About Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia. It is characterised by a narrowing of the arteries. Fatty plaque clogs the arteries and increases the risk of a blood clot. When a blood clot blocks an artery in the heart, it causes a heart attack which damages the cells in the heart.

Vitamins for Heart Health

The following vitamin supplements are said to support a healthy heart:

• Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
• Vitamin E
• Hawthorn (1000mg)

Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

CoQ10 is vital to the production of energy in our cells. It is present in every cell in our body and is found in greatest concentration in the heart.

CoQ10 is said to have broad medical benefits, however is most commonly known for its ability to support the health of the heart.

Drug-statins prescribed to patients to lower cholesterol or control blood pressure are known to block the production of CoQ10 which can lead to decreased muscle function.

It is recommended that people with history of heart disease, taking statin drugs, have high cholesterol, angina or diabetes take 100mg of CoQ10 per day.

There are no known side effects or adverse pharmaceutical interactions associated with the use of CoQ10 at this time.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that is said to help prevent or delay the onset of coronary heart disease by limiting the oxidation of LDL Cholesterol.  It also may help prevent the formation of blood clots, which could lead to a heart attack.

The recommended daily dosage of vitamin E is 1000iu.

Hawthorn

Hawthorn is rich in bioflavonoids, which relax and dilate the arteries. It is said to be a powerful antioxidant that help increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart and brain, protect the heart from irregular beats, enhance the strength of the heart's contractions, and mildly lower blood pressure.

The recommended daily dosage of Hawthorn is 1000mg of dry herb.

Disclaimer

Healthy Comparisons does not give or purport to give any medical or healthcare advice and is not qualified to do so. You should not under any circumstances substitute qualified medical advice with information found in this fact sheet. The information contained in this fact sheet does not take into account the physical state, medical status or health requirements of any particular individual which are relevant to the proper diagnosis and treatment of any problem, condition or disorder. You should never use or act upon this information without first properly consulting, and seeking proper information and advice from, a qualified healthcare professional. Healthy Comparisons, its related companies and its licensors expressly disclaim all responsibility for and liability in respect of the accuracy of the information provided in the website, its improper application and the consequences of anyone's failure to obtain a proper medical examination and advice from a qualified healthcare professional in the relevant circumstances.

© HealthyComparisons.com.au 2008

Heart health:  Getting the basics right 

Every 10 minutes someone in Australia dies of cardiovascular disease, making it responsible for 38% of all deaths in Australia. 11% of our total health system cost is spent on treating people with cardiovascular disease. 600,000 years of healthy life is taken in Australia by heart disease every year.

Heart attacks, stroke and heart failure top the list of major killers but the effects are far wider reaching. Cardiovascular events are also one of the main reasons for disability in this country with many victims needing assistance or having difficulties with self-care, mobility or communication. To put it very bluntly: If it doesn't get you, you might end up pushing your partner in a wheelchair! 

For a 40 year old, the risk of having coronary heart disease in future is 1 in 2 for men and 1 in 3 for women. And if I still don't have your attention: Having erection problems may be the first sign of your blood vessels clogging up. If Viagra helps you, you could be working on heart disease!

Ok, that's bad – but there's nothing we can do, right? This is just what happens as we get older, right? This is where I get frustrated: We are personally responsible for most risk factors for heart disease (and yes guys, don't forget, that includes important microcirculation to certain parts of your body). And most heart disease is NOT a normal part of ageing but highly preventable.  Let me give you some examples:

Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of death and disease in Australia. Yeah – boring. Like you really needed me to tell you that! But try to take it in anyway: It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, as well as a range of cancers and other diseases and conditions. So here's a good start for 22% of Australian men and 18% or women who still smoke regularly. It also provides easy room for improvement for all non-regular smokers. And avoid passive smoking as well.

Insufficient physical activity: According to statistics, 54% of Australians don't move enough. And from my guess, that statistic still includes a few 'white lies' or mere good intentions...The goal is at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week with an absolute minimum of 150min/week. Now be honest and start counting for a week.

Poor nutrition: Do you know what saturated and trans-fats are and how to avoid them? And are you getting close to your five serves of vegetables and two serves of fruit each day? If not, you might want to book in with a naturopath or nutritionist to get some advice.

Alcohol consumption: Well, you do know that safe drinking guidelines are two or less standard drinks per day for men and one or less for women, right? Ok, again: how about an honest count for a week? Keep in mind: a normal 375ml bottle or can of full strength beer is already 1.5 standard drinks. And one bottle of red contains usually between 8 and 9 standard drinks. You can check the label of your favourite drink for exact info.

High blood pressure: Official guidelines still say that up to 130/85 is okay for adults (140/90 if you are 65 or older) so for now we'll accept that. But recent research indicates that we are being too generous here and that less than 120/80 should be our goal.

High blood cholesterol:  I will explain these numbers more in a future blog. But for now check your blood test and – for healthy levels – aim for LDL-C less than 2mmol/L, HDL-C over 1mmol/L and triglycerides less than 1.5mmol/L.

Overweight: Aim for a body mass index between 18 and 25. Google it and you'll find heaps of calculators on the internet, for instance this one: http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/BMI.html.

Then measure yourself around the waist – if you are a man it should be less than 94cm, less than 80cm if you are a woman. If the 1m measuring tape you get at Ikea doesn't fit around your mid-section, you're in trouble!

And while you're at it: measure around your hips as well and divide the waist number by the hip number. The result should be less than 1, i.e. if your waist is wider than your hips, again: you're in trouble.

Diabetes: Have your blood sugar levels checked regularly and make sure they are ok.

According at the 2001 National Health Survey, 90% of Australians had at least one of these risk factors, even if we leave out 'poor nutrition'. Now do you think that we can do something about this? I sure do! And it is really not that hard either. Next time, I will give you some easy guidelines on how to get into a good routine. But in the meantime, please pick one thing you think you can improve for yourself, get working on it and start loving your heart!

By Daniela Osiander: www.tonikahealth.com.au.

Heart health: Assessing the risk

Heart disease is one of the biggest killers in Australia. Read over the statistics from the last blog again to find out how high your risk of getting heart disease really is. But how can you find out how high your risk is?

The government is running a great campaign at the moment about waist size. You might have seen the ads on TV of the guy slowly 'growing' in the wrong ways as he ages. Basically, if your waist circumference at the level of your belly button exceeds certain limits, you have a higher risk not only of heart disease but many other serious problems such as diabetes and certain cancers as well.

For men, any measurement above 94cm means there is increased risk of these chronic diseases and even greatly increased over 102cm. For women, the waist should measure less than 80cm for a healthy waist size, while anything above 88cm puts them at greatly increased risk.

While this is a rough indicator, it is a test simply done by anyone at home. Slightly more sophisticated are special scales that measure your body fat percentage. I use these a lot in practice to assess and monitor patients. You can also find them in many fitness centres. The healthy range depends slightly on the model of scales used, so make sure you have someone to correctly interpret the results for you.

Finally, requiring a visit to your doctor, checking your cholesterol levels can give you some idea about a very important risk factor for heart health. If you are worried at all, consider this simple blood test – especially if one of your relatives has been diagnosed with high cholesterol or any cardiovascular issues such as a heart attack, a stroke or clogged arteries (arteriosclerosis) before the age of 70. In my opinion, everyone should have their cholesterol checked at least every three years.

Basically, cholesterol is a measure of how well nourished you are, so in itself, it is neither good nor bad. If it is low, you are under-nourished – which is rare in our society. If it is high, you are over-nourished and may be asking for trouble.

Some people have a genetic predisposition to have high cholesterol while others have their diet and lifestyle to thank. In both cases, a good diet and lifestyle will go a long way in correcting imbalances. In my clinic, I have seen patients lower their bad cholesterol levels by almost 50% in two months by following diet and lifestyle advice alone.

If you do have the test done, make sure to ask your doctor for the breakdown into HDL- and LDL-cholesterol. I am amazed how many times I still see people bring in tests that show total cholesterol only. These are pretty pointless, as of these two forms of cholesterol only LDL might be problematic, while HDL actually protects the heart. So what sense does it make to just measure the sum of these? At best, you can probably assume that if your total cholesterol is not high, your ratio between HDL and LDL is at least not way out. But instead of guessing, why not get the whole story straight away?

What worries me even more: some doctors want to put patients on drugs to lower their cholesterol, because their protective HDL is high and not the potentially dangerous LDL. If that has happened to you, please get a second opinion!

