What Are Diseases of Affluence?

One new group of diseases today have been identified – they are called ‘Diseases of Affluence’. This was originally a term used to refer to a group of diseases whose causes can be traced to the affluent lifestyle in rich countries, particularly the United States. They are aptly named because these diseases are found only in rich countries and very rarely, if at all, in poor countries. These diseases of affluence include: heart disease, prostate cancer, colon cancer, breast cancer, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and obesity among others. Certainly, many countries are being westernized rapidly, with onset of diseases reflecting the spread of affluence. For example, as recent as a few decades ago, medical students in Japan were unable to evaluate the anatomy of a heart attack victim because there were virtually no heart attacks at all in Japan. They literally had to import diseased hearts for the medical students to study! Certainly, times have changed, with McDonalds and western diets spreading with the spread of affluence. In the past, the diseases used to be called the diseases of rich persons but recently they been grouped together under the more serious and accurate term “Diseases of Affluence”.
In order to address these diseases properly, a new breed of doctors rose to the occasion. These doctors included Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. Hans Diehl, and Dr. Colin Campbell among other prominent physicians. These physicians, even if they did not know it yet at that time, gave rise to a new breed of medicine, which directly combats diseases of affluence. This is called Lifestyle Medicine and the focus of this discipline is on lifestyle factors, which are considered causative factors in chronic diseases and other diseases of affluence. Unlike conventional medicine, lifestyle medicine looks at the problem from a more holistic standpoint and, in doing so, it also adopts a holistic attitude towards curing or reversing whatever diseases are present.
Lifestyle Medicine also focuses on the most essential part of medical practice which many of today’s doctors often neglect. This is the part which deals with disease prevention. Today the focus is more on treatment of diseases and the tools of choice are drugs and procedures, particularly for the diseases of affluence. Lifestyle Medicine on the other hand, opts to use diet, exercise, stress management and group therapy as a means to cure, reverse or prevent a wide spectrum of diseases. The tools of lifestyle medicine are utilized as a whole and not as standalone measures.
Even as recent as three decades ago, Lifestyle Medicine was rarely taken seriously. However, because of the advocacies and efforts of the four doctors mentioned previously, case upon case has been presented to the medical community and the public at large, where nearly miraculous cures were achieved with the use of Lifestyle Medicine. This is why today, many major hospitals already have a lifestyle medicine department and it is now considered a regular part of medical practice. In fact, because of its demonstrated power against many chronic conditions, Lifestyle Medicine, along with Integrative Medicine, is becoming the fastest-growing and well-regarded specialty in medicine today.

What Causes Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis is a very serious autoimmune disorder which can become quite debilitating. It tends to manifest itself during the most productive years of a person’s life, generally appearing between 20 and 50 years old. It generally begins with small symptoms that can mimic other more common disorders. These include general weakness, vision problems, difficulty maintaining balance and some other neurologic symptoms. However, as it unfolds, it becomes clear that a serious disease process is underway.

While multiple sclerosis is not as prevalent as diabetes, nearly half a million Americans have multiple sclerosis. What is important to understand about multiple sclerosis (MS) is that the prognosis is quite poor. Doctors typically advise patients to expect to gradually lose the ability to ambulate and see. It is commonly expected that 15 years after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis the patient would already be dependent on a wheelchair and further deterioration will eventually resolve in being confined completely to bed.

Because of the seriousness of the disorder, it has become the subject of many scientific studies which, despite their numbers, has not resulted in any concrete and definitive conclusions with regards to what causes multiple sclerosis. The inability of conventional medicine to provide explanations to patients and their families about why they came down with multiple sclerosis has only contributed more to their agony. Hence, despite the availability of relevant information, conventional medicine has taken the position where people with multiple sclerosis are left to accept that modern medicine has no clues about why they came down with the disorder. In addition to that, modern medicine can only provide a bleak prognosis. This typically revolves around a prediction that within 10 years, more than 50% of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis would either be disabled or dead.

There was a time in the not-too-distant past, that some researchers theorized that multiple sclerosis might be another one of the diseases of affluence, since it affected people in rich countries such as the United States, Canada and northern Europe. However, when researchers looked at the countries where multiple sclerosis was an extremely rare condition, they began to notice some conflicting information. It was seen that while many developing Asian countries had extremely low rates of multiple sclerosis, affluent countries such as Japan and Singapore likewise had similarly low multiple sclerosis cases. This was what prompted the rejection of the theory that multiple sclerosis was a disease of affluence.

