8 Approaches to a Healthy Heart and Circulatory System

AlkalizeForHealth

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."
- Thomas Edison

Drinking chlorinated water causes atherosclerosis.
- Dr. Joseph M. Price

Oxidized cholesterol doesn't melt until 149º C. This means that a hunk of waxy plaque in your artery isn't going to be removed unless it can be liquefied first. This is exactly what the nutrient lecithin does. It dissolves these fatty globs in your arteries the way dishwasher detergent breaks up grease. It dissolves fat and washes it out of your arteries so it can't harm you. Just one tablespoon daily (with food or in a drink) usually does the trick. You can find it in any health food store. - Dr. David Williams

Cholesterol becomes soluble in the bloodstream when enough lecithin is present.
- J American Oil Chemists Society 63;40: 464
- Science 74;155:222.

Iodine and iodide make fats, oils and waxes more soluble in water. Consuming a little iodide and niacin daily can help clean cholesterol from the arteries. Read more in this article by Jonathan V. Wright, M.D.

Lugol's solution is a mix of iodine and potassium iodide. The body needs both.

DMG (Dimethylglycine) is a lipotropic agent (fat emulsifier) that lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
- Dr. Roger Kendall

Northerners have higher rates of heart disease than southerners because they don't experience the same levels of sunlight.  - Dr. David Williams (Sunlight on the skin produces vitamin D)

Vitamin C supplementation of 1 1/2 - 3 grams daily reverses atherosclerotic lesions in animals and humans.
- Canadian Med Assn J 54;71: 562
- Canadian Med Assn J 57;77: 106

Bioflavonoids complement and increase the effectiveness of vitamin C.

Pectin, found in the pulp of grapefruit, reverses atherosclerosis in both the aorta and small coronary arteries that supply the heart.
- Circulation 94;89[3]: 1247-1253
- Clin Cardiol 88;11: 589-591
- J Franklin Institute 94;[331A]: 199-202

Pectin is the fiber that provides the framework for fruits like grapefruit and oranges. Normally indigestible, bacterial enzymes in a healthy colon can break it down.

The "modified citrus pectin" used to prevent cancer metastases is pre-digested.

Pomegranate juice is found to help clean arteries, prevent cancer and diabetes, and prevent the spread of AIDS. 10 published studies are discussed by Dr. David Williams in his Alternatives newsletter May 2005.

According to Dr. Andrew Sereda, the primary risk factors for heart disease are:
1. Hypothyroidism
2. Mechanical stress on the arteries due to the pumping of the heart and turbulence where the arteries branch
3. Excess iron

Iron is necessary for the growth of bacteria, and inflammation of the arteries caused by bacteria may be one of the underlying causes of cardiovascular disease. Iodine helps kill the bacteria and dissolve plaque while normalizing thyroid function.

Pre-menopausal, pregnant and lactating women are frequently iron deficient. Iron overload is more likely to occur in men. This may be one reason why women live on average 5 years longer than men.

Your doctor can do a serum ferritin test to determine if you have too much or too little iron.

If your blood is normal, give a donation to the Red Cross of one pint twice a year. This will rid your body of any excess iron it may have. - Dr. William Campbell Douglass

One teaspoon of flax oil daily resulted in a 70% reduction in deaths from heart disease.
- Circulation, Feb. 16, 1999.

People who eat butter have half the risk of heart disease compared to those who eat margarine.
 - Nut Week 91;21(12):2-3

Pacific islanders and other populations that consume an abundance of coconut oil are amazingly free from degenerative diseases so common in the west including:
- heart disease
- high blood pressure
- atherosclerosis - stroke.
- Dr. Bruce Fife pages 37 - 58.

"Magnesium and calcium work together to control muscle action though calcium becomes increasingly toxic in the face of any kind of magnesium deficiency. Calcium tightens the muscles; magnesium relaxes the muscles. With insufficient magnesium the muscles stay tense and through the years may cause a cramp in the muscle. This could happen when you have too much calcium or too little magnesium. Too much calcium causes the heart to go into a spasm and this can cause a heart attack." - Mark Sircus Ac., OMD

Magnesium Deficiency in the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Diseases - Dr. Mildred S. Seelig

Cancer and heart disease are the "terrible two" and they are frequently found together. Maintaining a healthy heart and circulatory system is essential for cancer treatment and prevention.

• Unobstructed arteries help ensure that adequate oxygen reaches all the tissues and that tissues are cleansed of waste. Cancer starts in toxic areas lacking oxygen.

• Healthy arteries free of blood clots prevent cancer metastases, because cancer cells floating in the bloodstream come to rest in a blood clot before forming a new tumor.