Ok, let's break it down. These are the values we are looking at:

Research has already identified even more accurate blood tests to assess your risk of heart disease, but it will take some time for these to filter down into general practice. I often request these from doctors to get a clearer picture when a patient comes back with abnormal cholesterol levels. But the three steps above will give you a decent idea of where you are at. Make sure you have your blood pressure checked while you are at the doctor as well and you will have undergone a good preventative screening of your heart health.

Remember: Heart disease is a silent killer. It usually develops over a long time without you being aware of it at all. Clogging of arteries and high blood pressure may go without any symptoms for years or decades - but once damage is done, it is very hard to reverse it. And unfortunately, for many the first sign of heart disease may well be the last thing they ever experience in life! Please don't become part of that statistic.

A good naturopath will be able to give you important hints for controlling cholesterol levels, blood pressure and waistline with diet and lifestyle. This may be one of the most important things you can ever do for your health.

Until next time, stay happy and healthy and check out my website at www.tonikahealth.com.au

Make your Heart Sing with CoQ10

Unfortunately as you get older your ability to produce CoQ10 diminishes. The good news is supplements can help.

How does CoQ10 work?

CoQ10 is believed to work by improving the function of mitochondria, the ‘powerhouses’ that produce energy in your cells. CoQ10 is essential for the formation of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) which is needed to produce energy at this cellular level. CoQ10 is also a potent anti-oxidant that ‘mops up’ potentially harmful chemicals generated during normal metabolism.

What does CoQ10 do?

CoQ10 has been used in the following conditions:
Heart failure
Heart attack prevention and recovery
High blood pressure
Gum disease
Migraine
Parkinson’s disease

The evidence

Heart health: Patients suffering heart failure show significant improvement in heart function when taking CoQ10 supplements. CoQ10 is thought to increase energy production in the heart muscle and therefore increase the strength of the pumping action. In some individuals with high blood pressure CoQ10 may help lower blood pressure. CoQ10 may also reduce oxidation of LDL cholesterol. For those in their 40s and 50s supplementing with CoQ10 may help combat the diminishing levels of CoQ10 that naturally occurs with ageing and hence keep your heart functioning optimally. People with a personal or family history of heart disease, people taking statin drugs and people with high cholesterol should all consider a daily supplement of CoQ10.

Parkinson’s disease: Lower levels of CoQ10 have been observed in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Patients with early-stage PD found CoQ10 provided mild but significant improvements in symptoms and may have slowed disease progression. Quite high doses were used and further research is required before recommendations can be made.

Gum disease: CoQ10 has been used both topically and orally for reducing the symptoms of gum disease – a very common problem particularly in people over 50 years of age.

Energy boost: Due to CoQ10 being required for energy production within cells, athletes often supplement in the hope they will improve their performance and recovery after exercise. This is an area that requires further research.

Migraine: Researchers believe migraines may be caused by faulty energy production in cells. Supplementing with CoQ10 appears to reduce the frequency and
duration of migraines.

How much do you need?

Typically around 75 mg is required daily for general health benefits. However evidence suggests that up to 150 mg daily is recommended as a therapeutic dose. The beneficial effects of CoQ10 are not immediate and can take up to eight weeks to develop.

What foods contain CoQ10?

CoQ10 is found in fish (such as sardines and mackerel), liver, meat, eggs and small amounts are found in nuts.

How is supplemental CoQ10 produced?

Natural CoQ10 supplements contain CoQ10 produced by the fermentation of a specific algae culture. As CoQ10 is fat soluble it is often encapsulated in a base of soy oil or rice bran oil for those with soy allergies. Synthetic CoQ10 can be produced by chemical extraction from the tobacco plant (leaves) or created in a laboratory from vitamins, minerals and enzymes. Synthetic versions have not been proven to have the same benefits as naturally produced CoQ10.

Safety
CoQ10 is a safe supplement to take however if you have heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure, cancer or are pregnant or breast feeding, consult your healthcare professional.

REFERENCES: 1. Mol Aspects Med 1994. 2. Biochem Biophys ACTA June 1992. 3. Pharmacology & Therapeutics July 2005. 4. Int. J Clin Lab Res 1994. 5. Proceedings of Nat Academy of Sciences USA 1974. 6. Neurology 2005

This story has been published with the permission of Herbs & Health Lifestyle Magazine - www.herbsandhealth.com.au

Hypertension - Focus on the underlying cause, not just the symptoms

Dr Greg Emerson - MBChB, DipObs, DipDHM, FACEM, FACNEM.

There is no doubt that high blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and vision loss. Heart attacks are 3 to 5 times more common in people with hypertension than in others; stroke 4 times and congestive heart failure 5 times more common. The lifetime risk for high blood pressure among the middle aged and elderly individuals is 90%! The big question is -- does reducing the blood pressure with drugs reduce that risk? The answer is almost certainly ….no.

The importance of this message can be emphasised by 3 questions and their answers:

1. 1) Does having high blood pressure increase the risk of other diseases? Yes.
2. 2) Are antihypertensive medications effective in decreasing high blood pressure? Yes.
3. 3) Does lowering high blood pressure with medications alone decrease the risk of getting the other disease? Probably not.

Hypertension is a disease of the blood vessels and because blood vessels supply oxygen to every organ of the body, hypertension eventually damages every organ. High blood pressure causes disease by damaging the lining of blood vessels known as the endothelium. Cells of the endothelium secrete hormones and substances that control blood flow, stickiness of the blood and blood pressure. Damage to the cells accelerates hardening of the arteries. The endothelium is in fact the largest organ of the body. If laid flat, it would cover about six and a half tennis courts.

One of the most important hormones the endothelium secretes is known as nitric oxide (NO). NO has a critical role in controlling blood clotting, thickness of the blood, inflammation and blood pressure.

Normal blood pressure is now considered to be less than 120/80 mmHg. Prehypertension is used as to describe blood pressures between 120-140/80-90 and hypertension is used to describe people with blood pressures greater than 140/90 mmHg. High blood pressure can be classified either as essential or secondary. The term essential hypertension is used where there is "no obvious cause". Essential hypertension makes up 95% of cases of high blood pressure. Secondary hypertension is used when there is an identifiable cause of the high blood pressure. This may include kidney disease, blockages in the arteries of the kidneys, adrenal tumours, sleep apnoea, thyroid disease (hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism) and narrowing of the aorta.

The take home message of this article is that management of hypertension should include not only lowering the blood pressure but also strategies to improve the health of the arteries. These strategies should be free of side-effects because they will need to be implemented for a lifetime.

Hypertension is not a disease on its own. It is a symptom of a systemic arterial disease process involving blood vessel inflammation, free radicals, hypervisosity (blood that is too thick), arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and atherosclerosis (blockage of the arteries). Treating the blood pressure numbers alone is a flawed strategy and the main reason that several large studies have shown no decrease in mortality by reducing the numbers in isolation. Let's have a look at some of the research which suggests drugs alone might just be cutting the wire to the flashing warning light.

• The Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial (MR FIT) showed that among people with moderate hypertension, there was no reduction in death rate in those whose blood pressure was reduced successfully with drugs. People with mild hypertension who were treated with medications actually had increased death rates.
• A paper in the Lancet in 1999 found that most cases of heart attack and stroke occur in patients with normal blood pressure.
• A review in the European Heart Journal in 2000 found that no trial had ever shown decreased mortality from drug treatment of hypertension.
• A study in a 2005 edition of the Journal of Internal Medicine stated that—"In spite of a substantial reduction of their blood pressure, treated hypertensive middle-aged men had a highly increased risk of stroke, MI and mortality from coronary heart disease compared with non-hypertensive men of similar age".
• An article from the University of Sydney published in the July 2005 edition of the Lancet concluded that hypertension was over treated because it was a risk factor, not a disease.

The easiest way to think of hypertension is to remember that pressure = force x resistance. If you want to increase the pressure of the water coming out of your hose, you can either turn up the tap or use your finger to block some of the hose opening to increase resistance. With a finger partially obstructing the end of the hose, the hose eventually becomes stiff and thickened. Force is determined by the strength and rate of the heart pumping. Resistance is determined by the stiffness of the arteries and the thickness of the blood. Strategies for reducing blood pressure should therefore look at all these factors.

Outlined below is my programme to combat the root causes of hypertension. It will both prevent hypertension occurring and also reduce it if it has become established. Remember that hypertension is rarely an emergency so there is always time to reduce it naturally by addressing the root cause of the disease. Nutritional therapies and lifestyle changes take time to reduce blood pressure. A reduction in blood pressure may not be seen for four to 12 weeks.