However, when researchers and investigators went over the research again, they realized that one factor which correlated very well with the rates of multiple sclerosis was the dietary component. Specifically, the countries which were farther from the equator and where the population had a diet which was high in saturated fat and other rich foods, were those which exhibited the highest rates of multiple sclerosis. It clearly correlated as well with the low rates of multiple sclerosis in a rich nation such as Japan which, despite a largely affluent population, follows diets which were generally low in fat and rich foods (although this is rapidly changing…).

More serious studies are currently being conducted in order to study closely the linkage between diet and multiple sclerosis. It is interesting to note that many doctors who previously rejected the concept of diet as a factor in multiple sclerosis, are now beginning to change their tune and are expressing that perhaps there may be the slightest chance that certain types of diet might cause multiple sclerosis. Pioneers such as Dr. Roy Swank and Dr. John McDougall are spearheading the efforts to treat multiple sclerosis based on the presumption that diet is a major factor. Very encouragingly, their work has consistently shown positive results. As continued validation comes from ongoing research, the day when multiple sclerosis can be reversed and prevented may not be too far off.

Unusual Facts About Autoimmune Diseases

Because of the seriousness of the many diseases that comprise autoimmune disorders, researchers have accumulated an impressive base of scientific studies that looked at the different aspects of autoimmune diseases. The result of all of these efforts was a compilation of data which provided very intriguing and unusual facts about the demographics and occurrence of autoimmune disorders. For instance, more than 250 million people in the United States are diagnosed yearly with one of 40 different autoimmune disorders. Intriguingly, more women than men are afflicted and the difference is quite substantial, reaching almost 300%. Practically one in every 30 Americans will have an autoimmune disorder and, by the end of 2010, over 15 million suffer from autoimmune diseases.

What is even more unusual about autoimmune disorders is the fact that the cases increase substantially the farther you go from the equator. In fact, this phenomenon has led some researchers to theorize that autoimmune disorders had something to do with the magnetic poles. However, subsequent research has proven that this is not the case. This is not to mean that autoimmune diseases no longer increase as a result of the locations distance from the equator. On the contrary, past and present research have shown conclusively that an autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis is more than 100 times more prevalent near the North Pole as compared to places near the equator. The exact reason why this is true is not fully understood.

One of the most unusual and alarming facts that have been discovered about autoimmune disorders is that they tend to afflict a specific type of person. Researchers saw that in an overwhelming number of cases, a person with one type of autoimmune disease, was likely to have one or more of the other autoimmune disorders. Clearly, there were certain factors existing in that person which made them susceptible to autoimmune diseases.

After much research, scientists have now pinpointed sunlight exposure, or lack of it, as a predisposing factor in autoimmune disease. This link has led to both dairy consumption and saturated fat intake as factors in multiple sclerosis. This correlation becomes increasingly clear when viewed in the light of sunlight exposure being a prime factor in causing the disease. In the places farther from the equator, people receive little sunlight, which leads to a vitamin D deficiency. When studies showed that autoimmune disorders were less common in coastal areas, researchers realized that this may have been due to the several factors including: omega-3 consumption (from eating fish), relatively low dairy consumption and relatively low saturated fat consumption. The animal protein in milk and saturated fat is known to inhibit the activation of vitamin D. So, it is theorized that a diet higher in animal protein, milk and saturated fat – irregardless of how much sunlight exposure is present – may indeed lead to deficiency of vitamin D. This vitamin D deficiency is now known to be a primary causative factor in autoimmune disorders. So, the link of autoimmune disorders and diet has been confirmed.

With significant research underway, it is promising that the link of diet to autoimmune disorders can be explored much further. Early research has already demonstrated that optimal diets can indeed slow down the autoimmune diseases. My hope is that with further research, we can actually ‘crack the code’ and actually determine how to prevent autoimmune disease entirely!

What Is Autoimmune Disease?

To those outside the medical field, the word ‘autoimmune’ may not cause much alarm. However, if you are someone who suffers from an autoimmune disease, you know all too well how serious this can be.
If you are not familiar with autoimmune disorders, a clear definition may be helpful. The simplest definition of autoimmune disease is that it is a disease where the body attacks itself. Our bodies defensive systems, which are normally guarding us against invaders, suddenly loses the ability to differentiate friend from foe. The tenacity of our immune system actually turns against our own organs. The ultimate result may lead to a devastating loss of an organ’s function, which could lead further to severe debilitation or death. A scary situation, indeed!

