar is more likely to be even. The type of food you eat also affects surges in blood sugar. I recommend that you choose high protein foods and to eat often in order to reduce the highs and lows of blood sugar. As a bonus, when your blood sugar is controlled you also usually lose weight and reduce your risk for diabetes. The supplement chromium is also excellent for regulating blood sugar.
Anxiety often causes heart palpitations. To reduce anxiety we often have to look at our lifestyle. The other week I had a lawyer in my office who worked 60 hours per week and had two small children. She was beside herself with anxiety. You can co all the lifestyle changes in the world but unless you reduce your workload and make enough time to relax, you won't reduce anxiety. We need to rest on a regular basis.
We also need to get enough sleep. In fact most of us need nine hours. Other things that reduce anxiety are regular exercise, deep, abdominal breathing for five minutes three or four times per day and listening to relaxation CDs. Supplements that help include calcium/magnesium, ginseng and valerian.
If you have palpitations, you body is speaking to you. Find the cause. Find out if you have food sensitivities. In our office we do allergy testing, which may be an option. Regulate your blood sugar so that you don't have highs and lows and reduce your anxiety.
Reducing Stress in Your Life
Many, many of the people who walk into my office are stressed - and stress plays a large role in disease. Our bodies can only take so much stress before they begin breaking down.
Our bodies allow us to take some stress. We are animals after all and we need to be prepared to take on that occasional leopard in the forest. But when we have persistent stress in our lives many of our systems will start to break down. The part that is the weakest may then manifest some sort of condition or disease.
People experience stress in many ways. Sometimes it's positive stress like getting a good job - sometimes it's negative like overwork. Stress can be caused by tending to sick family members. Financial stress and relationship issues are the big two.
The stress may be emotional or physical but your body responds in the same way. It activates the fight or flight response.
Your body may experience muscle contractions, increased heart rate, increased breathing, constriction of the arteries and shutting down of the digestion system.
There is a good reason for these changes to take place in the body. The fight or flight response enables you to run away from that leopard in the jungle. But when these reactions are ongoing trouble sets in.
The pace of life is speeding up. We call it the acceleration syndrome. Your body may rarely have a chance to relax. Statistics show that 60 to 70 per cent of visits to physicians are due to stress related disorders - headaches, backaches, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, ulcers - all stress related.
Stress can deplete your immune system making you more susceptible to colds, flu, allergies, and more serious conditions like arthritis, chronic pain or diabetes.
Emotional stress can produce hormonal imbalances of the thyroid, ovaries, adrenal glands or the thymus.
In women many gynecological complaints have stress as a component. PMS and menopausal symptoms often increase with high stress. Stress causes overproduction of cortisol which can reduce your seratonin levels and cause insomnia and depression.
Fortunately there are many ways of reducing stress. The first place to look is the diet. Caffeine and sugar are the two worst stress-producing culprits. Reduce their intake. Oats have a calming effect so try them for breakfast. Try chamomile tea throughout the day.
Many people are living in a virtual pressure cooker. We absorb all this stress and without a daily release for the pressure valve, the stress just increases. Daily release can be obtained through exercise and stress reduction techniques. Exercise works off nervous energy, diffuses the fight or flight response, and restores your heart and breathing rates to restful levels.
Stress reduction techniques include abdominal breathing, progressive relaxation, meditation and biofeedback. Pick one that suits you. Try a stress reduction course at your local community centre.
Look at your life. Spend some time organizing free time where you don't have to do anything at all. Learn to say "no." Try to simplify your life. Do less.
Nutritional and herbal medicines can help. Stress depletes the B vitamins so take a B supplement. There are Bach flower remedies that can address the emotional aspects of stress. Ginseng helps by increasing the toning function of the adrenal glands. Licorice root can reduce the stress on the adrenal glands.
Calcium/magnesium is one of nature's natural muscle relaxants. St. John's Wort can definitely help with nighttime sleep.
And finally - laughter is a great tension reliever and still one of nature's best medicines.
Anti-Oxidants
In my last column we started a series on aging. No discussion on aging would be complete without a thorough look at anti-oxidants.
Anti-oxidants are potent free radical scavengers. Free radicals do damage that contributes to aging and to the diseases equated with aging.
Free radicals come from the environment in the form of sunlight, radiation, x-rays, pesticides or solvents. Free radicals are also produced in our bodies during natural chemical reactions.
Free radicals can have an effect on many systems in the body. They can destroy the inner linings of the heart's blood vessels and increase the inflammatory response in arthritis. Free radicals are implicated in asthma, cancer and eye damage.
Oxygen is the most critical element needed to sustain life. Paradoxically, oxygen can be toxic when the molecule fragments become free radicals. On the one hand oxygen sustains life, on the other oxygen is responsible for much of the destruction and aging of our cells.
