26.2.

2017 AbolishingHeartDiseaseNutritionStudies

Abolishing Heart Disease

October 15, 2013
ByDr.CaldwellEsselstynJr.(http://nutritionstudies.org/author/cesselstyn/)

The truth be told, coronary artery disease, the most common form
of heart disease which is responsible for heart attacks need never
exist and if it does exist, it need never progress.
Howcanonemakethatstatementwhencoronarydiseaseistheleadingkillerofwomenandmeninwesterncivilization?

BattlecasualtiesfromtheKoreanandVietnamconflictsyieldedan80%incidenceofcoronaryheartdiseaseatautopsydespite
anaverageageof20years.Hardlyafamilyinthiscountrydoesnothaveanimmediateordistantrelativeorfriendwhohas
experiencedheartdisease.Astudyofciviliancasualtiesbetweentheagesof16and34whodiefromaccidents,homicidesand
suicidesrevealcoronaryheartdiseaseineveryperson.Dr.LewisKuller,aprofessorofpublichealthfromtheUniversityof
Pittsburgfromhis10yearscardiovascularhealthstudymadethefollowingstatementinApril2006:Allmaleswhoare65years
ofageandolderwhohavebeenexposedtothetraditionalwesterndiethavecardiovasculardiseaseandshouldbetreatedas
such.

Doesthismeanwearealldestinedtobecomeillfromcoronaryheartdisease?Notsofast.Dr.WilliamCastelli,whodirectedthe
worldfamousNIHFraminghamstudyinthemid1980sstatedofthe5.5billionpeopleonearth,4billionwillneverhaveheard
ofheartdisease.Hemeantatthattimeitwaslimitedtopersonslivinginwesterncivilizationandthosepopulationswhocould
affordtoeatmilkanddairyproducts,eggs,meat,chicken,whiteflourandprocessedoilsonaregularbasis.

WorldWarIIprovidedagraphicexampleofhowtheravagesofthesediseasescouldbetotallyhalted.Norwaywasoneofseveral
westernEuropeannationsoccupiedbyNaziGermanyduringtheconflictbetween1939through1945.TheGermansremovedall
animallivestockfromtheseoccupiedcountries.Thenativepopulationsubsistedonwholegrains,legumes,vegetablesandfruit.
AlmostimmediatelydeathfromheartattacksandstrokesinNorwayplummeted.Withthecessationofhostilitiesin1945animal
productsbecameavailableaswellasanimmediatereturntotheprewarlevelsofdeathsfromtheseillnesses.Itisapowerful
lessoninpublichealthaboutthecauseandcureofourmostcommonkillerheartdisease.Thismessagewasnotheededbythe
medicalprofessionorthepublic.Ithasbeenjustthereverse.Thepopularityandsuccessofwesternculturehasadversely
influencedAsiananddevelopingcultures,sotheyseektoemulateourtoxicwesterndiet.Asaresultcoronaryarterydiseaseis
predicatedtobecomethenumberoneglobaldiseaseburdenby2020.

RuralChina,thePapuaHighlandersofNewGuinea,centralAfricansandtheTarahumaraIndiansofnorthernMexicoadhereto
plantbasednutritionandaresparedthisgallopingepidemicwhichisadiseaseofaffluence.

Americanleadershipinpublichealthhasbeenatotalfailureinitsattempttocurtailthisdisease.TheUnitedStatesDepartment
ofAgriculture(USDA)every5yearsrefashionsAmericansfoodpyramid,withouteverrelinquishingtheveryfoodswhichcause
theepidemic.TheUSDAleadershipareallformerpowerbrokersofthebeef,dairy,porkandpoultryindustries.

Themedicalprofessionhasanevenpoorerrecord.IthastakentheapproachthateveryAmericanmustlearnalltheriskfactors
forheartdiseasesuchassmoking,highbloodpressure,diabetes,highcholesterol,andstrongfamilyhistory.Theprofessions
riskfactorsemphasisisanunspokenconcessionthatasAmericanseatsuchatoxicdiet,theywillalldevelopthediseaseand
knowingyourriskfactorsmaysomehowalertyouandyourphysicianhowfastitiscatchingyou.

Modernmedicineofthelatterhalfofthe20thcenturyandearly21st,mustbecondemnedforitsfailuretosharewiththepublic
theknowledgetoeliminatethemostcommonchronickillerdiseasesuchasheartdisease,typeIIdiabetes,obesity,hypertension,
erectiledysfunction,anddementiaallofwhichareabitterharvestofthetoxicwesternanimalbasednutrition.

Letusflushoutfurthertheproblemofdementia.Byage85,itisrecognizedthat50%ofAmericanswillhavedementia.Newer
researchrevealsthatatage50Americansbeginsustainingtinylittlesilentstrokes,whichastheycontinue,takeaserious
irreversibletollonthebrain.Memorymaybecomelessastutebyones60sandiftheselittlestrokescontinuewenowhave
dementiabythe70sor80s.Ititistheendproductofvascularinjurytothebrainjustasoccurswiththeheart.

Themedicalprofessionneverlackingforanewexpensiveimagingdeviceorprocedure,developedcoronaryarterybypass
surgery,angioplasty,andstentsforblockedarteriestotheheart.Onehastobeinaweofthedelicacyofthesesurgicalfeats.But
aretheytheanswer?AmostemphaticNO!Theepidemichasnotbeenalteredsincetheirinception.Tobefair,inemergency
situations,suchasaheartattacktheymaybelifesavingorsaveheartmusclefromdamage,

Academicscholarsareincreasinglycriticaloftheoveremphasisoftheseinterventions,whichprovideenormousfinancialreward
tothephysician.
http://nutritionstudies.org/abolishingheartdisease/ 1/2
26.2.2017 AbolishingHeartDiseaseNutritionStudies

Thedownsidetotheseproceduresisthatmanyexperienceseriouscomplicationsanddie.Of1millionstentsperformedthisyear
1%or10,000willdiefromtheprocedure.Ifwelost10,000G.I.sthisyearinIraq,itwouldbecalledcarnage.