Step 1. Exclude Secondary Hypertension

Investigations should be done to exclude the causes of secondary hypertension. Below are the tests that if you have high blood pressure you should ensure you obtain as a minimum:

• A blood and urine test for kidney function to exclude kidney failure.
• A blood test for cortisol and ACTH to exclude adrenal disorders.
• Glucose tolerance/insulin resistance test. This measures blood glucose and insulin levels over several hours after the administration of a glucose load.
• Blood tests and basal temperature testing to exclude thyroid dysfunction
• Homocysteine levels should be checked. Homocysteine is a metabolite of the amino acid methionine. It inflames blood vessels and blocks the production of nitric oxide. This causes the blood vessels to stiffen and be more susceptible to plaque buildup. Nitric oxide normally protects endothelial cells from damage by homocysteine however as homocysteine levels increase this protective mechanism becomes overwhelmed. The incidence of high blood pressure and peripheral vascular disease rises as homocysteine levels increase. I advocate keeping homocysteine levels below 7 micromoles/l. This lowers the risk of heart attack and strokes by 50% and cancer death by 26%. This can usually be done by taking a high-quality B-vitamin per day.
• A blood test for renin and aldosterone levels. Renin is a chemical produced by the kidneys. It acts on a polypeptide called angiotensinogen and converts it to angiotensin 1. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) then converts angiotensin 1 to angiotensin 2. Angiotensin 2 constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure. It also stimulates the production of aldosterone from the kidney. Aldosterone works on the kidney to increase sodium and water retention which also raises blood pressure. ACE inhibitor drugs are a common blood pressure medication designed to decrease this process. There are natural alternatives which can also act as ACE inhibitors. If blood levels of renin are raised then we know to concentrate on these substances in the management of the high blood pressure.
• A blood test for vitamin D levels. The incidence of high blood pressure rises the further away from the equator people live. Vitamin D is activated in the skin by sunlight. Without adequate vitamin D levels, a gene initiates excess quantities of renin (see above). Recent reviews suggest that vitamin D levels greater than 75 nanomoles/l (and preferably greater than 100 nanomoles/l) are optimal for health. Normal levels of vitamin D are essential to prevent hypertension, cancer and osteoporosis. The best way to achieve optimal vitamin D levels is to ensure 20 to 30 minutes of sun exposure per day. If your levels are below 75 nanomoles/l and this amount of sun is not practical then you should supplement with 1000 IU of vitamin D3 per day.
• A 24 hour urine test for catecholamines- chemicals excreted by the adrenal glands that elevate blood pressure.
• Tests for food allergies. Food allergies and gluten intolerance are a frequently overlooked cause of high blood pressure. Gluten intolerance can be diagnosed by a simple blood test. Food allergies can be diagnosed by an elimination -- rechallenge process or by a blood test. Remember that the usual blood tests and skin prick tests for food allergies check for IgE antibodies which are the cause of severe anaphylactic reactions. However most food allergies are non IGE mediated -- they are caused by IgG and IgM antibodies. Testing for these antibodies is only done by specialised laboratories.
• A sleep study should be performed if there is any suggestion of sleep apnoea.
• A CT scan of the kidneys to exclude narrowing of the arteries supplying the kidney.

Step 2. Make Sure You are not Unnecessarily on Any Medications Which Increase Blood Pressure.

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• COX 2 inhibitors
• Diet pills containing guarana, caffeine and ephedra
• Steroids such as prednisone
• Decongestants such as pseudoephridine
• Antidepressants and antipsychotics
• Oral contraceptives

Step 3. Understand the Consequences of Relying on Blood Pressure Medication Alone

I don't advise anyone to discontinue their blood pressure medication. However, I do encourage them to fully understand the consequences of being on them so their necessity can be discussed with the doctor prescribing them. Let's have a look at the problems.

Diuretics.

Diuretics lower blood pressure by increasing sodium and water excretion but also deplete the body of potassium and magnesium. Low potassium and magnesium frequently cause high blood pressure. Diuretics therefore almost guarantee the need for ongoing blood pressure medication. The long-term use of diuretics increases the chance of heart arrhythmias due to low magnesium and potassium. They also increase insulin resistance, elevate homocysteine levels and increase bad LDL levels. Diuretics however, ARE essential medications in hypertensive emergencies and heart failure.

Calcium Antagonists.

Calcium channel blockers prevent the entry of calcium into channels in the cells of arteries. This influx causes blood vessel muscles to contract. Keeping the calcium out allows the arterial walls to relax. The problem is that when used in combination with beta-blockers some calcium antagonists can lead to a slow heart rate and even cardiac arrest. One study found that people who took calcium channel blockers had 60% more heart attacks than people on other blood pressure medication. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has also shown that calcium channel blockers cause shrinking of the brain within five years. This was associated with a gradual loss of intellect, memory and personality.

Beta Blockers.

The main side effects of beta blockers are impotence, loss of libido and fatigue. These have been known about for a long time. They also increase triglyceride levels and lower levels of the good HDL. More recently, the use of beta blockers as first line therapy has come under a cloud. A meta-analysis published in a 2005 edition of the journal Lancet pooled data from 18 randomised trials and found an excess risk of stroke associated with beta blockers compared with other classes of antihypertensive drugs. They concluded that beta-blockers should not be used as a first-line option for the treatment of hypertension. Another meta-analysis presented at the 2006 European Society of Hypertension meeting found the same results in older patients greater than 60 years but found they were safe in younger patients. They found that beta-blockers reduced major cardiovascular outcomes in young patients by 14% but there was an 18% increased risk of stroke in older patients. Do NOT stop taking a beta blocker medication suddenly. Discontinuation of these drugs must be done gradually and under the care of a skilled physician.

Step 4. Increase Foods Rich in Magnesium and Potassium.

Population studies have shown less hypertension in people with high intakes of potassium and magnesium. Total body levels of potassium and magnesium are very difficult to assess because less than 1% of these minerals are in the blood. They are predominantly intracellular minerals. Potassium is a natural diuretic, excreting excessive sodium and fluid. Potassium deficiency results in fluid retention and elevated blood pressure. Modern nutrition contains much less potassium than it used to. High potassium foods include green leafy vegetables, avocados, broccoli, carrots, nuts, papayas, dates, prunes, bananas and oranges.

Over 80% of people are deficient in magnesium. Magnesium is essential in the production of prostaglandin E1 which is a powerful dilator of blood vessels. Magnesium inhibits the production of the prostaglandins which cause constriction of blood vessels. It also regulates the amount of sodium, calcium and potassium within cells. All of these are involved in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Magnesium is a natural beta blocker (it reduces the effects of adrenaline) and calcium channel blocker. Adequate potassium intake will not normalise high blood pressure if magnesium is low. Population studies have again shown less  hypertension in populations with a high consumption of magnesium containing foods. These include peas, chick peas, broccoli, spinach, tofu, beans, avocados, almonds, green leafy vegetables and nuts.

If blood pressure does not reduce with these foods then a high-quality magnesium supplement should be taken. Studies have shown that at least 400 mg of supplemental magnesium per day is required to normalise high blood pressure. Magnesium supplements do not lower normal blood pressure. A potassium supplement can be added if there is no kidney failure.

Research shows us that 90% of people with mild to moderate essential hypertension can normalise their blood pressure with magnesium and potassium if taken for a long enough time.

I don't advocate calcium supplements because for some people, excessive calcium intake can increase blood pressure. Low magnesium states often result in an artificially high intracellular calcium level. Calcium frequently ends up being deposited in damaged arterial walls.

What about salt? Over the last 100 years we have moved from a low sodium, high potassium, and high magnesium diet to foods high in salt and low in potassium and magnesium. Salt is critical for health and in the natural world is actually difficult to get.

That is why our kidneys actually retain sodium while letting potassium and magnesium pass out in the urine.

Data reproduced from "The Magnesium Factor" by Dr Mildred Seelig 

High blood pressure is the body's way of trying to help with the excess sodium. The heart pumps more blood to the kidneys to help eliminate the sodium. Unfortunately this process accelerates the loss of potassium and magnesium, further increasing blood pressure. If the steps in this program are followed and fruit and vegetable intake is increased while processed foods (high in added salt) are minimised then the intake of sodium, potassium and magnesium normalises. A person with adequate levels of magnesium and potassium can tolerate salt without getting an elevation in blood pressure.