On this page we are gathering all the different approaches to a healthy heart and circulatory system that we come across. The health maintenance program that results should be very helpful to prevent both cardio-vascular disease and cancer.

1. Dr. Dean Ornish - 4 Step Program to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease

• The 4 step program by Dr. Dean Ornish has been shown in clinical practice to reverse even serious heart disease

• The 4 step program includes 1. non-smoking, 2. low-fat vegetarian diet, 3. exercise, and 4. meditation.

• Smoking fills the lungs with toxic chemicals which form free radicals when they enter the bloodstream. The lungs are full of tiny blood vessels which are designed to allow close interaction between the air we breathe and the bloodstream. As a result the toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke have ready access to the blood. Free radical damage to the arterial walls is thought to be one of the causes of atherosclerosis.

• The diet is high in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and other complex carbohydrates. This is essentially the same diet that Alkalize For Health recommends for cancer patients. This diet is rich in anti-oxidants and other nutrients. The Ornish diet to prevent heart disease allows more fats than the diet to reverse heart disease.

• Dr. Ornish recommends regular exercise such as walking 30 minutes daily or 60 minutes every other day. Exercise promotes the flow of lymph, and this flow of lymph has been demonstrated to prevent and remove atherosclerosis.

• Dr. Ornish does not endorse any particular kind of meditation. However, here at Alkalize For Health we are very impressed with the research on Transcendental Meditation showing an 87% reduction in hospitalization for heart disease in those who practice this technique. Add to this a 55% reduction in hospitalizations for cancer in TM meditators. As a result, we recommend TM.

• Dr. Ornish describes his program in detail in his book Dr. Dean Ornish's Program For Reversing Heart Disease. Here is a short video of Dr. Dean Ornish speaking on healing.

2. Dr. Linus Pauling and Dr. Matthias Rath - The Unified Theory of Human Cardiovascular Disease

• Plaque is found on arterial walls, not in veins. What is the difference between arteries and veins that might account for this? The arteries must expand to accommodate the rush of blood each time the heart beats, and contract between beats. This constant flexing is unique to arteries.

• The constant flexing of the arterial walls requires flexibility. If the walls become stiff they will begin to crack. The body heals the cracks by filling them with plaque. This is the origin of atherosclerosis. Drs. Brown and Goldstein were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1985 for the discovery that atherosclerotic plaques are deposited in response to injury of the blood vessel wall.

• Removing the plaque without restoring flexibility to the arterial walls is just a short term solution. If the walls continue to crack, the plaque will return.

• Restoring flexibility to arterial walls can be achieved by providing the necessary nutrients in the diet. The required nutrients are vitamin C, and the amino acids lysine and proline.

• Vitamin C, lysine and proline heal and maintain the cartilage in arterial walls near the heart where it is subject to mechanical stress. Plus, they remove arterial plaque. All three nutrients are essential.

• For more information see this article. The article also explains why fat and cholesterol do not cause heart disease.

3. Dr. T.C. McDaniel - Maintaining a High Zeta Potential in the Circulatory System

• Zeta potential is the negative electrical charge on cells and particles in the blood that keeps them all separate. Loss of this electrical charge causes coagulation of the blood and precipitation of the nutrients and other substances in the blood. The coagulated blood is difficult for the heart to pump. The precipitated material forms plaques and deposits throughout the body. 

• Increasing the zeta potential is necessary to remove the coagulation from the blood and to dissolve the deposits of material.

• Increasing zeta potential involves consuming appropriate electrolytes. This generally means more potassium and less sodium (salt). Also required is consumption of more fluids, which increases the effectiveness of the kidneys to remove wastes such as excess salt.

• Deposits of minerals on the arterial walls can be removed by increasing the zeta potential of the blood. Deposits of fibrin on the arterial walls can be removed by enzyme supplementation such as bromelain (found in pineapples), papain (found in papayas) and pancreatic enzymes.

• Increased zeta potential in the blood prevents intravascular coagulation. This in turn lowers blood pressure and allows the heart to pump more efficiently, preventing damage to the heart valves.

• Blood that is not coagulated is better able to carry oxygen to the tissues, thereby helping to prevent cancer.

• Increased zeta potential in the blood simultaneously increases the zeta potential in the lymph, which allows the lymph to dissolve accumulations of waste material throughout the body. This also helps prevent cancer.

• Dr. McDaniel has used zeta potential in clinical practice on over 10,000 patients with good results.

• For more information see our page on zeta potential.

4. Kilmer McCully, MD and Homocysteine

• Homocysteine is a naturally occurring metabolite of the amino acid L-methionine used by the body for many functions including detoxification.