The compounds that prevent this damage are called anti-oxidants. One of the reasons human beings live longer than most animals is because we have a greater quantity of anti-oxidants in our cells.
The most notable anti-oxidants are beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, flavonoids and co-enzyme Q10.
Beta-carotene has a potent anti-oxidant effect. It is associated with a reduced cancer rate involving certain cells of the lungs, skin, cervix and gastro-intestinal tract. It's a good idea to eat foods rich in beta-carotene like green leafy vegetables, yams and carrots. Beta-carotene also increases the body's immune function by protecting the thymus gland - the master gland of the immune system.
Vitamin C is right in the front lines of anti-oxidant protection. It guards all the tissues of the body composed of water. In a study of over 11,000 adults, 500 mgs of vitamin C daily elongated the life span of men by five years and women by one to three years. Vitamin C lowers the risk of heart disease by protecting the heart against free radical damage. Vitamin C reduces cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels.
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble anti-oxidant found in fatty molecules. It has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by 50 per cent. It is also an important component in the treatment of eye diseases and diabetes.
Flavonoids are a protector against environmental stress. Flavonoids are largely responsible for the colour in fruits and flowers. They appear to modify the body's reaction to allergies, viruses and carcinogens. A diet high in fruits and vegetables especially citrus, berries, onions, parsley and green tea will raise your flavinoid levels.
Co-enzyme Q10 is a powerful anti-oxidant that is especially beneficial for the heart. Heart disease, stroke and cancer are the three leading causes of death, so we should do everything possible to reduce the risk of these diseases. Co-enzyme Q10 plays a role in energy production within the heart and can help repair a damaged heart.
Much scientific research shows that anti-oxidants can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases linked with aging such as cataracts, macular degeneration and arthritis. They are crucial additions to any anti-aging or life extension regimen.
Stress
I've written many articles on stress and for good reason. It's an all too common condition in our busy and hectic lives.
The stress response involves various interactions among the hormonal, nervous and immune systems and while this response serves as a survival mechanism, our bodies are not necessarily designed to deal with it on an ongoing basis. Chronic stress is far too common given our modern lifestyles.
Our capacity to resist stress is not unlimited; it declines with increasing exposure to stress. Some of the systems that stress impacts include the immune system, sugar metabolism, cholesterol and the brain systems.
Given all this, I am pleased to be able to add a new therapeutic herb (others are ginseng and licorice root) to my anti stress arsenal. This new herb is Rhodiola Rosea (RR). It is also known as goldenroot or arctic root and hails from the mountainous regions of the arctic in Europe and Asia. Its yellow flowers smell like roses, hence the name Rhodiola Rosea.
RR has been a popular plant in European and Asian tradition for years and has been extensively studied in Russia and Scandinavia for more than 35 years. Based on the impressive results of this research, RR became widely used by Russian athletes and cosmonauts to help maintain energy levels, promote a healthy mood and increase attention span and mental performance. RR also improves the body's capacity to stand up to a wide variety of stressors including heat, shock, heavy metal exposure, high altitudes, free radicals and exhaustive physical exercise.
Many people report a greater sense of well being after taking this herb. The effect has been described as a continuous sensation of physical and mental relief from stress. Anecdotally it appears to be more pronounced in people who typically respond to stress with anger or a sense of helplessness.
Only this species - Rhodiola Rosea - contains rosavins, the active ingredient for the stress reduction. These rosavins are commonly standardized to ensure that stress-reducing compounds are present.
RR works by enhancing the delivery of tryptophan into the brain. It can also increase the level of seratonin (the anti-depressant brain chemical) by up to 30 per cent. It also acts on the hypothalamus, a regulatory gland in the brain, one of whose functions is to increase the body's resistance to toxins and distress. It can also help to increase the level of RNA and protein in the muscles, hence its use for athletes.
Its effect has been well documented in many studies and I want to cite two in particular. One was a double blind crossover study where the effect of RR extract on fatigue was investigated using 56 healthy physicians. They found that RR extract can greatly decrease general fatigue and increase mental and physical energy under stress.
In another clinical study RR's effect was observed on the stress-induced mental and physical fatigue of students. Significant improvement in physical fitness, mental alertness and motor abilities were observed in the group taking RR.
In more than 250 clinical case studies, physicians have reported that RR helped support mental well-being in their patients.
The major indications for taking this herb are for sleep, depression due to stress, migraine headaches, prolonged stress and athletic endeavours. Side effects are minimal with moderate doses of this herb. A caution to those who are on anti-depressants or anti-migraine medication and to pregnant women: Consult your naturopathic physician before taking this herb.
This well researched herb is a wonderful addition to your anti-stress regimen.