boosting heart health Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Eating to Reverse Heart Failure

The AHA! Team — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 05:39:20 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – An entire issue of a cardiology journal dedicated to plant-based nutrition explores the role an evidence-based diet can play in the reversal of congestive heart failure. It is a hopeful sign of the times when an entire issue of a cardiology journal is not just dedicated to nutrition, but to a plant-based diet in particular. Dr. Kim Williams, past president of the American College of Cardiology, starts his editorial with a quote attributed to the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer: “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” He goes on to write that “the truth (i.e., evidence) for the benefits of plant-based nutrition continues to mount.” We’ve got the evidence. The problem is the “inertia, culture, habit, and widespread marketing of unhealthy foods. Our goal must be to get the data out to the medical community and the public where it can actually change lives—creating healthier and longer ones.” That’s essentially my life’s mission in four words: Get the data out. Based on what we already know in the existing medical literature, “plant-based nutrition…clearly represents the single most important yet underutilized opportunity to reverse the pending obesity and diabetes-induced epidemic of morbidity and mortality,” meaning disease and death. As I discuss in my video How to Reverse Heart Failure with Diet, the issue featured your typical heart disease reversal cases, including a 77-year-old woman with such bad heart disease that she couldn’t walk more than half a block or go up a single flight of stairs. She had severe blockages in all three of her main arteries and was referred to open-heart surgery for a bypass. However, instead of surgery, “she chose to adopt a whole-food plant-based diet, which included all vegetables, fruits, whole grains, potatoes, beans, legumes and nuts.” Even though “she described her previous diet as a ‘healthy’ Western one,” within a single month of going plant-based, “her symptoms had nearly resolved”—and forgot about walking a block. “She was able to walk on a treadmill for up to 50 min without chest discomfort or dyspnea,” becoming out of breath. Her cholesterol dropped about a hundred points from around 220 mg/dL (5.7 mmol/L) down to 120 mg/dL (3.2 mmol/L), with an LDL under 60 mg/dL (1.5 mmol/L). Then, four to five months later, she must have started missing her “chicken, fish, low-fat dairy and other animal products” and “returned to her prior eating habits.” Within a few weeks, with no change in her medications or anything else, her chest pain returned, and she went on to have her chest sawed in half after all. After the surgery, she continued to eat the same diet that had contributed to causing her disease in the first place, then went on to have further disease progression. Another case featured in the journal has a happier ending. It started out similarly: A 60-year-old man with severe chest pain after walking just half a block decided to take control of his health destiny and switched to a whole food, plant-based diet. “He described his prior diet as a ‘healthy’ diet of skinless chicken, fish, and low-fat dairy with some vegetables, fruits, and nuts”—a diet that had been choking off his heart. Within a few weeks, he experienced the same amazing transformation—from not being able to exercise at all to walking a mile, then being able to jog more than four miles (6.4 km), completely asymptomatic, off all drugs, without any surgery, and off to live happily ever after. Now, of course, case reports are just glorified anecdotes. What we need is a randomized controlled trial to prove that heart disease can be reversed with lifestyle changes alone. Guess what? There was one published three decades ago, proving angiographic reversal of heart disease in 82 percent of the patients. Their arteries opened up without drugs and without surgery. So, these case reports are just to remind us that hundreds of thousands of individuals continue to needlessly die every year from what was proven to be a reversible condition decades ago. The conventional use of case reports, though, is to present novel results in the hopes of inspiring trials to put them to the test. For example, consider this case report on a plant-based diet for congestive heart failure—not simply coronary artery disease. In this case, the