|
||||||||||||||||||
 |
Reply To This Post Return to Posts Index VegSource Home
I am flattered and pleased that Dr. Pinckney references my book. How rapidly do people resolve angina? As Dr. Pinckney points out it is quite variable ranging from weeks to months, depending on the distribution of plaque and its content whether it is mostly soft made of fat and cholesterol or hard, fibrous and calcified. Is the disease mostly in the smaller branches or limited to one or two of the major branches? Everyone is different but the common goal is to restore the endothelial cell and its capacity to manufacture nitric oxide - the strongest blood vessel dilator (widener) in the body. In the young and healthy this single layer of cells lining our blood vessels if collectively spread out could cover 6 - 8 tennis courts, yet heart patients with angina may be down to 1 - 2 tennis courts of functional endothelial cells and a very diminished amount of available nitric oxide to dilate or widen the coronary arteries. Another major task of nitric oxide is to resolve inflammation of narrow diseased plaque filled arteries. It is now apparent the absolute key to angina relief is total commitment to plant based nutrition. Ingestion of oils, dairy, meat, and animal products will immediately injure endothelial cells. This raises the point about why I am so adamant about patient behavior. Why would anyone with heart disease with or without angina knowingly celebrate a birthday or an anniversary with further destruction of the few endothelial cells they have remaining. Patients whom I counsel must have a shared vision with me that the goal is not to slow the rate of disease progression but rather to annihilate the Look at another example. A 60 year old male has noted moderate mild chest pain onset in the past 10 days. Following a failed stress test an angiogram confirms blockages of 85%. 90% and 90% of his 3 major coronary arteries. Despite being offered immediate stents, he declines wanting to try aggressive nutritional therapy. He is totally compliant and his pain is gone in 4 weeks. What has happened? His arteries did not become so significantly blocked in he 10 days prior to his angiogram. They have been developing disease for decades. What brought on the chest pain was a critical loss of available endothelial cells so there was insufficient nitric oxide to dilate the diseased arteries. Yet by becoming totally compliant with nutrition and restoring the capacity of his endothelial cells to manufacture enough nitric oxide to dilate his diseased arteries, his pain resolves. Continuing this approach will eventually achieve some reversal of blockages. This therapy is a lifetime lifestyle change. The foods that appear to rejuvenate the endothelial cells most rapidly are the green leafy vegetables: Kale, Collards, bok choy, Swill chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, beet greens, nappa cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, parsley and cilantro. You can not g et too much. They will not cause weight gain. What about sugar? Sugar is not an integral part of the Esselstyn program to reverse heart disease. It is included in the book for an occasional treat such as on pancakes or in a dessert. I would not favor maple syrup daily on cereal. Use raisins and or a banana or other fruit. Too much sugar spikes blood glucose resulting in an insulin surge which
Reply To This Post Return to Posts Index VegSource Home
|
|
||||||||||||||||
