7 Secrets to Defeating the Evil Mastermind Behind Heart Disease
Heart disease is the single greatest killer in America –– nearly 836,546 every year. That works out to about 1 person every 38 seconds, every single minute of every single day.
This isn’t something that happens “out there” or to someone else. This is killing your fathers, friends, brothers, cousins, aunts and uncles faster than anything else.
And yet, it is 100% preventable.
But there’s a lot more to it than just “cholesterol and exercise.”
There’s something behind the numbers and indicators that’s even more important to look at if you want to dodge this killer.
The Evil Mastermind Behind Cardiovascular Disease
The core issue behind virtually all cardiovascular disease is inflammation. Specifically, inflammation in the arteries.
You can think of all the other signs and indications and numbers as the henchmen of this one mastermind behind 1 of every 3 deaths in the US.
And like the villains in most stories, once you unmask them, they are a lot less scary and intimidating.
Behind all those frightening statistics and numbers? It’s nothing more than inflammation, secretly masterminding the whole thing.
Biological Napalm and the ROS Chain Reaction
Inflammation unleashes a barrage of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are the biological equivalent of napalm. They lay waste to anything and everything they touch. When this is an invading bacteria or a cancer cell, it’s great.
When it’s your own arteries, it can cause a chain reaction. The damage to your arteries releases signal molecules like cellular flares, calling in more troops that let loose more inflammation, making the problem even worse. (Many of these signaling molecules are indicators of heart disease… but they’re only indicators. They are NOT the cause.)
Eventually, your arteries form protective plaques made out of cholesterol that act like internal scabs to protect the damage site. Cholesterol isn’t the problem, the mastermind behind the plaques is the problem.
So now that we understand what we are truly up against, and how it works, let’s look at the 8 secrets to defeating this evil mastermind.
Nature’s Best Medicine: Antioxidants
As we discussed above, the mechanism behind plaques is ROS’s causing oxidative damage to the arteries. If we can soften the blow of the oxidative damage, we can keep the biological napalm under control.
So how do we do that?
Antioxidants!
The best source of antioxidants are colorful organic fruits and vegetables. By using organic whole foods or whole food extracts the antioxidants are more easily absorbed by the body and more bioavailable.
3 Vitamin Deficiencies You Need to Watch Out For
Vitamins may not be as sexy as a ketogenic diet these days, but they are still incredibly important for cardiovascular health and vitality. Here are three of the most critical you need to pay attention to for cardiovascular health:
Vitamin D
Our ancestors lived and thrived outdoors, and this profoundly influenced our biology. Our bodies learned to harness the sun to create vitamin D, a critical vitamin that influences at least 600 different genes along with thousands of cellular processes –– especially those in the heart. Studies show it has strong vasoprotective effects that lower the risk of cardiovascular disease [1]
A modern human spends more time indoors than at any other point in the history of our species. As a culture we are deprived of sunlight and deficient in vitamin D. This is why supplementation is so important. You should be getting at least 5,000 to 10,000 IUDs every day, along with vitamin K2 for maximum effect.
CoQ10: The Co-Enzyme That Could
This little coenzyme gets around. It’s scientific name is ubiquinone (pronounced you-bi-kwi-known), which basically means “used all over the place by every living organism.” It’s a critical molecule for energy production in every animal, every plant and every bacteria.
It is an essential biological compound, but it caught health professionals’ attention because of its role in heart health. CoQ10 helps the heart maintain energy to keep on pumping, while protecting it from oxidative damage. Several studies have shown CoQ10 to extend the lives of people at risk of heart failure [2,3]
Homocysteine vs. Methyl-Folate
Homocysteine is a byproduct of normal metabolism. The only problem is that it also causes inflammation. In normal circumstances, your body uses a special process called “methylation” to deactivate homocysteine and recycle it back into the biochemical chain of metabolism.
This process, however, requires 2 very important things: folate (aka vitamin B9) and a special methylation enzyme called MTHFR (short for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase).
The problem is that approximately 40% of the world’s population has a mutation in this enzyme, so they make 70% less methyl folate. This means many people are deficient in methyl-folate, which in turn makes their homocysteine levels dangerously high, increasing their risk of dozens inflammatory conditions –– especially heart disease [4].
To combat this and make sure yourhomocysteine levels stay healthy, consider supplementing with the bioavailable form of folate: methyl-folate.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The importance of Omega 3 Fatty acids is by no means new. Like many of the secrets here, Omega 3s lower inflammation. But they also decrease serum triglycerides and improve blood flow. [5].
What’s most important, however, is the ratio of omega 6 fatty acids to omega 3s. Ideally this ratio should be around 3:1 or 4:1. In reality, most people’s diets are nearly 20:1. This means taking omega 3 supplements alone isn’t enough. You also need to decrease consumption of omega 6 fatty acids –– particularly vegetable oils and grains.
The James Bond of Minerals
Magnesium is the secret agent superstar of the minerals when it comes to health – it does it all. It is involved in over 300 different biochemical reactions, and plays two critical roles in cardiovascular health [6].
First of all, it is necessary for the contraction of the heart muscle. Without enough magnesium, your heart cannot function properly.
Secondly, it helps the blood vessels relax and dilate, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure.
Unfortunately, virtually everyone is magnesium deficient. It’s a modern epidemic, and the best way to protect yourself is through supplementation.
Stop Inflammation at the Source with THIS
We’ve talked a lot about inflammation and different ways to control it and bring it down. But we haven’t talked much about why there is inflammation in the arteries in the first place.
The answer may surprise you...
Toxins.
Heavy metals, pesticides, micro particles of plastic, preservatives in food, and bacterial particles all cause inflammation. Our environment is awash in toxins and they are 100% in your body. When they get lodged in an artery wall, this starts the cascade of inflammation that ends in heart attacks.
Of course eating a healthy diet is important, but even that isn’t enough in today’s world. Toxins are in everything. You need to support your body’s detox pathways to stop inflammation at the source and protect your cardiovascular health.
How Heart Disease Ravaged Dr. Minkoff’s Family
Dr. Minkoff is all-too familiar with the dangers of heart disease –– it claimed the lives of his father, his grandfather, and his uncle. He sees it every day in his clinic.
He knows how serious it is.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30701749
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27012265
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25282031
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30697054
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4153275/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29793664
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.