Now that you understand the concept, let’s go deeper into which diseases fall into the category of ‘autoimmune disorders’. Some of the more common types of autoimmune diseases include: type I diabetes, rheumatic heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and Parkinson’s disease. There are many more autoimmune disorders, however these are the most common. If you are familiar with any of these, you understand that these can indeed lead to serious life-threatening conditions.
There are many aspects of autoimmune disorders that are unknown at this time, but one thing that is clear to researchers and scientists is that one of the basic mechanisms behind the self-destructive behavior of the body is a process called ‘molecular mimicry’. To put it simply, molecular mimicry is what happens when some of the foreign cells (that invade the body) look so much like our own cells that the immune system mistakenly assumes that our own cells are foreign cells. Somehow the body becomes confused and can no longer tell the difference between the invaders and its own cells. So, it attacks all cells.

What is becoming increasingly clear in all the studies made about autoimmune disorders is that there is a dietary component which sets off the whole process. One particular element of the diet that has been implicated is cow’s milk. Studies have shown that some of the undigested proteins from cow’s milk enter the bloodstream and set in motion our bodies defensive systems because they are identified as foreign invaders. Everything would have been fine at this point except for the fact that the cow’s milk proteins end up mimicking our own proteins. Under normal circumstances, the body is still able to tell the difference between the two, but through some complex process, it becomes confusing, and the problem of differentiation self from invader gradually increases in magnitude.
Cow’s milk is just one of the many dietary components that have been implicated in autoimmune disorders. While there are some aspects of the disorders mechanism that have yet to be established conclusively, researchers do know that there are pretty strong links between various autoimmune disorders and some dietary components. The biggest link is specifically to animal protein. By addressing the implications of these links, substantial progress has already been made in reducing autoimmune disease to a treatable diagnosis, which hopefully can even someday be prevented.

Do You Know The Complications Of Obesity?

As we know, obesity is a very common condition in the United States today. Since you can see obese people everywhere you look, many people have become complacent and almost accept that it’s ‘just the way things are’. The problem with this thinking is that it minimizes the incredible health risks that are associated with obesity. This is very important to understand. Obesity IS a serious disease! As I will soon explain, it often leads to quite serious and life-threatening conditions.

Perhaps the biggest tragedy about obesity today is the fact that it now tends to afflict significantly more children than it did couple of decades ago. The effects on children can be quite devastating. Imagine a pre-teen or teenager facing problems of elevated cholesterol or gastric reflux disease and elevated blood pressure. Obese children are nine times more likely than normal weight children to experience these conditions. What a bleak scenario that must be for the child. Yet, what is even more alarming is the fact that obesity commonly results in glucose intolerance which eventually leads to type II diabetes. This is one of the worst diseases that a child can have. There are also biomechanical issues such as sleep apnea, as well as bone and joint disorders. These can be quite depressing for growing teenagers since it will prevent them from being able to engage in activities which their non-obese peers are able to do. This leads to what may actually be the more profound effect of obesity on children -- a severe decline in their self-esteem. This can lead to severe psychological problems that may haunt them for life. When surveys were conducted in various universities across the United States, researchers were surprised to see that a large number of the teenagers interviewed would much rather have several years taken from their lives or have a limb amputated rather than be overweight. Before that particular study, most people did not think that being overweight or obese had such a detrimental effect on the psyche of a child. So today, it is recognized as a potential trigger for a host of so many other social and psychological problems. Thankfully, many enlightened physicians are now addressing the psychosocial aspects of obesity as a significant concern.

The effects on adults, while involving some psychological issues also, are not quite as debilitating as the ones experienced by children. This is due mostly to the maturity of adults since children are more liable to experience extreme emotions compared to adults who are seasoned by years of experience. Nevertheless, there are still mental issues that can result from an obesity condition. Depression is one, as well as a host of other psychological problems emanating from a diminished sense of self-esteem. The quality-of-life issue is also a big one particularly for aging adults because they are hit with a double whammy combination of aging and the debilitating effects of obesity on their lives. Beyond this, the physical aspects of complications resulting from obesity for adults are more serious because of the fact that due to the effects of aging, their bodies are in a state that is less than optimal. So complications such as lipid abnormalities, high blood pressure, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis, heart disease, and gallbladder disease can severely impact the quality of life and survivability of an adult suffering from obesity. Additional complications are cancers of the uterus, cervix, ovaries, breast, colon and prostate among others. Research has clearly shown that those who are obese have a much greater chance of coming down with these cancers. The same thing goes for the risk of type II diabetes, stroke, heart disease and osteoarthritis. Sleep apnea is also a problem for adults, which can progress to a more severe condition which can even lead to death.

