About Clogged Arteries [& Unhealthy fats ]

Posted By Dr. Ben Kim on Mar 01, 2010 Natural Health Care

To most people, clogged arteries mean increased risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke. Often, getting diagnosed with partially occluded arteries leads to a prescription for cholesterollowering medication or invasive procedures like an angioplasty or bypass surgery. Before you find yourself being asked to choose one of these conventional medical approaches to addressing clogged arteries, I encourage you to be fully aware of the actual make-up of plaque that can occlude your arteries, the way in which such plaque develops, the different levels of risk that accompany varying degrees of blockage, and most importantly, what you can do to reduce your risk of experiencing health challenges that can be caused by occluded arteries. Pathology 101 teaches us that accumulation of plaque, commonly called an atheroma, is a buildup in artery walls that is composed of the following:

Specialized white blood cells (macrophages) Cellular debris Calcium Fibrous connective tissue Damaged lipids (cholesterol and fatty acids)

Atheromatous plaques aren't a welcome addition to your body, but they're extremely common and just one of many natural degenerative developments that occur as you age. To completely avoid atherosclerosis as you get older is virtually impossible; development typically begins in childhood, and the presence of atheromata isn't uncommon even at the toddler stage. Buildup of atheromatous plaques occurs between the innermost lining of your artery walls and the layer of smooth muscle that gives your arteries the ability to pulsate and propel blood through your circulatory system. Atheromatous plaques begin with an accumulation of specialized white blood cells that have engulfed damaged low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Your body works to remove such accumulations, but if you're exposed to a continuous stream of them via unhealthy dietary choices, these early accumulations can begin to attract even more white blood cells. Over time, these plaques tend to accumulate calcium deposits on their outer layers; these calcium deposits serve to stiffen the accumulations of white blood cells and damaged lipids within. Conventional medical thought is that arteries that are clogged by atheromatous plaques decrease blood flow to your tissues, and in the case of occluded arteries that are supplying your heart or brain, if blood circulation is compromised enough, you may experience a heart attack or a stroke. We now know arteries that are 30 to 40 percent occluded may actually be more likely to contribute to a heart attack than arteries that are 90 to 95 percent clogged. As Dr. Dean Ornish explains, when there is a significant amount of plaque buildup in your arteries, these plaques are more likely to be stabilized by calcium deposits. Another reason why more occlusion does not always increase your risk of experiencing a heart attack is that your body can develop alternate pathways for blood flow - called collateral vessels - when arteries become fully or almost fully clogged; this is a great example of the never-ending pursuit of your selfhealing mechanisms to keep you alive.

An artery that is only 30 percent clogged won't typically have collateral vessels around it (it usually takes more occlusion and time for your body to create collateral vessels). Also, arteries that are only about 30 percent clogged aren't likely to be stabilized by calcium deposits, which means that whenever you experience significant emotional stress, such arteries can easily constrict due to your body's natural flight/fight response, and constriction of atheromatous plaques can cause them to rupture - this is how plaque ruptures tend to occur. When a plaque ruptures, it's possible for an artery that was only 30 to 40 percent clogged to become fully occluded within several seconds to a few minutes. This process is termed catastrophic progresion, and is the mechanism by which many heart attacks and strokes occur. The good news is that studies by Dr. Dean Ornish and his colleagues indicate that making healthy dietary and lifestyle choices can dramatically decrease your risk of experiencing plaque ruptures, and often, even people who have frequent episodes of angina (chest pain) caused by clogged arteries can experience significant improvement within a few weeks. To reduce risk of heart attack and stroke, one of the most important lifestyle choices to make is to learn how to effectively manage emotional stress because it's emotional stress that's most likely to cause rupture of vulnerable plaques in your arteries via sudden constriction that's regulated by your autonomic nervous system. Numerous studies clearly indicate that mental and emotional stress - including chronic depression and anger - significantly increase your risk of experiencing a heart attack or stroke. This is why being in an unhappy long term relationship is arguably just as dangerous to your health as smoking, eating poorly, and not being physically active. On the dietary front, the most important action steps are:

Decrease intake of unhealthy fats, sugar-rich foods, and other foods that are rich in refined carbohydrates Ensure regular intake of nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits, and legumes

Part of ensuring optimal nourishment includes making sure that you're getting enough vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and folate, which are micronutrients that are vital to keeping your blood homocysteine level within a healthy range. Allowing your blood homocysteine level to get and stay elevated virtually guarantees that you will develop cardiovascular disease. I hope that this post encourages you to continuously work at being emotionally balanced, optimally nourished, and committed to making healthy lifestyle choices every day. These ways of being make up the best approach to treating and preventing clogged arteries, and as soon as you get started, you'll begin to reduce your risk of experiencing cardiovascular disease and a number of other health challenges. For more information on this topic, please feel free to view: Homocysteine Care: A Professional Grade, 100% Whole Food Formula for Keeping Homocysteine at a Healthy Level The Best and Worst Foods for Your Heart What Most Doctors Won't Tell You About Cholesterol

