Natural Cardiovascular Support

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NATURAL CARDIOVASCULAR SUPPORT

 

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States.

Approximately 500,000 men and women die each year due to heart

related diseases.

However, there is growing scientific evidence that suggests dietary

changes and

supplements as well as lifestyle changes and exercise can decrease

these

outrageous statistical numbers.

 

The information in this report was gathered to give you a choice to

naturally

support the strength of your cardiovascular system and to maintain a

healthy

heart.

 

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GUIDELINES FOR A HEALTHY HEART

Herbal Medicine Research Report: Volume 1 No. 3

1998

Malik Cotter, D.A.C., Dipl. O.M.

 

 

Our heart beats on an average of 100,000 times a day, pumps nearly

6,000 quarts

of nutrient rich blood throughout a network of vessels that could

stretch twice

around the equator of the earth if all tied together, and is

constructed to last

a lifetime without taking a moments rest. Quite incredible! The heart

is the

very core of our being, the central force that promotes life within

and without.

It beats to the music of life, keeping us in rhythm with nature,

responding to

the high and low notes, the sharps and flats of our existence.

 

In Chinese and Western Medicine both, the function of the heart is to

control

and regulate the flow of blood through the vessels bringing adequate

amounts of

nutrients to the cells and tissues. This ensures the continuation and

maintenance of our life. The heart is of great importance and yet

cardiovascular

disease is ranked as the number one killer in the United States. The

heart and

the vessels need to be kept clean and in a strong working order. This

is a plain

and simple fact.

 

When the arteries become blocked with plaque, blood flow is

diminished and the

vital organs, brain and extremities all suffer the effects. Plaque is

the result

of elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the bloodstream.

The coronary

arteries supply blood to the heart itself and the narrowing of these

vessels can

result in angina pectoris. If they become completely obstructed and

blood is cut

off, a heart attack may occur and possibly leave permanent damage.

Hardening of

the arteries, arteriosclerosis, is the most common cause of blood

vessel

obstruction. High blood pressure is often a signal that heart

problems are not

far off and that measures must be made to remedy the situation. There

are many

other types of heart problems and it would serve us all to pay closer

attention

to the best defense we know: prevention.

 

The foundations of a healthy heart program are these: make necessary

changes in

dietary habits, exercise moderately, stop destructive lifestyle

patterns and

engage in daily stress management. Heart disease can be reversed!

 

Eat a diet that is balanced with adequate amounts of fresh fruits and

vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes and use quality unrefined

cold pressed

or expeller pressed oils. A healthy heart partially depends upon your

total

cholesterol, and cholesterol is greatly influenced by your food

program.

Cholesterol is essential and we need it to help manufacture cell

membranes,

produce bile salts and become a component of various hormones.

Cholesterol is

very important and if too low could jeopardize normal body functions.

However

most people seem to have too high a cholesterol level. In our blood

we have

low-density lipoproteins (LDL), referred to as bad cholesterol and

high-density

lipoproteins (HDL), referred to as the good cholesterol.

 

Low density lipoproteins transport large amounts of cholesterol from

the liver

to the cells of the body. The liver produces cholesterol from the

foods we eat

and deposits it into the bloodstream. High density lipoproteins carry

little

cholesterol as they circulate through the body removing excess

cholesterol from

the blood and tissues. The gall bladder works with the liver and high

cholesterol is the main cause of gallstones. There is a proper

balance to

maintain with these lipoproteins. Saturated fats raise the blood

cholesterol

more than any other food we eat. An unsaturated fat diet combined with

sufficient protein and carbohydrates composed primarily of fresh

organic

produce, low to no salt, plenty of good drinking water and avoidance

of

stimulants appears to be the healthier choice.

 

Antioxidants such as Co-Q 10 increase oxygen to the heart tissue,

vitamins C and

E and beta-carotene are effective in prevention of arteriosclerosis.

Calcium and

magnesium assist the working of the heart muscle and lecithin, a fat

emulsifier,

keeps cholesterol down.

