Saturday, November 22, 2008

Reversal Supplements (Page 9)

For many years, I’ve tried to find the most effective ways to maintain my health and longevity so I don’t get a disease. I have blood tests every year or two to see how things are doing. They aren't too expensive, and let me know if I’m headed in the right direction.

Although my cholesterol has run slightly high at times, the supplements I’ve been taking, such as Red Yeast Rice and Sytrinol have helped, and recent levels have been decent. My total cholesterol ran in the low 200s for several years (now in the 175-185 range) while my HDL (good) cholesterol was in the 55 to 60 range, a good level. My LDL was in the low 100s and triglycerides were usually in the normal range.

I began to read about Nitric Oxide and how it could help relax (or dilate) and even heal the endothelial (inner lining) of blood vessels. I started taking a supplement to help raise NO: L-Arginine and L-Citrulline.

I also read that vitamin K2 could help to prevent or reverse artery plaque so I started taking Vitamin K2.

I also added 500 mg. of chewable Vitamin C with rosehips (some with afternoon snack, the rest with dinner).

Starting in March of 2008, I also started taking another supplement that's a super antioxidant. It also helps inflammation, is anti-clotting, and antiaging.

With this new supplement program, my total cholesterol and LDL went down.

I decided to take the fish oil every day, after reading more about its health benefits.

I didn’t mind adding these supplements to add more "muscle" to help reverse the plaque. Remember, plaque is largely a result of eating a sub-optimum diet with too much saturated fat (fatty meats, butter, cheese, fried foods, etc.) and refined carbs, coupled with other lifestyle choices like too little activity! I was ignorant in my teens and 20s and made the choices that led to plaque. Now it's my job to clean up the gooey mess!

None of these supplements have side effects in the doses I use, so there is no physical downside! Some cost yes, but given the cost of drugs, future tests, or treatments, the costs are minuscule!

I started taking the Sytrinol and Red Yeast Rice every day, and added Milk Thistle, just to help my liver function and cholesterol levels a bit more. By early fall, those ear creases I had improved and were less noticeable. They faded completely after brisk walking.

I started adding some intermittent jogging to my 15-minute walks in July, to help regain my stamina after the car accident. I’ve made slow, but steady progress in my jogging–I’m almost up to 1/2 mile total and I’m less cold at night with more energy.

The Re-scan

About 2 years after the initial scan, I got re-scanned. The news was good: Instead of climbing 10-30% each year (the average growth), my score dropped by more than 30% with no drugs. I also had some lean meat like skinless chicken and fish in my meals. (There has been some success with reversing plaque with a strict vegetarian diet but I think that’s too hard.)

The new score was more than 50% below the expected growth or score (had I not done anything with my diet and lifestyle), and a 33% reduction from the original score. And research shows that slow growing or reversed plaque is less likely to cause heart symptoms or events.

Many doctors will say you can’t reverse atherosclerosis or heart disease. My experience indicates that it is possible! Remember, atherosclerosis is largely a symptom; it’s a result of bad lifestyle and eating—we over-feed ourselves on too many saturated fats and refined carbs, and under-feed our need for nutrients. We don’t burn enough of these fats with exercise, leaving our blood too high in fats and cholesterol. Quite simply, we lack the balance we need to be healthy and our arteries simply reflect that!

I will stay on my Second Life eating and supplement program for now. My goal is to get the Volume Score to below 100, where I probably was in my 20s or 30s. In fact, I averaged my 4-5 decades of plaque build up (skipping my first 10 years). By reducing my original score significantly, I have probably removed about 10 years worth of plaque in 6 months. By any measure, that’s a significant reversal, and my heart health is probably back where it was in my 40s!


Disclaimer: The information contained on this website is for educational use and is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis or treatment of a licensed professional. Statements regarding the properties or functions of nutritional supplements may not have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

©2008-2010 by Steve/Beat Heart Disease