heart muscle itself was so weakened that it couldn’t efficiently pump blood. It was only able to eject about 35 percent of the blood in the main heart chamber with every beat, whereas, normally, the heart can pump out at least 50 percent. And that’s exactly what the patient’s heart was able to do just six weeks after switching to a whole food, plant-based diet, which he chose to do instead of getting his chest cracked open. The researchers wrote: “To our knowledge, this is the first report of an improvement in heart failure symptoms and left ventricular ejection fraction following adoption of a plant-based diet.” It may be the first, but it isn’t the last. Another case: A 54-year-old woman, obese and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, presented with swelling ankles due to her heart failure. She switched from her regular diet of chicken and fish to whole plant foods. She started eating more healthfully, lost 50 pounds, and reversed her diabetes—meaning she had normal blood sugars on a normal diet without the use of diabetes medications. Her heart function normalized, too, going from an abysmal ejection fraction of just 25 percent up to normal, as you can see below and at 5:00 in my video. Since it wasn’t a randomized controlled trial, all we can say is that her improvements coincided with her adoption of a whole food, plant-based diet. But, “given the burden of heart failure [as a leading cause of death], its adverse prognosis,” meaning it usually worsens progressively, “and the overall evidence to date, a plant-based diet should be considered as part of a multifaceted approach to heart failure care.” We already know it can reverse coronary artery disease, so any heart failure benefits would just be a bonus. Now, we just need good strategies for healthcare “practitioners to support patients in plant-based eating.” Shown below and at 5:42 in my video are some excellent suggestions to pause and reflect on. Doctors, for example, can “use the Plant Rx pads produced by the Plantrician Project” and prescribe a good website or two, like NutritionFacts.org, as seen below and at 5:50 in my video. “While it is certainly true that many people would be resistant to fundamental dietary changes, it is equally true that millions of intelligent people motivated to preserve their health are now taking half-way measures that may provide only modest benefit—choosing leaner cuts of meat, using reduced-fat dairy products… Most of these people have neither the time nor the training to evaluate the biomedical literature themselves. Don’t they deserve honest, forthright advice when their lives are at stake? Those who wish to ignore this advice, or implement it only partially, are at liberty to do so.” Do you want to go smoke cigarettes? Bungee jump? It’s your body, your choice. It’s up to each of us to make our own decisions as to what to eat and how to live, but we should make these choices consciously, educating ourselves about the predictable consequences of our actions. Did I say reverse coronary heart disease? As in reverse the number one killer of men and women? I’ve got a lot of videos on the topic, and How Not to Die from Heart Disease is a good place to start. Check out the Plantrician Project at plantricianproject.org. I am a proud supporter. Key Takeaways A cardiology journal dedicating an entire issue to plant-based nutrition indicates increasing recognition of its health benefits, moving from ridicule and opposition to acceptance as a valuable approach. Past president of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Kim Williams, emphasizes that evidence supporting the benefits of plant-based nutrition is substantial, particularly in preventing and reversing diseases like heart disease and diabetes. Several case studies highlight remarkable health improvements in patients who switched to a whole food, plant-based diet, including reversing severe heart disease symptoms and diabetes, although some reverted to the diets that contributed to their heart disease in the first place and went on to have further progression of their disease. We’ve known for more than three decades that lifestyle changes alone can reverse the progression of heart disease in 82 percent of patients—without drugs or surgery. Challenges remain in promoting plant-based diets, including patient resistance and misinformation. Strategies are needed for healthcare practitioners to actively support and educate patients about the benefits of a plant-based diet. To read the original article click here.