• High levels of homocysteine can damage the arteries, and this damage leads to plaque formation and heart disease. Homocysteine also may damage the matrix on which calcium is deposited to make bone. The result is osteoporosis.

• Homocysteine levels can be controlled by adequate intake of B vitamins, particularly folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12.

• Read more about homocysteine.

• Dr. Broda Barnes demonstrated that treating an underactive thyroid can normalize homocysteine levels. Thyroid hormones also improve circulation by causing the capillaries to dilate. The thyroid needs iodine.

5. Dr. Goldhammer and Sodium Salt

• Consumption of too much salt has become a problem. Canned and packaged foods are generally less tasty than fresh foods. As a result, food processors add salt to enhance the flavor. The FDA places no limit on the amount of salt that may be added to foods. The widespread consumption of packaged foods has resulted in the consumption of too much salt by most of the population.

• Kidneys have the job of removing excess electrolytes such as salt from the bloodstream. However, even the kidneys have their limits, and when more salt is consumed than the kidneys can remove, then salt backs up into the system. High salt levels in the blood spread by osmosis into the arterial walls, lymph and other tissues.

• Excessive salt in the arterial walls causes the vascular lining to swell. This in turn reduces the amount of room within the arteries for the blood, resulting in hypertension. Anti-hypertension drugs do not address this problem.

• Dr. Goldhammer solves the problem by placing his patients on a water-only fast. At the end of the fast, 100% of his patients are able to stop taking anti-hypertension drugs. During the fast, Dr. Goldhammer carefully monitors the blood electrolytes of his patients.

• You can read more about this here.

6. Dr. Atkins and Potassium Salt

• "The problem for those with high blood pressure isn't sodium, it's a lack of balance between sodium and potassium levels. More than 25 separate studies show how increasing potassium intake (without decreasing the sodium) is an effective way to lower blood pressure. One of those studies demonstrated that with just one daily serving of a potassium-rich food the risk of death by stroke may be cut by as much as half." - Robert C. Atkins, M.D., author of Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution.

• The famous cancer physician Dr. Max Gerson found that cancer patients also have too much salt relative to potassium. His cancer patients were put on a temporary salt free diet and received supplementary potassium. See Gerson chapter 22. You can read more about potassium and cancer here.

7. Dr. Wright and Potassium Iodide (SSKI)

• "When I was a pre-med student at Harvard University, the famous chemistry professor Louis Feiser made a point of demonstrating to all the pre-medical students that iodine and iodide would make oils, fats, and waxes (cholesterol is actually a wax) more soluble in water. He urged us to remember this in our medical practices, as he was sure it wouldn't be taught in medical school (he was right!). This known action of iodide likely explains why SSKI can be useful in the next two applications.
  
  Over 30 years ago, two ophthalmologists observed that a combination tablet called "Iodo-niacin" (iodide 120 milligrams, niacin 15 milligrams) taken for several months could actually reverse atherosclerotic clogging of arteries. They proved this effect by taking pictures of clogged arteries in the backs of the eyes ("retinal photomicrographs") before and after treatment. The published photographs showed a significant lessening of the cholesterol-laden artery clogging in the "after" pictures.
  
  Amazingly enough, no follow-up study has ever been published (probably because niacin and iodide aren't patentable). Despite this, the published pictures speak clearly for themselves. I recommend 4 to 6 drops of SSKI and niacin-containing B-complex daily (along with many other things) for anyone with significant cholesterol-related atherosclerotic clogging. Thyroid function must be monitored!"

• SSKI means "Saturated Solution Potassium Iodide".

• Read the entire article here.

• The famous cancer physician Dr. Max Gerson advocated potassium and iodine, together with a healthy liver, as necessary for cancer prevention. See Gerson page 62.
   

8. Dr. Joseph M. Price and Chlorinated Drinking Water

• Heart disease is virtually unknown in areas of the world without chlorinated drinking water, and was unknown in the west prior to the introduction of chlorinated drinking water in 1904. The first clinical description of coronary thrombosis (heart attack) was made in 1912. The number of deaths by heart attack was not significant enough to be included in national statistics until 1930.

• The water you drink and bathe in probably has chlorine added to it. Chlorine combines with organic material in the water to form carcinogenic chemicals called trihalomethanes. When chlorinated water comes into contact with your digestive system, skin or lungs you can expect the chlorine to react with your body tissues. Olympic athletes refuse to swim in chlorinated pools.

• Dr. Joseph M. Price reports that animal studies clearly demonstrate that drinking chlorinated water can cause heart disease. In fact, Dr. Joseph M. Price writes on page 57 of his book Coronaries Cholesterol Chlorine that "atherosclerosis cannot occur to a clinically significant degree in the absence of chlorine regardless of diet and other contributing factors."