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Fats and Oils

Posted By Dr. Ben Kim on Aug 03, 2004 Healthy Eating Resources

After graduating from chiropractic school, I made my way to a small Inuit village at the northern tip of Alaska to begin my first practice as a chiropractor. One of the most impressive memories I have of my time in northern Alaska was watching the natives haul a 20-foot whale onto the beach and divide the muktuk (whale blubber) into three by three sheets, one per family. I learned that the natives chopped these sheets of whale blubber into small pieces, about the size of small grapes, to be eaten raw and sometimes dipped in seal oil. In addition to whale blubber and seal oil, the natives continued to eat traditional staples such as whale meat, caribou meat, fish, and goose meat. My observations in rural Alaska are congruent with the studies of Weston A. Price, a Harvard-trained dentist who traveled around the world in the 1930s, visiting many indigenous populations and observing their diets and health. Dr. Price found that the foods of isolated primitive peoples contained at least ten times the fat-soluble vitamins A and D found in modern diets. He also found that all healthy populations had at least one source of animal fat and protein in their diets, such as fatty fish, wild game, organ meats, eggs, and butter. These healthy populations did not suffer from heart disease, digestive problems, cancer, or obesity at the rates that we do. For the past twenty years, we have been encouraged to believe that saturated fats and cholesterol, both found in animal fats, are the main causes of chronic degenerative diseases. Ask the average North American what they know about saturated fat, and the majority will answer that it causes heart disease. Ask the average high school student what they know about cholesterol, and they will tell you that it is bad for you. For years, I would have answered the same. Are these views on saturated fat and cholesterol with merit? Here are some facts about saturated fats:

They make up at least 50 percent of our cell membranes, providing essential rigidity and strength They enhance the immune system They help incorporate calcium into our bones Some of them have antimicrobial properties that protect us against harmful microorganisms in our digestive tracts

And here are some facts about cholesterol:

It contributes to cell membrane rigidity and strength, just as saturated fats do It is used to make hormones that help us deal with stress, as well to make sex hormones It is converted to vitamin D, essential for proper growth, healthy bones, a healthy nervous system, muscle tone, and proper immune system function It is used to make bile, needed for digestion of fat in our foods It acts as an antioxidant, actually protecting us against cellular damage that leads to heart disease and cancer It helps maintain a healthy intestinal lining, offering protection against autoimmune illnesses

Clearly, saturated fat and cholesterol are needed for many vital processes. We need both in our diets to be as healthy as possible. The danger comes when we eat fats and cholesterol that have been damaged by heat, oxygen, and unnatural farming practices. Damaged fats and cholesterol can lead to injury to the walls of our blood vessels, promoting a build-up of plaque that heals the injured areas. It is this build-up of plaque that impairs blood circulation and paves the way to heart disease and other chronic illnesses. The following foods are likely sources of damaged fats and/or damaged cholesterol: 1. Pasteurized dairy products this includes cheese and ice cream that have been made from pasteurized milk 2. Powdered milk 3. Powdered eggs 4. Meats that have been cooked at high temperatures, especially those that have been fried or deepfried 5. Most vegetable oils

6. All hydrogenated oils The following foods are concentrated sources of healthy fats and/or healthy cholesterol: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Avocado Nuts and seeds Cold-water fish Organic eggs Organic chicken Grass-fed beef 7. Virgin Coconut Oil 8. Red Palm Oil used throughout Africa 9. Cold Pressed Olive Oil The difference in organic and non-organic animal foods is significant. As an example, lets look at the difference between organic and non-organic eggs. We function best when we eat an equal balance of two fatty acids: omega-6 and omega-3. Having too much omega-6 and too little omega-3 leads to numerous health problems, including generalized inflammation, high blood pressure, depressed immune function, weight gain, an irritated intestinal tract, and a tendency to form blood clots. An organic egg, one that comes from a hen allowed to eat green plants and insects, contains an optimal ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids of 1:1. A commercial supermarket egg from a hen that is fed mainly grain in a factory-farm environment has a ratio closer to 15 or 20:1. Virgin coconut oil and red palm oil are the best oils to cook with because they contain a large percentage of saturated fats that remain stable and undamaged with heat. All other vegetable oils are damaged easily with heat exposure. This is why cold-pressed olive oil is best eaten raw. Getting back to my time in rural Alaska, I remember being impressed with stories that some of my elderly patients told me about how strong and healthy their parents and grandparents were. For Inuits living before the mid 1900s, it was a regular occurrence to use small, homemade kayaks to go hunting in cold arctic waters. Every spring and fall was time to go out on the ice or water for several days to weeks at a time to hunt for whales. Although hunting and eating traditional foods are still a part of the Inuit culture, some of my older patients remarked how sad it was to see todays generation of Inuits suffering from numerous health problems like cancer, heart disease, horrible dental health, and crippling arthritis. By all accounts, these ailments were very rare in the recent past. Of course, it was no surprise to discover that soft drinks and fast food have become staples in the Inuit diet. Planes flew in to our village everyday, carrying many cases of Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Doritos, and most processed convenience products found in regular supermarkets. As a special treat, many people who were returning from trips to Anchorage and Seattle brought back boxes from Pizza Hut and McDonalds for their families and friends. I can only hope that populations like this one will not mistakenly group their pizzas and Big Macs with their traditional animal foods as fatty foods that cause chronic disease. Many people I have worked with over the years have made this mistake and ended up developing health problems that were partly due to a deficiency of healthy fats in their diets. I made this same mistake for five years. To learn more about the difference between healthy fats and cholesterol and damaged ones, I recommend that you read Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, by Sally Fallon, and The Cholesterol Myths : Exposing the Fallacy that Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease, by Uffe Ravnskov.