So the complications of obesity are quite alarming as you can see. They have dire effects on a person’s way of life and can impact severely the quality of life and lifespan. While obesity and its complications are extremely unpleasant, the good news is that obesity is quite curable today, requiring no surgery or complicated, expensive procedures. It most certainly doesn’t require the use of drugs either. What it requires is a strong resolve to change some fundamental things in life. By this, I am referring to what and how a person eats. The cure for obesity revolves primarily around food choices, along with getting just a bit of moderate exercise. What makes it appear difficult for many people is the fact that the fundamental changes involve shifting toward a purely plant food-based diet. If you think this sounds difficult, I encourage you to try it just for a week. If you are like nearly everyone else, you will feel so much better. You will want to go for another week. In that short span of time, positive changes will begin to happen. Once those changes start happening, it will be instrumental in facilitating the process of making the change permanent because you now have firsthand experience of how great you feel. The positive benefits will then start to unfold.

Eat Your Way Out Of Obesity : 5 Principles

In one of the most challenging paradoxes of today, eating is what got you into obesity – yet, eating is also exactly what can get you out of obesity! Let me explain. The key to overcoming obesity lies in how and what you eat. It is a paradox because it was also your manner of eating before which contributed to your obesity today. However since eating is an integral part of human life, we simply can’t just cut it out. This is actually an important understanding to master when you consider how you are going to attempt to overcome your problem of obesity. In order to help you on your journey, here are 5 guidelines that can help you make the transition from unhealthy eating to a very healthy eating program. These guidelines are particularly helpful when you apply them to my recommended plant-based, vegan eating program.

1. Make it a point to eat until you’re satisfied. Yes, it’s quite a change from those used to diets involving portion control, but it is that portion control which is responsible for the failure of many diets. Psychologically your body will always feel hungry no matter how long you stay in the program, so the key to be able to stay on a diet indefinitely is to ensure that your stomach is full and that you are psychologically satisfied. In this way, it isn’t a ‘diet’ after all – rather, it is simply ‘the way you eat’.

2. Consider grazing as your new form of eating. Grazing simply means eating six or more meals throughout the day while consuming only the food on the recommended list of plant based foods. A lot of studies have shown that while obese people tend to have fewer meals than non-obese people, they tend to eat a whole lot more per meal, so the idea here is to eat on a more frequent basis while keeping your portions small. This is where a plant food-based diet helps a great deal. Characteristically, you can eat “big” even when you eat less, and you end up feeling more satisfied compared to animal food-based diets where portions are small but extremely calorie dense. If grazing doesn’t work for you and your schedule, that’s fine. Many people do very well with the more typical 3-4 meals a day. Just try it to see if it may work for you.

3. Avoid the temptation to gobble down your food – the key is to eat slowly. When you are in hurry to swallow your food, your brain is not able to receive the signal from your stomach that it’s already full. Remember, it is only the stomach that will send this signal and anatomically, the food has a long way to go before arriving at your stomach. This is a familiar feeling to those who wait until they are hungry before eating. You eat the food so fast that by the time your stomach signals it’s full, you have already consumed food that is much more than what your stomach can contain. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling because you already stopped eating but the food is still moving down to your stomach. It’s due to the delay in the transmission of signals from your stomach to your brain and the end result is an overwhelming feeling that your stomach is about to explode. This is what you want to avoid and when you are able to adopt a grazing pattern, as opposed to a gorging one, then you will find it easier to eat leisurely while feeling more satisfied compared to your previously fast paced meals.

4. Take your time chewing your food thoroughly. It’s something which many people are not aware of, but when you chew your food more, it gives you increased satisfaction because more of the flavors are released. Moreover, the act of chewing longer also gives the food time to make it to your stomach and allowing it to communicate to your brain that it is in fact full. So it’s actually accomplishing two things at once. On the one hand, you gain a greater satisfaction from the taste of the food. Secondly, you also feel satisfied despite consuming less portions because you gave enough time for your stomach to send a signal to your brain that it is now full.