If blood pressure is lowered with drugs without normalising magnesium and potassium levels (and some drugs actually accelerate the loss of magnesium) then the morbidity and mortality of hypertension will not be reduced.

Step 5. Eat Lots of Celery, Tomatoes and Salads Covered in Olive Oil

Consuming 4 stalks of celery per day has also been shown to cause a significant reduction in blood pressure. Celery acts like a diuretic and ACE inhibitor helping the body get rid of excess fluid. If you can't tolerate 4 stalks of celery per day then supplement with 1000 mg of celery seed extract twice a day.

Tomatoes contain lycopenes which has been shown to cause a significant reduction in blood pressure in people with hypertension. Other foods containing high levels of lycopenes include guava, watermelons, apricots, papayas, red peppers and strawberries Green leafy vegetables and salads contain high levels of potassium and magnesium.

Extra virgin olive oil has been shown to significantly reduced blood pressure and may be the reason why Mediterranean people have such low levels of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. One study in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2000 showed that olive oil decreased blood pressure by 8 mmHg and the need for blood pressure medication was reduced by 48%.

Meals should be mainly fruits and vegetables combined with lean meats in an amount approximately equal to the size of the palm of your hand. Refined sugar, high glycaemic carbohydrates and processed foods high in salt should be avoided.

Step 6. Decrease Refined Carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates such as sugar and flour have a high glycaemic index. This means they cause a rapid spike in blood sugar and consequently a rapid spike in insulin levels. A paper in the American Journal of Medicine in 1989 by Dr Reaven explained how hypertension is related to and pre-dated by high insulin levels, insulin resistance and other metabolic disorders. He concluded "the fact that past antihypertensive treatment has not focused on these metabolic abnormalities, and, indeed, may have  xacerbated them,

could help explain why it has been difficult to show that lowering blood pressure decreases risk of coronary artery disease". High insulin levels produce sodium retention by the kidney and increase sympathetic nervous system activity.

Step 7. Drink Green Tea

Green tea contains polyphenols which are natural antioxidants. They have been shown to decrease death from heart attacks, reduce hardening of the arteries, decrease plaque in blood vessels and reduce blood pressure.

Step 8. Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oils.

Almost all of us are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. Extensive research has shown that essential fatty acid imbalance plays a significant role in the development of high blood pressure. We consume too many omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids increase the production of prostaglandins which cause the blood vessels to relax and therefore blood pressure decreases.

Omega-6 fatty acids increase the production of prostaglandins which cause blood vessels to constrict and blood pressure to rise.

Omega-3 fatty acids also decrease inflammation of the arterial wall, decrease platelet stickiness, improve lipids, improve insulin sensitivity and decrease fibrinogen. They have been shown to reduce the incidence of heart attacks and strokes. Large doses are required to get a significant decrease in blood pressure but they are a good supplement to take for cardiovascular health in  general.

Step 9. Supplement with Vitamin C.

Population studies have shown that the lower the blood level of vitamin C, the higher the blood pressure. Studies have also shown that the higher the vitamin C consumption the lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Even low doses of vitamin C have shown a reduction in blood pressure of 11 mmHg. Interestingly studies have also shown that this effect does not occur in people with normal blood pressure. The higher the blood pressure to begin with, the more it falls. Vitamin C is crucial in a management of hypertension because it has been shown to improve endothelial function in diseased arteries and increased nitric oxide production.

Vitamin C is in my opinion is a core supplement that everyone should be taking. I recommend adults take at least 3-6 grams of sodium ascorbate per day

Step 10. Supplement with Coenzyme Q10.

Coenzyme Q10 is a potent antioxidant and is essential for cellular energy production and functioning of heart muscle. It is present in virtually every cell of the human body. Studies have shown a 45% decrease in secondary cardiac events and a significant reduction in number of cardiac deaths in patients starting 120 mg after a heart attack.

Studies have also shown that people with hypertension are more likely to have a Coenzyme Q10 deficiency than those without high blood pressure (39% versus 6%). Supplementing with 100 to 200 mg per day reduces blood pressure by an average of 10 to 18 mmHg. 55% of patients will respond to Coenzyme Q10. Some in the studies have had a drop in blood pressure of 26 mmHg. Peak effect will occur in about four weeks. Approximately 50% of patients taking antihypertensive drugs may be able to stop them after starting Coenzyme Q10.

Other benefits of Coenzyme Q10 supplementation include a reduction in LDL cholesterol, improved carbohydrate metabolism, improved insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar, reduced free radicals and improved heart function.

I recommend supplementing with 100 mg of a high-quality Coenzyme Q10 per day. There are no side effects.

Step 11. Supplement with Kyolic Garlic

Garlic is the medicinal food with the longest history of use. Its use dates back more than 5000 years. It is a powerful antioxidant and a rich source of sulphur compounds with biological activity. Studies of garlic supplementation in patients with heart disease have shown reduced arterial plaque, decreased accumulation of cholesterol in blood vessel walls, reduction in homocysteine levels and inhibition of platelet aggregation. Platelets aggregating on damaged arterial plaques initiate heart attacks. Other studies have shown a reduction in blood pressure of 8 mmHg (an equivalent amount to many of the new antihypertensive drugs), cholesterol levels and reduced vascular calcification. Garlic significantly reduces adrenaline levels (adrenaline causes vasoconstriction), is a natural ACE inhibitor and increases the synthesis of nitric oxide. While lowering cholesterol, it increases the protective HDL cholesterol and reduces the susceptibility of the bad LDL cholesterol to oxidation. LDL needs to be oxidised by free radicals before it causes any damage.

Step 12. Increase Fiber.

Fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol, improve bowel function and reduce blood pressure. It does this by improving endothelial dysfunction, increasing sodium excretion, decreasing inflammation (as seen by a reduction in CRP levels) improving insulin sensitivity and decreasing sympathetic nervous system activity which can increase blood pressure. Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are the most predictive risk factor for heart disease and nearly triple the risk of developing diabetes. Studies have shown a reduction in blood pressure of nearly 10 mmHg with fibre supplements. Fibre also helps to accelerate the excretion of toxins and heavy metals from the bowel.

Step 13. Detoxify.

Free radicals decrease nitric oxide production. Reducing free radicals with antioxidants which also boost liver detoxification is a crucial step in maintaining long-term normal blood pressure levels. The antioxidants I suggest are R-lipoic acid, glutathione and vitamin C.

Animal studies on alpha lipoic acid and hypertension have been impressive. It is a natural calcium channel blocker. Calcium channel blockers work by preventing the infiltration of calcium into arterial walls and the subsequent stiffening of the arterial wall. Lipoic acid also increases glutathione levels, increases nitric oxide production, improves insulin sensitivity and has been shown to reverse the changes of ageing in the brain, heart and liver! I recommend a daily intake of 100 mg of the R-lipoic acid form twice a day.

Glutathione improves liver detoxification and lowers blood pressure. Depletion of glutathione from the liver has been implicated as a cause of high blood pressure.

Step 14. Add Arginine if Required

Arginine is used by the body to make nitric oxide which reduces arterial constriction, prevents blood clots from forming, dissolves plaque and improves endothelial function. Nitric oxide is a gas which is made by the cells of the endothelium. Unfortunately when blood vessel walls become coated with plaque they don't make the nitric oxide as well. Larginine is a natural supplement which increases nitric oxide.

Step 15. Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise significantly reduces both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. It also decreases bad LDL cholesterol, increases good HDL cholesterol, decreases triglycerides, decreases blood glucose, improves endothelial function and increases nitric oxide production. A combination of aerobic, resistance and stretching exercises is best. Finding time to do it is the hardest thing. So schedule it every day. If you schedule it, you'll do it.

Step 16. Maintain Ideal Weight

For many people, achieving an optimum weight is by far and away the most effective way to reduce blood pressure. Decreasing fat from around the waist not only reduces blood pressure but also decreases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, osteoarthritis and some cancers. All that extra fat has a huge blood supply- more resistance for the heart to have to supply. Additionally, eating to lose weight involves eating a lot more vegetables and fruit- foods naturally high in magnesium and potassium. Fat also increases insulin resistance. This leads to higher insulin levels which accelerate atherosclerosis.

Studies have shown that a loss of 4kg can decrease blood pressure by 7mmHg.