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Intravenous Iron Benefits Patients with Heart Failure & Iron Deficiency

The AHA! Team — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 08:11:10 +0000

Duke Health – Despite numerical improvements in mortality, hospitalizations, and exercise ability, data did not reach the pre-specified level of statistical significance DURHAM, N.C. – More than half of all patients with heart failure experience iron deficiency, which is associated with worse symptoms, poor quality of life, and diminished exercise ability. A new study led by Duke Health researchers with global collaborators finds an intravenous iron treatment provides a measure of benefit to these patients, but the results are nuanced. More than half of all patients with heart failure experience iron deficiency The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress on Aug. 26. It evaluated the intravenous drug, ferric carboxymaltose, by looking at data on mortality, heart failure hospitalizations, and exercise capacity from more than 3,000 global study participants over a minimum follow-up period of 12 months. While the results didn’t meet the study’s higher threshold for statistical significance, the therapy demonstrated a numerical improvement across mortality, heart failure hospitalizations, and exercise capacity. The research team also noted results from a pre-specified pooled analysis with two previous studies of ferric carboxymaltose in heart failure, all comparing the drug to placebo for a fuller look at the available data. “In the broader review using all three studies, we saw a 14% reduction in cardiovascular deaths and total cardiovascular hospitalizations and a 12% reduction in cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization events overall across data from more than 4,500 participants collectively,” said Robert Mentz, M.D., corresponding author of the study, associate professor in the Department of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, and member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. “As a practicing heart failure cardiologist, I have felt comfortable prescribing intravenous iron for patients with heart failure prior to this study given the known benefits on improvement in quality of life and exercise capacity,” Mentz said. “Now that we have these results, we have important additional data that show this therapy has potential benefits on clinical outcomes, which could help a broad group of patients with heart failure and iron deficiency across the globe.” The study was funded by American Regent, Inc., which manufactures ferric carboxymaltose, and is part of the Daiichi Sankyo Group. In addition to Mentz, study authors include Jyotsna Garg, Frank W. Rockhold, Javed Butler, Carmine G. De Pasquale, Justin A. Ezekowitz, Gregory D. Lewis, Eileen O’Meara, Piotr Ponikowski, Richard W. Troughton, Yee Weng Wong, Lilin She, Josephine Harrington, Robert Adamczyk, Nicole Blackman, and Adrian F. Hernandez. To read the original article click here.

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Spicy Food Choice Offers 5 SURPRISING Health Benefits

AHA Publisher — Mon, 03 May 2021 07:34:57 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – What is curry? Contrary to popular belief, curry is NOT native to India! Instead, modern-day foodies and historians assert that “curry” was introduced to the Western World in the 1700s by the British in an attempt to mimic the spicy and savory dishes explorers found in India. And while traditional Indian dishes are loaded with healthy spices, they don’t use curry powder — although you certainly might want to. From boosting heart health to promoting improved blood sugar control, it’s time to explore the possible health benefits of curry and the mix of spices it contains. Curry Contains Several Spices with Powerful Health Benefits Curry powder isn’t a single type of spice. Instead, it’s a blend of healthy spices, including turmeric, coriander, and chili pepper. Together and individually, the spices that make up this spice offer some impressive benefits to human health. Here are a few you might want to know about: Would you like to improve blood flow? One 2014 randomized trial published in Nutrition Journal found that consuming a meal containing this powder improved arterial blood flow in the arm, possibly due to the powder’s high antioxidant content. What about achieving better cholesterol levels? A 2016 review from Nutrition Research and Practice found that triglyceride levels appear significantly lower in people who regularly consume curry. This relationship remained even after the researchers adjusted for confounding factors like chronic disease, physical activity level, and smoking. A natural way to promote better blood sugar control. The same 2016 review concluded that blood sugar levels were consistently lower among people who ate curry anywhere from 2 or 3 times per month or once per week. If you feel like you eat too much … keep reading. A 2018 randomized controlled trial published in the peer-reviewed journal Foods found that eating 6 to 12 grams of curry powder with a meal was associated with reduced hunger and a reduced desire to eat among men. Reduce the risk of oxidative stress. In 2018, the journal Frontiers in Physiology published a study that found that consuming a meal with 6 to 12 grams of the powder was associated with lower levels of a compound called allantoin, a marker of oxidative stress. Individual spices in curry, including curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) and coriander, are also well known for their powerful antioxidant, antifungal, and antibacterial effects. Need Some Kitchen Inspiration? Check Out These Delicious Ways to Use Curry in Your Cooking Curry is a versatile powder that will taste a little different depending on where it’s made and what spices it contains. Once you find a brand you like — ideally, one that contains high-quality and sustainable ingredients — you can add it to a variety of dishes for enhanced flavor. Try it on: Eggs Potatoes Basmati, brown, or wild rice Chicken Fish Veggies Cashews, or almonds Fruit (try tart apples or pineapple!) Stews and soups As with any herb blend or dietary supplement, you often get what you pay for in terms of quality, so look for curry powder from reputable brands. And if you’ve had some curry powder in your pantry for a while, be sure to check the label — on May 21, 2020, the FDA issued a recall of certain bottles of Radhuni brand powder due to concerns of contamination with Salmonella. Sources for this article include: Standard.co.uk NIH.gov NIH.gov NIH.gov Purdue.edu Healthline.com To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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