Be The Healthy U!
  • Healthy Blog
  • Healthy Recipes
  • Online Cooking Classes
  • I Can Help
  • 28-Day Program
  • Healthy Dog Blog
  • About Terri
  • Resources
  • Ask Dr. Terri
  • Testimonials

Cardiovascular Disease Part III: How to Heal Endothelial Cells

9/14/2013

3 Comments

 
In Part I, I talked about heart disease and introduced endothelial cells and why they are so important for heart health. Then in Part II, I talked about the damages that consuming the Standard American, or Western diet do to endothelial cells. Today in the third and final part, I’m going to tell you how you can keep your endothelial cells, and heart, healthy!

The bottom line is this: according to Drs. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., Dean Ornish, and Robert Vogel, the absolute best way to keep your endothelial cells (and your heart) healthy is to consume a low-fat diet that is rich in whole, plant-based foods such as fresh vegetables (especially leafy green vegetables such as kale, spinach, collard greens!), fresh fruit, beans and legumes (rich in arginine, an amino acid required to produce nitric oxide), and whole grains. In this case, low-fat means to eliminate added fat, including all animal-based foods (saturated fat), all oils – yes, that includes olive oil too (14% saturated fat), and even most nuts and seeds, unless you have a prior history of heart disease, in which you are advised to eliminate all added fats, including nuts, seeds, and avocados. 

The exception is to include a tablespoon a day of chia seeds or ground flaxseeds to get enough healthy omega-3 fatty acids in the optimal ratio with other fatty acids (omega-6 & omega 9) and limited walnuts or avocado if you already have a healthy heart. Interestingly, a study at Yale by David L. Katz and colleagues found using the brachial artery tourniquet test that subjects experienced improved blood flow after consuming about two ounces of walnuts daily for eight weeks.(1)

Dr. Esselstyn reached the conclusion that this is the best diet/lifestyle to prevent or treat heart disease by observing diets in cultures that are absent of coronary artery heart disease such as rural China, Papua Highlands of New Guinea, Central Africa, and the Tarahumara Indians of Northern Mexico.(2) The common thread among all these heart disease-free cultures is that they all consume plant-based nutrition without oil. Of the 17 patients with severe heart disease that strictly followed Dr. Esselstyn’s diet, none have experienced a single cardiac event after following the diet for over 25 years. That’s absolutely amazing considering this group had a combined total of 49 cardiac events prior to working with Dr. Esselstyn! According to Dr. Esselstyn, “coronary artery disease is a toothless paper tiger that need never exist, and if it does exist, it need never progress”.

Maybe this diet/lifestyle seems extreme. Yet, doesn't it seem extreme to cut into your body to have stents inserted or to have veins removed from your leg for heart bypass surgery? Especially because while stents or bypass surgery may be lifesaving in an emergency, when done electively, they won’t solve the problem. They are only temporary solutions that treat the symptoms, not the cause. They do not prevent future heart attacks or prolong life. And the same is true for statin drugs.

When you're eating an all plant-based diet that's high in antioxidants you literally change your internal biochemistry, and you strengthen the protective cap over your pre-existing plaque, which prevents future cardiovascular events. The good news is that when the endothelium recovers, it can produce nitric oxide that opens the arteries and makes them relax, and prevent plaques from even sticking to your arteries! 

So unlike procedures and medications that only treat the symptoms, an all plant-based diet that's high in antioxidants treats the cause.

Resources:
  1. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/early/2009/10/23/dc09-1156.abstract?sid=031707bb-0ebc-4537-bf4a-5c4a0aec6698
  2. http://www.heartattackproof.com/huffpost.htm  

3 Comments
G. Leighton Wasem
7/15/2014 05:39:21 pm

Terri: In your Cardiovascular Parts I,a II. and III you have done an excellent job describing the development of cardiovascular disease, the crucial role of the endothelial cells, the importance of nitric acid, and how eating a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet affects their functioning in halting and reversing cardiovascular disease. And your description of the Brachial Artery Tourniquet Test; and it's contribution in measuring the after effects of eating a WFPB meal as compared to eating a meal of animal products and/or processed food with some olive oil upon the endothelial cells and their production of nitric oxide is very clear and understandable to all. Thank you.

Reply
Terri link
7/16/2014 08:18:56 am

Thank you so much! I greatly appreciate your comment and I'm glad that it's helpful!

Reply
Jade link
9/22/2021 03:02:42 pm

Thank yyou for sharing

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Terri Quenzer, PhD

    Terri has a passion for good health and for helping others find happiness in themselves through better health! Through her scientific and life experiences, her goal is to help you reach your healthy goals!

    ​Be The Healthy U!: nominated for San Diego's Best Nutrition/Cooking Classes of 2016!

    Picture
    Catch Terri's interview about plant-based nutrition on KCQB 1170 AM - click here.

    How Not to Die: Terri interviews New York Times Bestselling Author Michael Greger, MD. Listen below.
    Terri speaks with Jordan Hoffman of Jordan Hoffman Acupuncture about what to eat and East vs West.
    Picture

    Click Here To Sign Up For Your Free Newsletter

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    September 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012

    Categories

    All