Heart Disease

or coronary heart disease, is the number-one cause of death in America.  In most cases, heart attacks are due to a narrowing of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients.  Atherosclerotic plaque accumulates over many years, even starting in childhood for some people, and causes this narrowing.  Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn perfectly describes heart disease as a "toothless paper trigger that  need never exist... and when it does exist, it need never progress."

Atherosclerotic plaque is a build-up of cholesterol, calcium, cellular debris, and fatty materials in the walls of the blood vessels as a consequence of atherosclerosis.

Heart disease is essentially a food-borne illness, brought about by the overconsumption of saturated and trans fats, animal protein, and highly processed foods and the under consumption of whole-plant foods.  Coronary artery disease--the condition resulting from atherosclerosis in the arteries--is virtually nonexistent in plant-based cultures around the world.

Therapy options for heart disease--drugs, stents, and bypasses--offer no more than a band-aid effect.  Truly treating the disease requires the cessation of consistently applying the source.  Eating a whole-food, plant-based diet along with exercising is a healthy option.

Plant-Based Nutrition  Julieanna Hever, M.S., R.D., C.P.T.