 

 

 

 

 

In different formulas are used to treat high

cholesterol, and

there are herbs that appear to be commonly used. A report from the

American

Botanical Council by Dr. James Zhou indicates that herbal formulas

which contain

He Shou Wu, Cassia seeds, Hawthorn, Alisma, Codonopsis, Bupleurum,

Ginseng and

drinking Green Tea, have had success in lowering cholesterol when

properly used

in correct proportion to the other herbs of the formula.

 

treats the cause, and does not just check the

symptoms. At the

root there may be a liver, kidney or spleen imbalance, excessive

phlegm, weak

digestion or poor metabolism.

 

Exercise is also of major importance. Find the type of daily exercise

that you

enjoy and make it an integral part of your healthy heart program.

Brisk walking

for 30 minutes a day can do wonders for your health. Look into

stretching

exercises like yoga and tai qi, ride your bicycle, swim and walk up

and down the

stairs when you can and forget the escalator. Put exercise into your

lifestyle

and the rewards and benefits will increase your vitality.

 

Breathing has long been a beneficial agent in any smart health heart

program.

It's the cord that unites the body, mind and spirit. Breath is a very

powerful

asset, something we need to continue and carry on life with, and yet

so many

breathe so shallow. Breathing influences the way we think, act and

move. It can

relieve anxiety and boost the immune system. It has more potential to

heal than

any other physical tool we have. Train yourself daily with long,

slow, full,

deep belly breathing.

 

relates that the heart is the seat of our mental,

psychological

and spiritual faculties. It's the force that shapes our beliefs,

values and the

rules that we live by. The quality that gives meaning to the events

of life an

influences our perceptions. Western Medicine clearly addresses stress

management

as a major player in heart health. Our stresses lure us into making

big things

out of the little ones, and we get trapped into believing them. Our

frustrations, irritations, and over reactions upset the rhythmical

working of

the heart. This puts undue stress on the heart, makes it work harder,

pump out

more blood and leads to various diseases in the body, while the

urgency mind set

generates the rush to deal with the emergency. Cortisol is one of the

hormones

secreted by the adrenal glands. It is manufactured in response to

stress.

Cortisol is not harmful in low or moderate amounts, but when produced

daily due

to chronic stress, it becomes toxic and injures or kills

millions of brain cells. Try replacing old habits of stress and

reaction with a

new way by putting things into perspective and taking them on one at

a time in

order of your priority. It can be said very simply that stress kills

the nerves,

the digestion, the brain, the heart, and the body.

 

Herbal formulas like Flora's Tranquil Spirit and Secret of Longevity

will assist

in your quest for a calmer quality of life. The Premenstrual Harmony

formula

with Bupleurum, works to assist the liver with it's cholesterol

function. The

Athletic Tone Formula with proper amounts of He Shou Wu and four

types of

Ginseng, supports the adrenals and the body as a general over-all

tonic, needed

for those on the fast-paced cutting edge.

 

Herbs, vitamins and minerals, and nutritional supplements will help,

but still

the real power lies within yourself. Practice relaxation techniques,

get

sufficient rest and sleep, take time for yourself and be in nature.

Practice

meditation, release judgment, fears, pessimism and the false belief

that you

need to be an over-achiever. Live from the center of your being. Life

is full of

choices and they are there for us to enjoy. A strong heart gives an

empowered

will force, and nothing builds heart more than a life lived with

compassion.

 

Sources and References:

 

American Botanical Council, Herb Clip, January 1998, Zhou, James,

Ph.D. Chinese

Herbs for Cholesterol.

 

Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease by Dean Ornish,

M.D.

 

Controlling Cholesterol, Kenneth Cooper, M.D.

 

The Complete Illustrated Guide To , Tom Williams,

Ph.D. and Dr.

Han Liping

 

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, James Balch. M.D. and Phyllis

Balch, N.C.

 

Brain Longevity, Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.

 

Teaching Manual For Traditional Yin-Yang Herbals, W. Malik Cotter,

D.Ac., Dipl.

O.M.

 

About the author:

W. Malik Cotter, trained in the U.S. and mainland China in

Traditional Chinese

Medicine. He holds a Doctor of Acupuncture degree, a Diplomate in

Oriental

Medicine, and has been given a professorship at a major Chinese

medical

university. He has a clinical practice in Hawaii, and travels

extensively

teaching health related subjects.