Step 17. Reduce Stress

Stress stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to constrict blood vessels. It is the fight/flight response- the sympathetic nervous system constricts blood vessels to shunt as much as possible to vital organs. Stress also stimulates the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline and cortisol which can damage the endothelium in elevated levels. Meditation has repeatedly been shown to reduce blood pressure. Transcendental meditation appears to be the most effective. If you're not into meditation then yoga, tai chi, qigong or relaxation tapes are an alternative.

Step 18. Stop Smoking, Eliminate Trans-fatty Acids and Reduce Alcohol and Caffeine

Pesticides and other chemicals in cigarette smoke damage the endothelial lining of blood vessels and also reduce vitamin C levels.

Although coffee increases blood pressure acutely, most population studies do not show a relationship between hypertension and long term coffee intake. However it makes sense to reduce intake.

Alcohol on the other hand is definitely associated with high blood pressure. Alcohol causes a constriction of blood vessels which elevates pressure. It provides no nutritional value, decreases the absorption of magnesium and accelerates potassium losses. People with hypertension should either eliminate alcohol or reduce it to one standard drink per day.

Trans-fatty acids inhibit the function of essential fatty acids and interfere with the production of good prostaglandins. You can read more about them in my last years newsletter "The Great Fat Controversy".

Step 19. Decrease the Body Burden of Heavy Metals

A study published in a 2003 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine showed that no amount of lead is safe and that blood lead levels were inversely related to children's IQ scores. Even levels as low as 10 parts per billion which were previously thought to be safe were associated with reduced IQ levels. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine  in 2002 showed that all cause mortality is lowered by lowering blood lead. They stated that "morbidity and mortality is going to be lower, the lower you can keep your blood lead levels throughout your entire lifetime." A study of over 2000 women aged 40-59 reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2003 found that lead stored in women's bones and released when they reach menopause significantly increases their risk of fatal high blood pressure. The NHANES study published in the November 2002 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that after adjusting for other confounding factors, individuals with elevated lead levels had a 46% increased all cause mortality, a 39% increased mortality from circulatory disorders and a 68% increased cancer mortality. Lead is having an adverse effect on our health, our energy, our longevity and the illnesses that we develop.

It has also been known for years that the buildup of cadmium in the kidneys causes high blood pressure. Cadmium is present in most foods and comes from industrial and automobile exhausts. Lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic all damage the kidneys and endothelium. Cardiovascular disease, especially high blood pressure is the end result. An elevated body burden of mercury doubles the risk of having a heart attack, triples the risk of sudden death from heart attack and increases blood pressure. Mercury appears to be a more potent risk factor for heart attacks than smoking. A study in the November 2000 edition of the journal Circulation found that mercury levels in the high part of the "normal" range double the risk of heart attack. Researchers have written that "heavy metals in blood vessels and kidneys are an important, yet ignored cause of high blood pressure, regardless of age." In our current environment, avoiding environmental toxins completely is impossible.

Research has shown that during a hot 10 minute shower the body absorbs the same amount of chlorine, lead, cadmium and fluoride as would come from drinking 8 glasses of the same water. A recent study of 3800 US adults and children showed traces of 11 heavy metals, six pesticides and several other toxins. Additionally, because heavy metals are stored in bone and bone turnover occurs incredibly slowly there is a constant leaking of heavy metals out of storage. Bone turnover and therefore leakage of toxic heavy metals is increased at times of stress, particularly illness. Dr Garry Gordon, the world's leading authority on chronic heavy metal toxicity states "the moment you stop chelating, the heavy level of lead in the dust, air, food and water will be greater than what you require in your bones and tissues. Therefore, you need to be excreting and removing more of the toxic metals than are coming into your body. Since longevity is increasing, it becomes extremely important to understand that chelation is necessary for those of us who want to be alive at 80 or 90, especially if we want to retain our mental faculties". I recommend everyone over the age of 40 with hypertension undergo a course of treatments with intravenous chelation to decrease the body burden of lead and other heavy metals.

Step 20. Balance Hormones

Low testosterone and DHEA levels in both men and women have been associated with high blood pressure. If confirmed as low, using bioidentical hormones to return these to physiological levels can often dramatically improve blood pressure.

FINALLY: If Drug Treatment Is Ultimately Required Choose a Safe Drug

Drugs that target the renin -- angiotensin axis are the most effective and safest medications. They also have the least side effects. The new ACE receptor antagonists are my recommendation.

About the Author

Dr Greg Emerson is the Founder and Medical Director of the Emerson Health and Wellness Centre which opened in October 2005. He is a consultant in Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He is also a senior specialist in Emergency Medicine and in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. For 18 years he practiced in several large public hospitals including a period of time as an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at a major trauma hospital in Canada and as the Director of a leading Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Unit. He is a lecturer, examiner and current board member for the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine and a past-examiner for the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. A long personal battle with illness led him on a profound exploration of healing processes and the prevention of illness. He reappraised both his medical focus and the way he approached health care delivery.

He believes in the intrinsic ability of the body to heal itself if the underlying cause of the illness is addressed. His practice revolves around three core principles, in the belief that almost all non-traumatic illnesses will respond to these principles:

• Elimination of food and chemical sensitivities
• Alkalinisation and detoxification
• Balancing of hormones

Dr Emerson regularly lectures both within Australia and internationally on Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He also runs his own successful international medical conference. His mission is to provide people with the knowledge, tools and motivation to live a life of extraordinary health, vitality and longevity.

Lipoprotein A - Nutrition & Environmental Medicine Fact File

Dr Greg Emerson is the Founder and Medical Director of the Emerson Health and Wellness Centre which opened in October 2005. He is a consultant in Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He is also a senior specialist in Emergency Medicine and in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. For 18 years he practiced in several large public hospitals including a period of time as an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at a major trauma hospital in Canada and as the Director of a leading Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Unit. He is a lecturer, examiner and current board member for the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine and a past-examiner for the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. A long personal battle with illness led him on a profound exploration of healing processes and the prevention of illness. He reappraised both his medical focus and the way he approached health care delivery.

He believes in the intrinsic ability of the body to heal itself if the underlying cause of the illness is addressed. His practice revolves around three core principles, in the belief that almost all non-traumatic illnesses will respond to these principles:

• Elimination of food and chemical sensitivities
• Alkalinisation and detoxification
• Balancing of hormones

Dr Emerson regularly lectures both within Australia and internationally on Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He also runs his own successful international medical conference. His mission is to provide people with the knowledge, tools and motivation to live a life of extraordinary health, vitality and longevity.

Omega 3 and Reduced Risk of Myocardial Infarction

It is no surprise that much of the developed world suffers from heart disease because of diet and other lifestyle habits. In the United States heart disease remains the number one killer among adults and demonstrates similar statistics in many other modern countries. The surprise comes in knowing that the majority of heart disease is avoidable yet educated people continue to ignore the dangers and promote lifestyles conducive to cardiac damage. Though many factors contribute to heart disease the current essay will focus on one, in two parts. First we will consider the relation of fish consumption and myocardial infarction. Secondly we will consider the effects of dietary supplementation with omega-3 and vitamin E for those who had previously survived a heart attack.

Fish consumption and heart disease has been a topic of innumerable studies. One research project combined data taken from several such studies including the Chicago Western Electric Study, the Zutphen, Rotterdam and Swedish studies and the Study of U.S. Physicians among others. The goal of this research was to examine the relationship between fish consumption and the 30-year risk of death from coronary disease.

The participants of the study included 1,822 men between the ages of forty and fifty-five who were free of cardiovascular disease. For the first ten years annual examinations were given and mailed questionnaires and/or telephone interviews were used for the next fifteen years. Death certificates were used to classify cause of death for each patient.

During the 30-years follow up there were a total of 430 deaths from cardiovascular disease with 293 due to myocardial infarctions. Of the latter 196 were sudden, 94 were non-sudden and the remaining three could not be classified as either. Almost all of the sudden deaths were caused by myocardial infarction.

Detailed dietary history was kept on each participant with daily fish consumption as the primary focus. Each participant was categorized into one of four groups. The first group reportedly consumed no fish. The second group consumed between one and seventeen grams of fish per day. The third and fourth groups measured consumption as eighteen to thirty-four grams per day and greater than thirty-four grams per day respectively.

Predictably the results demonstrated an inverse relationship between fish consumption and the occurrence of myocardial infarction. In particular the participants who ate at least 35 grams of fish per day had a 42% lower death rate from heart attack compared to those who ate no fish at all.

