Taking Care of Your Heart

Leading Causes of Death in the United States 1. Heart disease † Not on the 2. Cancer “official list” but 3. Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases) added here because of the 4. Adverse Drug Reactions† number of people 4. Chronic lower respiratory diseases who die from an 5. Accidents (unintentional injuries) adverse reaction to a prescription drug 6. Alzheimer's disease every year! 7. Diabetes 8. Influenza and Pneumonia 9. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome,and nephrosis 10. Septicemia

What we thought we knew • To keep your heart healthy, eat a low fat diet and avoid a diet high in saturated fat • Why? Saturated fat increases cholesterol and paves the road to heart disease • If you have “high” cholesterol, taking statin drugs reduces cholesterol levels and prevents heart disease. • Maybe what everyone thought was true, isn’t.

Heart Attack on a Plate?

Why Your Body Needs Fat • Fat is necessary for the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system • Cholesterol is the basic building block of vitamin D and sex hormones • A specific fatty acid (myristic acid) boosts the activity of an enzyme needed to process omega-fatty acids

Did You Know?

No dietary study has succeeded in lowering heart disease deaths by reducing intake of saturated fat.

What About Cholesterol? • Old school thinking: Too much dietary saturated fats leads to higher levels of blood cholesterol and an increase in heart disease. • What the research actually says: Over half of the people who suffer a heart attack have normal cholesterol levels. • Total blood cholesterol is not a reliable indicator of heart disease risk!

You Don’t Need Statin Drugs • For every person with a heart attack “prevented” by a statin drug, two or more people suffered liver damage, kidney failure, cataracts or extreme muscle weakness • REMEMBER: 63% of all heart attack victims have normal cholesterol levels! • Statin drugs harm more people than they help!

So what is the real cause of heart disease? • If, in the original 1950s study, there was a connection between saturated fat, cholesterol and heart disease in some countries, including the United States — WHY? • What was not considered was what ELSE people were eating in addition to fat: sugar and refined carbohydrates

The Low Fat, High Sugar Diet • In 2006 the American Heart Association recommended the people cut their saturated fat to 7% of total calories – half of the amount people ate 40 years ago • Food manufacturers replaced saturated fat and cholesterol with refined carbohydrates, sugar and trans-fat • Today, the average American consumes close to 200 lbs of sugar a year

The Effects of Sugar • Refined carbs and sugar trigger increases in blood sugar and insulin • Regular sugar spikes (high glycemic index foods) can lead to oxidative stress, inflammation, and damage to the veins and arteries… Heart Disease

How You Can REALLY Keep Your Heart Healthy… • • • • •

Amla (Indian gooseberry) Plant sterols/Potassium Curcumin Omega-3 fatty acids Paleolithic diet

Amla (Emblica officinalis) • Medicinal part is the fruit • Properties – – – – – –

Antioxidant action Increases HDL levels Anti-cancer properties Hepato-protective action Anti-ulcerative action Significant adaptogenic and antistress action

Amla – fresh fruit

Amla: How Does it Work? • Antixodant: prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol • Oxidized LDL can “stick” in the lining of the artery wall – This attracts inflammatory cells, more cholesterol particles, calcium, and other debris – As these cells clump together, they form a plaque • This slows blood flow • If a blood clot forms on the plaque and then breaks off, causes a heart attack or stroke

• Amla keeps LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking in the artery walls • Dosage: 500 – 1,000 mg daily

Prevention of Plaque Formation Control (normal diet/no amla)

High cholesterol diet + amla NORMAL

NORMAL B.

A.

PLAQUE FORMING

C.

High cholesterol diet (no amla)

Effect of different diets on the lining of the arteries

Antony B. Effect of standardized amla extract on atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia. Ind J Pharm Sci. 2006;68(4):437-441.

Potassium and Plant Sterols

Sodium vs Potassium: Its All About Balance A study, published in the July 11 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, found that people whose diets had the lowest ratio of sodium to potassium (translating to roughly equal amounts of the two nutrients) were at the lowest risk of dying from heart attack and stroke. Those who consumed the highest amounts of sodium relative to potassium — 50% more, on average — had a 46% higher risk of dying from cardiovascularrelated illness.

Why?

All About Balance • In Stone Age diet, Sodium and Potassium in perfect balance • Sodium pushes fluid in, Potassium pulls fluid out • Too much sodium means too much fluid in bloodstream = increases blood pressure • The average American consumes only about 2 g of potassium a day, which is far below the recommended daily intake of 4.7 g and much less than the 4 g of sodium that people consume

Plant Sterols and Potassium • Plant sterols help reduce excess cholesterol – Block cholesterol absorption in the intestines – Reduce re-absorption of excreted cholesterol

• Potassium – Balances sodium and keeps blood pressure down

• Ideal supplement: powdered form, which allows you to get more potassium than in capsules or tablets • Combine with crushed Nordic Flaxseed for additional benefits for digestion, the immune system and cancer prevention • Dosage: 500 mg of potassium, 1.8 grams plant sterols mixed with crushed Nordic Flaxseed (1 scoop daily)

Curcumin

Curcumin: What is it? • Curcumin, or specifically, a group of compounds called Curcuminoids, are the most beneficial nutrients found in turmeric • Unlike drugs, curcumin improves health by bringing many body systems back into balance. • Excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant

Curcumin is Heart Healthy • Better than statin drugs at preventing inflammation and plaque build-up – As effective as lovastatin at reducing triglyceride levels – High triglyceride levels can nearly triple your risk of heart attack

• Like amla, prevents LDL cholesterol from oxidizing • Increases good HDL levels – in one study, increased HDL by 29%

• Dosage: 750 mg daily of bioavailable curcumin

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids • Natural anti-inflammatory activity • Particularly good at lowering triglyceride levels • Help reduce the inflammation associated with plaque buildup • In one study of people who had heart disease, omega-3 fatty acids reduced mortality (deaths) by 10%

Where to Get Omega-3 • Can be from plant sources (flaxseed) but conversion to the mammalian (human) form is necessary – Inefficient process; yields low levels of EPA and DHA

• Optimal form is from salmon, carried by phospholipids – Better absorbed than traditional triglyceride fish oil – Dosed in tablet form – no need to swallow oil or many capsules

• Dosage: 1-2 tablets daily

Other Heart-healthy Nutrients Garlic, Almonds, and Blueberries

Garlic • Fresh garlic’s active ingredient, allicin, helps keep your heart healthy by… – Helping blood vessels to relax, so blood pressure goes down – Lowering triglyceride levels

• Garlic protects against inflammation and oxidative stress – Helps prevent damage to the blood vessels by free radicals

• Garlic can prevent blood cells (platelets) from sticking together and forming clots • Add fresh garlic to your meals, or purchase garlic in supplement form – Choose a fresh garlic extract if buying a supplement! Aged garlic does not contain allicin, the compounds associated with most of garlic’s heart health benefits.

Almonds • Almonds are technically not “nuts” but are seeds from the fruit of the almond tree • However, in common usage we consider it a nut • Almonds are calorie-dense, but are packed with HEALTHY calories – Once ounce (20 ounces) has 150-200 calories • 78% of calories are from healthy monounsaturated fatty acids – 50% of the DV for Vitamin E – 25% of the DV for magnesium – Rich in folate (lowers homocysteine), plant sterols (help block excess cholesterol absorption), fiber (helps absorb metabolized hormones and other toxins)

Almonds and Your Heart • In a clinical study, people with high cholesterol ate – 1 oz (a handful) of almonds daily and had a 4.4% reduction in LDL cholesterol; eating 2.5 oz daily lowered LDL by almost 10% • The goods fats in almonds help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol; increase HDL cholesterol, and decrease the risk of heart disease • Other benefits – Lower the inflammatory marker, c-reactive protein – When almonds were paired with other health nutrients – plants sterols, soy protien, soluble fiber – c-reactive protein was reduced by almost 25%... Better than statin drugs! – Reduce the symptoms of metabolic syndrome – Overweight people on a low-cal diet PLUS 2.5 daily oz of almonds lost 62% more weight, 50% more belly fat, and reduced their blood pressure by 11 points versus the control group eating low-cal food and foods equal to the almonds for calories and protein

Almond options • Freshest almonds are in the shell • Other options.. – Shelled and whole – Natural – Blanched – Dry roasted – Sliced, slivered, diced – As a paste, powder, butter, oil or extract

Blueberries • Like other richly colored fruits, high in protective anthocyanins • These plant compounds protect the heart and arteries from oxidative stress • Also increase insulin sensitivity - reducing the risk of diabetes • Adding daily intake of blueberries shown to – Reduce belly fat – Lower triglycerides and cholesterol – Improve blood sugar control • Long-term studies have shown that eating blueberries reduces risk of heart disease – Almost 10% reduction in risk of high blood pressure noted on one study

• Tip: add blueberries to yogurt or a protein smoothie; if buying frozen make sure no additional sweeteners have been added

A Few More Words about Your Diet

The Paleolithic Diet • 30% animal protein • 60% animal fat • 10% non-starchy carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables – no more than 72 grams of carbohydrates daily

• 50 or less on the Glycemic Index

Eat These Foods • Animal protein: beef, bison, elk, venison, rabbit, pork, beef bacon, seafood, eggs, chicken, duck, turkey (and skin), and all other birds • Fats: cream, lard, butter, flax seed oil, coconut oil and olive oil. Try to consume organic foods when possible, or at least grass fed animal protein as well as butter, and cream from grass fed animals. • Non-starchy Carbohydrates: fruits, vegetables, occasionally yams or sweet potatoes, millet, buckwheat or quinoa, 1/3 cup of cooked grain

A Heart Healthy Meal • Fish, cooked with garlic and topped with slivered almonds • A side of asparagus or broccoli – Asparagus: Rich in Vitamin B6 which lowers homocysteine – Broccoli: rich in Vitamin C which helps keep arteries flexible and healthy, and also is a potent antioxiant

• A glass of red wine • A piece of dark chocolate for dessert

Remember: Fat is Not the Enemy • Saturated fat from organic animal protein is necessary and healthy for your body – Avoid trans-fats from processed foods – Avoid sugar – Avoid gluten and grains

• Check a glycemic index chart (www.glycemicindex.com) and choose foods less than 50, along with good healthy proteins • Choose heart-healthy supplements: amla, plant sterols/potassium, curcumin, omega-3 fatty acids • Your heart will thank you!