5. Try to simplify your meals with regards to variety. Studies have repeatedly shown that when a large variety of food is presented, the tendency is that more calories are ingested as well. When a person is only eating one or two kinds of food, there is no urge to eat more ‘just to try everything’. You can still keep your palate interested and engaged, and have lots of different foods throughout your day and week, however you simply have less variety at each meal. If the person is presented with several different kinds of food in any given meal, there is a strong urge to eat the food even if the stomach is signaling that it is full already. In fact, if you’re obese and you wish to solve your meal problems with relative ease, take a tip from the region where a great number of the population is not obese. I am referring to the Asian region where this particular phenomenon has been attributed to the fact that there is one staple food which dominates their diets -- rice. Focusing on simple starches, such as this, provides all the nutrition they need while keeping their intake of saturated fat and cholesterol at extremely low levels.

These five simple principles which can be integrated easily into your daily eating program are the pillars upon which healthy eating begins. If you are able to implement all of five principles in each meal and make them habits, then you can rest assured that from a caloric standpoint you’re doing everything you can to overcome your obesity.

Some Misconceptions About Antioxidants In Relation To Cancer Treatments

There are many doctors who now believe that quite a number of patients undergoing cancer treatment are fed erroneous advice. Some recommended treatments are quite painful, yet the research does not support any reliable benefit. Then there is a lot of wrong advice making the rounds among cancer patients regarding diets and the effect on their current cancer treatment. One common myth is the recommendation to avoid consuming antioxidant supplements and foods rich in antioxidants while undergoing chemo and radiation treatment.

In 2007 a study was released where researchers evaluated articles and studies that involved nearly 9000 cancer patients in order to verify the alleged interference of nutrients and antioxidants with radiation and chemo. The span of time covered by these studies was from 1965 to 2003. The resulting data showed that there was no interference at all. In fact, on the contrary, the nutrients actually increased the effectiveness of the chemo and radiation while simultaneously protecting normal tissues from damage and reducing side effects. There were even some studies which showed an increased rate of survival for patients that took non-prescription antioxidants and nutrients concurrently with their cancer treatment.

The study also debunked several prevailing misconceptions and determined the causative factors. One illustrative example is the statement from Dr. Larry Norton of Memorial Sloan Kettering where he stated that researchers at Memorial had seen that the beneficial effects of chemo on breast cancer were reduced by taking in large doses of Vitamin C. He also stated that the effects of a cancer drug methotrexate, were negated by folic acid. So, the impact of diet is very real. After two years they released the results of the Memorial study where the statements were based. There were two significant take-aways that scientists noted. First, the research was based on mice and not humans. Secondly, the author of the study admitted that taking large doses of Vitamin C could interfere with the effects of chemotherapy and even radiation in humans. Even though this is seen as a significant flaw in the direct value of this research, the American Cancer Society adopted a stance against supplements – based on this one study -- without reviewing the evidence!

The bottom line here is that there are many standard operating procedures and practices which are based on little, or non-existent, evidence. The problem is that current and more systematic research is beginning to show that many of these practices are not benign and may even cause more harm to the patient. Some of the potentially harmful practices that are still routinely recommended to this day include hysterectomy, episiotomy, unproven ‘off-label’ drug uses, and even the advice to completely avoid sun exposure.

Consequently, in today’s broken health care system, it becomes necessary for the patients to do their own due diligence. There is a lot of authoritative information online. This research, combined with quizzing their doctors and other experts about the matter, are important steps to ensure that only the best health care is delivered.

Top 5 Tips For Cancer Prevention

Knowing the ins and outs for certain diseases and learning the causative factors is one thing. But all this knowledge would be useless if you cannot translate this into positive action. In the case of cancer, a positive action to take is to apply available information in order to prevent cancer from getting a foothold in your life. Here are a few tips on how to increase the chances of remaining cancer free in your lifetime.

1. Stop smoking -- It’s amazing how many people continue to smoke despite the clear evidence that it is directly cancer-causing. The addiction component is very strong. Although the addiction can be difficult to break, it can be done and millions of people do it every year. If you are still a smoker, I highly encourage you to utilize one of the readily available stop smoking techniques to break this lethal habit once and for all.

2. Moderate your use of alcohol -- While studies have found that alcohol consumption in moderation has many positive benefits to the human body, exceeding the moderate amount creates negative effects. These negative effects erase any positive benefit of alcohol, and create new problems of their own. Studies have shown a link between excessive alcohol consumption and breast cancer. It has also long been established that excessive alcohol can lead to either liver cancer or cirrhosis.

3. Keep your body weight at the recommended levels – This is a big challenge for many of us living in the Western world. However, the science is very clear. Excessive body weight has been linked to many forms of cancer -- as well as other serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and some other autoimmune disorders. Find out what your healthy weight is, and make a covenant with yourself to get to that weight and to stay there. Using the right strategies, it really isn’t that difficult.