The findings of these combined studies were consistent with other data concluding that diets high in fish demonstrate a reduced occurrence of death from coronary heart disease. This is especially true in relation to deaths that are of a non-sudden nature. That is not to conclude, however, that fish consumption does not inversely affect the risk of sudden cardiac death. Other studies have verified that such a relationship exists. Those studies are, however, beyond the scope of this essay.

But why does fish consumption improve heart health? It could just be the fact that people who eat fish eat less of other harmful foods. To focus a little more closely on the beneficial causes of fish consumption it is important to consider at least one study that isolated omega-3 intake via dietary supplements regardless of diet. The interesting thing about this study is that it was concerned with the effects of omega-3 and vitamin E supplementation on patients who had already experienced a heart attack.

The GISSI-Prevenzione trial, as it is known, hoped to establish any relationship that might exist between omega-3 and vitamin E as combined agents in the fight against heart disease. It was a randomized trial involving 11,234 patients who had survived a heart attack within the previous three months at the time the study began. The participants were divided into four groups. Group one received one gram of omega-3 supplements daily. Group two received 300mg of vitamin E every day. Group three received both while the control group received neither. Each participant received clinical examinations with blood samples taken and were asked to fill out diet questionnaires at the outset of the experiment and at six, twelve, eighteen, thirty and forty-two months.

The data were analyzed using two methods. A two-way analysis was made comparing omega-3 supplementing and no omega-3, as well as vitamin E intake compared to no vitamin E. A four-way analysis was also conducted comparing the combination of omega-3 and vitamin E with omega-3 alone and vitamin E alone. The effects of the combined supplements were also compared with the group that took no supplements.

The results of the test demonstrated a 14% decrease in death from any cause for the two-way analysis and a 20% drop in death rate for the four-way analysis. Concerning only death due to cardiovascular disease, the two-way analysis showed a 17% reduction of risk while the four-way analysis revealed a 30% decrease. Though vitamin E is known to be a powerful antioxidant, the group that supplemented with the combination of omega-3 and vitamin E showed no life-expectancy advantage over the group that supplemented with only the omega-3.

The overall conclusion of the GISSI-Prevenzione trial was that supplementing with omega-3 provided long term benefits in lowering risk of death for patients who had experienced a myocardial infarction.

About the author:
Greg Post holds degrees in science, divinity and philosophy and is currently an I.T. developer.

http://www.optimal-heart-health.com/fishoils.html

Coenzyme Q10 - Nutrition & Environmental Medicine Fact File

About the Author

Dr Greg Emerson is the Founder and Medical Director of the Emerson Health and Wellness Centre which opened in October 2005. He is a consultant in Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He is also a senior specialist in Emergency Medicine and in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. For 18 years he practiced in several large public hospitals including a period of time as an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at a major trauma hospital in Canada and as the Director of a leading Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Unit. He is a lecturer, examiner and current board member for the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine and a past-examiner for the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. A long personal battle with illness led him on a profound exploration of healing processes and the prevention of illness. He reappraised both his medical focus and the way he approached health care delivery.

He believes in the intrinsic ability of the body to heal itself if the underlying cause of the illness is addressed. His practice revolves around three core principles, in the belief that almost all non-traumatic illnesses will respond to these principles:

• Elimination of food and chemical sensitivities
• Alkalinisation and detoxification
• Balancing of hormones

Dr Emerson regularly lectures both within Australia and internationally on Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He also runs his own successful international medical conference. His mission is to provide people with the knowledge, tools and motivation to live a life of extraordinary health, vitality and longevity.

The History And Usefulness Of Coenzyme Q10

Enzymes are compounds in the body that are absolutely essential for the many processes necessary to keep us alive and our bodies functioning properly. Mitochondrial enzymes are those particular enzymes that are essential for the production of the high-energy phosphate ATP (adenosine triphosphate) upon which all cellular function depends. Without it our bodies shut down at the cellular level. Coenzyme Q10 is the cofactor upon which at least three mitochondrial enzymes depend. By logical inference then ATP functioning depends upon CoQ10. In short, all human cellular function depends on ATP. And ATP function depends on CoQ10.

As was already said, the production of CoQ10 occurs within our body tissues. Its biosynthesis from the amino acid tyrosine is a complex multistage process requiring several vitamins and trace elements. Under normal conditions we produce all we need while we are young. But there are many factors that can contribute to CoQ10 deficiency. Among these are aging, disease, dietary deficiency, use of statin drugs and increasing tissue demands. Before we get to CoQ10 deficiencies, however, it is well to look at the history of CoQ10 research.

History

CoQ10 was first isolated by Dr. Frederick Crane in 1957 from the mitochondria of beef heart. During that same year Professor Morton, from Britain, also discovered CoQ10 in the livers of vitamin A deficient rats. During the following year researchers at Merck, Inc. determined its chemical structure and became the first to produce it.

It was neither the British nor the Americans that first found a practical use for the CoQ compounds. Professor Yamamura from Japan first used a related compound (CoQ7) in the treatment of congestive heart failure. Other practical uses then followed. CoQ6 was used as an effective antioxidant in the mid 1960s. In 1972 (in Italy) deficiency of CoQ10 was linked to heart disease. The Japanese, however, were the first to perfect the technology necessary to produce CoQ10 in sizeable enough quantities to make large clinical trials a reality.

After Peter Mitchell won the Nobel Prize in 1978 for defining the biological energy transfer that occurs at the cellular level (for which CoQ10 is essential) there was a considerable increase in the number of clinical studies performed in relation to CoQ10 usefulness. This was due in part to the large amounts of pharmaceutical grade CoQ10 that was now available from Japan and the ability to measure CoQ10 in blood and body tissues. CoQ10 since has become known for its importance as a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger and as a treatment in many chronic illnesses, especially heart disease.

Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency

The usefulness of CoQ10 as a medical treatment has largely been approached from the perspective that when a chronic disease is present (especially in the case of heart disease) CoQ10 is often grossly deficient. For example, a person suffering from congestive heart failure often demonstrates extreme CoQ10 deficiency. Normal blood and tissue levels of CoQ10 have been well established. Significantly low levels of CoQ10 have been linked to a vast variety of diseases in both animal and human studies.

But if CoQ10 is biosynthesized in our bodies why do we often suffer from deficiency? There are at least three causes. The first is an insufficient diet. Dietary intake of CoQ10 is an important factor in total blood and tissue levels of the compound. If we do not consume enough of the foods that contain CoQ10 then the body must make up the difference. Further, the biosynthesis of Coenzyme Q10 is a complex 17-step process involving a whole string of B vitamins, vitamin C and pantothenic acid. Diets deficient in these compounds make CoQ10 synthesis impossible. This is not the place to discuss the condition of the average diet and the vitamin deficient nature of many of our food sources. Suffice it to say that most of us do not get nearly enough CoQ10 or the other vitamins necessary for optimal synthesis.

The second cause of deficiency is linked to the first, and that is impairment of CoQ10 biosynthesis. In addition to inadequate intakes of the compounds necessary to make CoQ10 there are other biological reasons for inadequate production of it. These might include physiological conditions and chronic diseases that cause failure in production. The treatments of diseases can also be a factor. For instance the use of statins to control cholesterol levels has been implicated in the depletion of CoQ10 levels. The catch-22 is, in treating heart disease we use drugs that deplete natural compounds that in turn are necessary to fight heart disease.

The third cause of CoQ10 deficiency is excessive use of the compound by the body. This again can be related to medications, aging or other causes such as excessive exertion, hypermetabolism, and acute shock states.

The real cause of CoQ10 deficiency is usually a combination of these three influences. It is likely that the average CoQ10 levels which have been observed in humans are suboptimal. In other words, the normal levels of CoQ10 that have become the standard for comparisons are very likely less than optimal. That would mean that the extremely low levels observed in connection with chronic diseases are just the worse case scenarios and that other less serious maladies are connected with lesser levels of deficiency.

If this sounds too much like laboratory theory, it isn't. Patients who suffer from chronic diseases and also demonstrate extreme low levels of CoQ10 are not laboratory specimens. They are people who, in many cases, have been greatly helped by CoQ10 supplementation. If chronic disease is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to CoQ10 deficiency one is forced to wonder what better diets and CoQ10 supplementing could do for the eradication of diseases and other chronic conditions.