• Safer alternatives to create clean drinking water would be ultraviolet light and either ozone or hydrogen peroxide (ozone becomes hydrogen peroxide when it is dissolved in water). In your home, you might consider a reverse osmosis filter for drinking water and a KDF filter in your shower.

Page Summary and Conclusion:

Here at Alkalize For Health we do not recommend water fasting except under the direct supervision of a physician. However, we note that it is a simple matter to reduce your salt consumption and increase your liquid intake, both of which should reduce the amount of salt in your body. Doubling your consumption of liquids is very helpful to the kidneys, as explained here. We note that freshly made fruit and vegetable juices contain an abundance of electrolytes and a liquid diet of these juices for a brief time on your own should be safe. Freshly made vegetable juices contain potassium, the advantages of which are discussed here. Increasing your zeta potential will also help cleanse the tissues of excess salt.

Plaque forms on arteries as the result of damage to the arteries. Arteries can be damaged by physical stress due to the pumping of the heart, and also by toxic substances in the blood such as homocysteine and free radicals (from smoking, rancid fat, etc.). Oxidized (rancid) vegetable oils (corn oil, soy oil, etc) look and taste the same as non-oxidized vegetable oils, but the oxidized oils produce masses of free radicals in your body. Rather than eating a low fat diet, we recommend eating healthy fats as part of a balanced nutrient-dense diet, and avoiding unhealthy fats.

The effectiveness of most of the above approaches to heart disease has been demonstrated in clinical trials. So why not use them all together to create a supremely effective program to prevent and remove heart disease? All of the above approaches to heart disease involve improvements to diet. Dr. Ornish adds improvements to lifestyle.

Recommended dietary improvements include:

- B vitamins, particularly folic acid, B6 and B12
- The best B12 supplement is sublingual methylcobalamin. All vegetarians and senior citizens should supplement their diet with vitamin B12
- One tablespoon daily of lecithin
- Potassium iodide
- Vitamin C
- Amino acids lysine and proline (cold-processed whey powder is a good source)
- Anti-oxidants including selenium and natural source vitamin E (with mixed tocopherols)
- Pomegranate juice
- Eat more potassium (found in fruits and vegetables as well as supplemental potassium such as potassium chloride, potassium bicarbonate, potassium citrate and potassium iodide)
- Eat more magnesium (found in green leafy vegetables as well as supplemental magnesium chloride)
- Eat less salt (avoid canned food and other pre-packaged foods)
- Consume more reverse-osmosis filtered water, juices, herbal teas, soups and moist foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables
- Lacto-vegetarian diet

Lifestyle improvements include:

- Non-smoking
- Regular exercise
- Sunlight/vitamin D
- Meditation

This simple program should help ensure cardiovascular health and cancer prevention. The following table relates our 8 step cancer program to the above healthy heart programs.
 

	8 Step Cancer Program	Healthy Heart Program
1.	More oxygen	Increased oxygen results from a healthy heart and circulatory system.
2.	More alkalinity	Alkaline body fluids have a higher zeta potential due to the negative charge of the OH- ions (Dr. McDaniel). The alkaline mineral potassium lowers blood pressure (Dr. Atkins). The alkaline mineral magnesium relaxes the muscles (Dr. Sircus).
3.	Less free radicals	Less free radicals is achieved by purifying what comes into the body (eg. non-smoking, eating healthy fats, drinking reverse osmosis filtered water) and by consuming anti-oxidant foods (Dr. Ornish, Dr. Price).
4.	More exercise	Exercise moves the lymph, and improves the health of the heart and circulatory system. Dr. Ornish recommends regular exercise such as walking 30 minutes daily or 60 minutes every other day.
5.	Hyperthermia	Helps to remove free radicals (heavy metals and toxic chemicals) from the body and improves circulation.
6.	More enzymes	Enzymes complement the effect of higher zeta potential by dissolving fibrin from the artery walls (Dr. McDaniel).
7.	Nutrient-dense diet, B17, F, C, D & Glyconutrients	Nutrient dense diet provides nutrients needed: vitamin C, lysine, proline (Drs. Pauling & Rath), potassium (Drs. Atkins & McDaniel), potassium iodide (Drs. Wright and Sereda), folic acid, vitamins B6 & B12 (Dr. McCully), lecithin (Dr. Williams), healthy fats (Dr. Fife), more water and liquids (Drs. Goldhammer & McDaniel) , fruits, vegetables, grains, beans (Dr. Ornish). Sunlight & vitamin D (Dr. Williams)
8.	Transcendental Meditation	Deep rest and release of stress resulting in lower blood pressure and thinner artery walls (reduced atherosclerosis). Significant increase in blood flow to the brain.

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