Theexpenseoftheseproceduresconsumesthelionsshareofthehealthbudget.Cardiologyspendsover1/4ofatrilliondollars
peryear.Eveniftheproceduresaresuccessful,thebenefitserodewiththepassageoftime.Interventionalcardiologists
themselvesconcedelifeisnotextendedandnewheartattacksarenotavoidedbytheseprocedures.

HowisitpossiblethatthemedicalprofessioncannotheedthestrikinglessonsfromNorwayduringWW11,orthenonexistence
ofheartdiseaseinthethirdworldanddevelopingcountrieswhobyculture,heritageandtraditionsubsistonplantbased
nutrition?

Actuallytherewerephysicianswhodidheartheselessons.ThesepioneersweremenlikePritikin,McDougall,Klaper,Pinckney,
Campbell,Ornish,Esselstyn,BarnardandDiehltomentionafew.Dr.DeanOrnishinCaliforniaandDr.CaldwellB.Esselstyn,
Jr.inOhioduringthemidl980sunbeknownsttoeachotherbutwithinmonthsofeachotherseparatelyinitiatedstudiesof
plantbasednutritionastreatmentforpatientsseverelyillwithcoronaryarterydisease.Thegoalwastoremoveeverylastmorsel
ofanimalfood,dairy,processedflour,andoilsthatwerecausingthediseaseandtoeatadietofvegetables,fruit,legumesand
wholegrains,

Inallcompliantpatientsresultswerepromptandenduring.Anginaheartpaindiminishedordisappearedascholesterollevels
promptlyloweredandbothphysiciansfoundthatxraysoftheheartsarteriesconfirmedthediseasecouldbereversed.Dr.
Ornishprovedthisafteroneyearoftreatment.Dr.Esselstynshowedthesameat5yearsandreportedhisresultsagainat12,16,
andfinallybeyond21yearsinhisrecentlyreleasebook,PreventandReverseHeartDisease.Dr.Esselstynisparticularlypleased
withasmallersubsetofpatientswhoweretoldbyexpertcardiologistsin1986theyhadlessthanayeartoliveallofwhomare
alive,21yearslater.

Tobesureitisnotawalkintheparkforpatientstochangetoplantbasednutritionfromalifetimeofeatingrich,tastyanimal
foods,dairyproductsandoil.Therearealsothechallengesofwhattodoinrestaurants,traveling,andeatingatfriendshouses.
Patientsneedsupportandguidanceastheysurmountthesehurdlesandtheirpromptimprovementistheirreward.While
patientsrejoiceatfinallydiscoveringtheanswertotheirdiseasetheyareoftenfurioustheirphysiciansdidnotmentionit.

Forthesepatientsitisempoweringthattheyarethelocusofcontroltodestroythediseasethatwasdestroyingthem.Theyalso
recognizeasopposedtotheinterventionalapproachthereisnomortalitywiththedietandnosickness.Mostimportantlythe
benefitsdonoterodebutcontinuetoimprovewiththepassageoftime.Patientsareawaretheyhavebecomeheartattackproof
andlosethehauntingfearofheartpatientsandtheirfamiliesthatanotherheartattackmightoccur.

Whydontmorecardiologistsemploythissimpleandsuccessfullyprovenmethod?ThestockanswerisMypatientswontfollow
suchadiet.Thatisindeedhardtoacceptwhenentirecultureswithoutheartdiseasehavepreferredthiswayofeatingfor
centuriesandthousandsofheartpatientshaveacceptedthistechnique.Amorehonestanswerwouldbethereismuchless
financialrewardforthecaregiver.Thehopeisthatinsurancecarrierswillappreciatethislessexpensiveandmorereliable
approachandrewardlifestylecounselingwhichwillacceleratemomentumandacceptance.Dr.Esselstynnowtreatsinvasive
cardiologistswhoseekhiscounselwhentheyhavethedisease.ViewingabroaderlandscapeforthehealthofAmericais
imperative.

Everyonearguesaboutthehealthcarecrisisandhowitshouldbepaidfor.Wheredoesonefindthemoney?Thisissoseriouswe
seeourgreatcorporationssuchasGeneralMotorsandFordtakentotheirkneesbecausetheycannotpaythehealthcarecostsof
theiremployeesorretirees.Afarsimplerapproachistoeliminateallofthesecommonchronicdiseasesofwesterncivilization,
whichdonotexistinplantbasedcultures.

Forexample,ifa250pound,obese,mildlydiabetichypertensive,patienthasaheartattackandisfullycompliantwithplant
basednutritiontreatment,profoundchangesoccur.By8monthsheweighs190poundsandisnolongerobese,hisdiabetesand
hypertensionaregoneasisanyriskforafutureheartattack.Hewillalsoprotecthimselffromerectiledysfunctionand
dementia.Thistoxicwesterndietconsumedoverdecadesbehavesasamalignantstewdailymarinatingourcellstowards
chronicillness.

PerhapsonecanbestconcludebyparaphrasingthewordsofJohnF.Kennedy,Asknotwhatyourcountrycandoforyour
health,askwhatyoucandoforyourhealth.

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