About the author:
Greg holds degrees in science, divinity and philosophy and is currently an I.T. developer.

http://www.optimal-heart-health.com/coq10.html

Exercise and Heart Health a Life Giving Marriage

Most people get their health out of a bottle these days, be it a bottle of vitamins or pharmaceuticals. However, with a little effort and dedication you really can get a hold on your life, turn it round and live it to the full!

If you've been diagnosed with heart disease or are at risk of developing heart disease regular exercise is essential for the health of your heart, body and mind. In fact, aerobic exercise and heart health really do go hand in hand.

With busy lifestyles and lack of time, regular use of home equipment, such as a treadmill, an elliptical trainer, a stationary cycle, a stair-climber, etc. is becoming increasingly popular. These items are now precision health giving apparatus that really can help get you in shape. Gyms are also getting more and more members, but often people slack off because of time restraints. If this is you, working out at home may be the answer for you.

However, before jumping into your gym shoes talk to your doctor about your desires and objectives. Your doctor may be able to give you some useful insights you didn't consider as well as coaching from a medical point of view. If your doctor gives you the OK, try to work some exercise into your daily routine. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests, for example, that patients start by walking five minutes a day, then increasing gradually to 30 minutes over several weeks. Walking is a wonderful way to start, as it is low impact, you need no special equipment, and it costs nothing. Swimming may be another good choice. This type of exercise is called aerobic training that involves large muscle groups, such as the legs, and keeps your heart rate pumping for a set amount of time. Unless there are deformities of the heart muscle, aerobics and heart health are often found together and not only does the heart benefit, there are other advantages too.

Aerobic Exercising and Heart Health

As you can see, take it slow initially; it's really not necessary to sign up at the local gym or aerobic class. Although, after some time you might want to do just that.

Depending on where you live walking or swimming may not be an option. In such cases, you may like to consider a piece of home aerobic equipment such as a treadmill, stationary cycle or elliptical trainer. However, before purchasing a home trainer consider whether you will really use it. If the answer is yes, best get the best home aerobic equipment you can afford. Your heart will thank you.

Lack of exercise and heart disease

The American Heart Association has now added "lack of exercise" to the list of major risk factors for heart disease. The other risk factors are smoking, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol.

Exercise not only helps fight heart disease and gets you in shape, but if you live a sedentary lifestyle, a regular exercise routine can also:

help control high blood pressure,

reduce the risks of type II diabetes,

help prevent osteoporosis,

improve your general wellbeing and help fight depression, anxiety and stress,

greatly help to lose weight

Those are just some of the benefits of doing regular exercise. I wanted to make a list of some of the disadvantages, but I can't think of any!

In an ideal world, in order to get the best results possible you should exercise three to five times a week for 30-60 minutes within your target heart rate. But even normal day to day events, such as taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking to work, walking the dog, or gardening can help. You can do many things to increase physical activity during the day; just try thinking about what you can do. The benefits are well worth the effort.

Another thing that has proven to be effective is cross training. In cross training you participate in 2 or more different types of exercise during the week, for instance: Monday walking, Tuesday treadmill, Wednesday swimming, Thursday elliptical training, etc. You may also like to insert some strengthening exercises too, such as weight lifting.

Not only will cross training help to tone your whole body, it will help stop boredom setting in. Many people stop training not because they don't have the time (that's the reason they don't start), but because they get bored. If you can arrange a routine where you do something different each day, it is going to be difficult to get bored.

So, talk with your doctor and start now! Once you notice the result, nothing will stop you. You'll loose weight, be more toned and fit, will have a sharper outlook on life and, oh yes I almost forgot, you'll live longer!

About the Author:
Nicholas Webb, of AllAbout Heart Disease, speaks and writes with a passion telling it is as it is; helping others to live life to the full. This article is extracted from his newsletter The Web's Heart. To subscribe, or read other articles visit The Web's Heart
To learn more about how to beat heart disease and get into shape visit:www.AllAbout-Heart-Disease.com

Heart Healthy

"Open your heart to me, my own," whispers Grandmother Growth so softly you aren't certain you hear her. "Open the wisdom way of compassion here in your heart and draw me inside. Let Grandmother Growth be inside you, helping you encompass the whole, in the beat of your own heart, my heart, Crone's heart."

Step 0: Do Nothing

Thinking of taking hormone replacement to keep your heart healthy? Think again. Data released in April of the year 2000, from the federal government's Women's Health Initiative, showed "a small increase in the number of heart attacks, strokes and blood clots in the lungs of women on hormone replacement compared with women on placebo." The Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS), completed in 1998, found the same connection. For a healthy heart, don't take hormones. "Recently released data from the federal government's Women's Health Initiative suggests that during the first two years of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy there is a slightly greater risk of heart attack, stroke and blood clots." Heart disease is America's top killer (claiming a life every 34 seconds). Women aged 30-50 have far less risk of heart disease than a man their age. But postmenopausal women die from heart disease at rates as high as men's. (Women account for 51 percent of all cardiovascular deaths; men, 49 percent.) Is it lack of estrogen? No. Estrogen does lower LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol, but cholesterol is only weakly linked to heart disease, especially in women. (Most heart attacks happen to people with normal cholesterol levels.) Estrogen raises blood pressure (one of the top three reasons for heart attacks in women), increases triglycerides, promotes clotting (a leading factor in heart attacks and strokes), and raises levels of C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation associated with heart disease). Take progestins/progesterone too and you increase your risk of heart disease even more. Hormone replacement really isn't heart healthy. Aren't there studies linking estrogen usage to lowered risk of heart disease? Only retrospective ones, which cannot establish a cause-and-effect link. And the women in those studies ate well, exercised regularly, and were unlikely to smoke - behaviors that are critical to heart health. The simple truth is more than 90 percent of all heart disease is preventable with lifestyle choices. The three top risk factors for heart disease in women are too much belly fat, smoking, and untreated hypertension. High cholesterol is one of the top three risk factors for men, but not for women. (This is because, after menopause, we make heart healthy hormones from our cholesterol.)

Step 1: Collect Information

The Nurses Health Study - which followed 86,000 women for 14 years - shows what happens to those wise old Crones who follow heart healthy behaviors:

• Those who ate more fish than meat, plus plenty of whole grains, beans, leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables reduced their risk of heart disease by one-third compared to those who ate a "normal" American diet. Eating one serving a day of whole-grain foods reduced heart attacks by 34 percent in another study of 34,000 postmenopausal women.
• Those who ate at least 5 ounces of nuts a week were only half as likely to have a heart attack as those who ate none.
• Women who walked a total of three hours per week or who exercised vigorously for at least 90 minutes a week had one third fewer heart attacks than women who got no exercise. Those who walked five or more hours a week cut their risk in half.

Step 2: Engage the Energy

• Rose flower essence and rose quartz essence are both recommended for engaging the energy of the heart.
• Do you attack your heart? Do you close your heart to protect it? Love yourself. Give yourself plenty of nice strokes so you won't have a bad stroke. Try Stephen Levine's meditation "Opening the Heart" in Who Dies?
• People in Hawaii, New Mexico, and Arizona have the healthiest hearts in the United States. Imagine you live there.
• Smile! Depression increases your risk of both heart attack and stroke. In fact, severe depression is more strongly linked to stroke risk than high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking cigarettes, being overweight, and nine other known risk factors. When you smile, your brain makes hormones that make you, and your heart, feel good. So, smile.