4. Get regular and moderate exercise -- Aside from the cardiovascular benefits and the ‘feel good’ response, getting regular exercise is instrumental in prompting your body to create more good cells rather than bad. Our bodies were created to move. Regular movement is one of the best things we can do for our health. Not only our physical health, but our mental and emotional health also benefit immensely. I encourage you to adopt whatever form of movement or exercise you enjoy most. Don’t do what you ‘think’ you should do – Do what you enjoy doing! Whether it is walking, jogging, dancing, playing actively with your child, lifting weights, or an organized team sport – just do it. An hour of brisk walking five times a week is plenty, and will provide a lot of benefits as far as good health and cancer prevention are concerned.

5. Change your diet to plant-based foods -- In this case, I am saving the best recommendation for last. Studies have long shown that animal protein acts as a switch to turn cancer on and off. In other words, even if you are at risk of cancer because of smoking or alcohol use, staying on a purely plant-based diet can help keep cancer cells away, and prevent them from further mutation. This is of course not an endorsement of smoking or drinking, but is stated here only to illustrate how potent diet can be in preventing cancer. Quite simply, research studies all point to one indisputable fact: a plant-based diet is the best cancer prevention diet.

If everyone in the United States could adopt all of these five tips in their lives, the rate for all cancers in the USA would drop. We know perfectly well that most cancers are now considered ‘diseases of affluence’. We live in an affluent world. So, with the powerful knowledge that cancer is preventable, the rest is now up to us.

Treating Heart Disease: Nutritional Aspects

Heart disease is greatly feared by many individuals due to its reputation of being the leading cause of death in Western and Westernized countries today. However, many dedicated doctors have discovered, through several comprehensive and long-running studies, that there is a strong correlation between diet and heart disease. The works of Dr. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish, among others, have shown that by the use of largely nutritional methods, heart disease can be conquered.

A research study that paved the way for this conclusion was begun 70 years ago and continues to this day. This landmark study is known as the Framingham Heart Study. This study, half a century ago, showed the high correlation between blood cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease. What many people don’t realize is that the Framingham Heart Study is ongoing, with new data continually being collected. The findings from this study and the works of Drs. Campbell, Esselstyn and Ornish all point to animal-based diets as the main culprit behind coronary heart disease.

So let’s now look at the specific aspects involved in treating heart disease using nutritional methods.

The first aspect is controlling the concentration of blood lipids, specifically LDL. The main causes of increased blood lipoproteins are 1) saturated fats and 2) cholesterol. On the other hand, consumption of soluble fiber is instrumental in reducing LDL levels. So the recommendation would be to decrease intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, and simultaneously increase intake of soluble fiber. Based on these simple dietary guidelines, studies have shown that the most effective diet would be a low-fat vegetarian or even a plant-based or vegan diet.

The second major aspect is consumption of soy products. This has also been seen as an effective means of reducing cardiovascular heart disease risk. Aside from the reduction of LDL levels, other effects of soy consumption include lower homocysteine and blood pressure levels. So, the recommendation here is to include soy based foods such as soy milk and meat substitutes, in conjunction with other vegetarian foods, in order to maximize its beneficial effects.

The third aspect heart-healthy nutronal intervention is to increasing intake of anti-oxidants and natural vitamins. This is best done by reducing or preferably eliminating animal-based foods, and replacing them with fruits and vegetables. This will provide substantial amounts of fiber, antioxidants, vitamin C, folic acids and other flavonoids in the diet while not adding any cholesterol or saturated fat.
The last aspect of nutritional methods involves the reduction of inflammatory processes present in arteriosclerosis. Numerous studies have shown that reduction of excess body fat results in a reduction of inflammation, which further results in a reduction of the risk for cardiovascular events. A realignment of fat intake, from saturated fats to omega-3 fatty acids, has also been shown to be effective in reducing inflammation. The easiest way to do this is to eliminate consumption of animal products, tropical oils and trans-fatty acids.

All the nutritional aspects mentioned here can be found in a plant-based or vegan diet. A plant-based diet is precisely what studies have shown to be most effective in curing and reversing heart disease. Aside from this substantial cardiac benefit, adopting such a diet is instrumental in reducing weight to optimal levels and reducing the risk of contracting dreaded diseases such as cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and many more. In practically all of these diseases, multiple studies point to animal-based foods as the main risk factor. By simply replacing animal food with plant-based food, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing chronic disease.