Step 3: Nourish & Tonify

• Touch and be touched. In numerous scientific studies, people who were touched lovingly every day had significantly fewer heart problems than those who weren't.
• Nuts to heart attacks. The fats in nuts have been linked to a reduced risk of heart attacks. Volunteers on high-fat diets (35-40 percent of calories nuts and olive oil) lowered their LDL cholesterol by 13 percent. Greek women do the same, and have one of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world.
• Essential fatty acids, especially omega-3s, are ever so essential to a healthy heart. Look for them in fish (salmon, sardines, trout, herring are highest), seeds, whole grains, beans, and nuts. They are especially abundant in wild seeds such as plantain, lamb's quarter, and amaranth. And in freshly ground flax seeds. Women who consume the EFA alpha-linolenic acid daily have the lowest risk of a fatal heart attack.
• Keep your heart healthy with regular use of seaweeds. Seaweeds have clinically proven cardiotonic effects: they stabilize blood pressure; regulate levels of triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesterols; prolong the life of the heart muscle; and encourage a steady heartbeat.
• Women who regularly eat foods rich in carotenes cut their risk of stroke by 40 percent. Women who eat broccoli at least once a week have roughly half the risk of heart disease as women who eat none.
• Eliminating or limiting carbohydrates, especially refined flours and sugars, has halved the cholesterol of several friends whose totals were above 400. "What emerges is a clear association of heart disease with ... consumption of devitalized, processed, fabricated food items, including sugar and fructose, soft drinks, fortified white flour, milk and egg powders, caffeine, imitation broth products, synthetic vitamins, vegetable oils, and hydrogenated fats." - Sally Fallon
• Garlic, Knoblauch, Ail (Allium sativum) is a great friend to old hearts. Several cloves a day of fresh, raw garlic can lower blood pressure, reduce phospholipids and cholesterol, strengthen heart action, increase immune response, reduce platelet clumping and clotting (thus reducing strokes), and stabilize blood sugar levels. Don't like raw garlic? Use powdered! A four-year study found women who ingested 900 mg (1/4 teaspoonful) of garlic powder daily had 18 percent less arterial plaque than those taking a placebo.
• Hawthorn berry tincture is the standard herbal heart tonic, and for good reason. It is broadly effective, virtually without overdose, and easy to make from fresh or dried berries. An elegant shrub or small tree, hawthorn is frequently cultivated in the suburbs. Injectable forms of Crataegus were used by MDs up until the 1950s to treat vascular heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation of the heart muscle, and arteriosclerosis. The action of hawthorn is slow but complete. It strengthens the heart, establishes a regular heartbeat, relieves water build-up around the heart, and resolves stress throughout the cardiovascular system. Dose is 25-40 drops of the berry tincture, up to 4 times a day. Expect results no sooner than 6-8 weeks.
• Motherwort, that dear friend of menopausal women, is a favorite heart tonic. A dose of 10-20 drops of the tincture of the flowering tops, taken up to three times a day, helps lower blood pressure, strengthen heart action, ease palpitations and irregular heartbeats, and make room in the heart for compassion.
• Keep your heart healthy by eating chocolate. Sound too good to be true? Despite its reputation, chocolate is loaded with heart healthy phytochemicals. Cocoa's tretramers curb oxidation of the blood vessel walls, short-circuiting the build up of atherosclerotic plaque; they also help keep the vessels relaxed, keeping blood pressure down. Chocolate's flavonoids are more powerful than vitamin C in limiting oxidation of LDL; they protect all lipids in the blood from free-radical damage. Procyanidins are flavonoids that work like mild aspirins, keeping the blood thin and free-flowing. Polyphenols are heart-healthy substances found abundantly in red wine, green tea, and chocolate. Daily use may prevent stroke by delaying blood clotting time. (75 ounces/20 grams of dark chocolate = one-half cup tea = one glass red wine.) Chocolate also prevents blood platelet fragmentation (which occurs when platelets get sticky), and boosts HDL (good) cholesterol. No wonder it often comes in heart-shaped boxes!
• Lemon balm is so strengthening to the heart, it is said those who drink it daily will live forever. Brew fresh or dried leaves in a cup of water for 5-10 minutes. Or steep fresh leaves in a glass of white wine for 1-2 hours and drink with dinner. Or enjoy 1-2 tablespoons/15-30 ml of the vinegar.
• You don't have to sweat, but you do have to move to keep your heart healthy. However you can do it, do it; no excuses.
• Dandelion root tincture lowers blood pressure and keeps your heart and cardiovascular system healthy and happy. Use 10-15 drops with meals.
• If you eat meat, be sure to eat whole grains and beans. Homocysteine is concentrated in the blood of those who eat a lot of animal protein and don't get enough B vitamins to process it completely.

HEART HEALTHY LIFE STYLE HINTS

• Eat whole grains, nuts, and beans daily.
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables every day.
• Eat fatty fish at least once a week.
• Eat dark chocolate regularly.
• Eat a high monounsaturated-fat diet.
• Stop smoking.
• Exercise daily.
• Maintain a healthy weight; don't diet.

STOP SMOKING - HEART HEALTHY HINTS Tobacco is highly addictive and you can beat it. Get an extra edge on quitting by nourishing yourself with a handful of freshly toasted sunflower seeds and a cup of nettle or oatstraw infusion daily for 4-6 weeks before you stop smoking. Sunflower seeds reduce cravings for nicotine by filling nicotine receptor sites. Nettles and oatstraw strengthen nerves and cushion the impact of withdrawal. Nourish yourself the Wise Woman Way when you want tobacco:

• Take an oatstraw bath.
• Eat a wild salad (even if its only one dandelion leaf).
• Bring home a flower.
• Let someone cook dinner for you.
• Go to a yoga class or a martial arts class.
• Buy something for yourself instead of cigarettes.
• Miss your smoke break? Take a break for pleasure!
• A weight gain of 15 pounds/7 kilos is normal for quitters.
• Nicotine withdrawal causes constipation.
• Read, get, buy The No-Nag, No-Guilt, Do-It-Your-Own-Way Guide to Quitting Smoking by Tom Ferguson, MD, Ballantine, 1987.

Visit Susun Weed at: www.susunweed.com;and www.ashtreepublishing.com

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

Hypertension - Nutrition & Environmental Medicine Fact File

About the Author

Dr Greg Emerson is the Founder and Medical Director of the Emerson Health and Wellness Centre which opened in October 2005. He is a consultant in Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He is also a senior specialist in Emergency Medicine and in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. For 18 years he practiced in several large public hospitals including a period of time as an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at a major trauma hospital in Canada and as the Director of a leading Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Unit. He is a lecturer, examiner and current board member for the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine and a past-examiner for the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. A long personal battle with illness led him on a profound exploration of healing processes and the prevention of illness. He reappraised both his medical focus and the way he approached health care delivery.

He believes in the intrinsic ability of the body to heal itself if the underlying cause of the illness is addressed. His practice revolves around three core principles, in the belief that almost all non-traumatic illnesses will respond to these principles:

• Elimination of food and chemical sensitivities
• Alkalinisation and detoxification
• Balancing of hormones

Dr Emerson regularly lectures both within Australia and internationally on Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He also runs his own successful international medical conference. His mission is to provide people with the knowledge, tools and motivation to live a life of extraordinary health, vitality and longevity.

Niacin - Nutrition & Environmental Medicine Fact File

About the Author

Dr Greg Emerson is the Founder and Medical Director of the Emerson Health and Wellness Centre which opened in October 2005. He is a consultant in Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He is also a senior specialist in Emergency Medicine and in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. For 18 years he practiced in several large public hospitals including a period of time as an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at a major trauma hospital in Canada and as the Director of a leading Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Unit. He is a lecturer, examiner and current board member for the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine and a past-examiner for the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. A long personal battle with illness led him on a profound exploration of healing processes and the prevention of illness. He reappraised both his medical focus and the way he approached health care delivery.

He believes in the intrinsic ability of the body to heal itself if the underlying cause of the illness is addressed. His practice revolves around three core principles, in the belief that almost all non-traumatic illnesses will respond to these principles:

• Elimination of food and chemical sensitivities
• Alkalinisation and detoxification
• Balancing of hormones

Dr Emerson regularly lectures both within Australia and internationally on Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He also runs his own successful international medical conference. His mission is to provide people with the knowledge, tools and motivation to live a life of extraordinary health, vitality and longevity.

DHEA - Nutrition & Environmental Medicine Fact File

About the Author

Dr Greg Emerson is the Founder and Medical Director of the Emerson Health and Wellness Centre which opened in October 2005. He is a consultant in Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He is also a senior specialist in Emergency Medicine and in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. For 18 years he practiced in several large public hospitals including a period of time as an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at a major trauma hospital in Canada and as the Director of a leading Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Unit. He is a lecturer, examiner and current board member for the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine and a past-examiner for the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. A long personal battle with illness led him on a profound exploration of healing processes and the prevention of illness. He reappraised both his medical focus and the way he approached health care delivery.

He believes in the intrinsic ability of the body to heal itself if the underlying cause of the illness is addressed. His practice revolves around three core principles, in the belief that almost all non-traumatic illnesses will respond to these principles:

• Elimination of food and chemical sensitivities
• Alkalinisation and detoxification
• Balancing of hormones

Dr Emerson regularly lectures both within Australia and internationally on Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He also runs his own successful international medical conference. His mission is to provide people with the knowledge, tools and motivation to live a life of extraordinary health, vitality and longevity.

Fish oil - Nutrition & Environmental Medicine Fact File

Dr Greg Emerson is the Founder and Medical Director of the Emerson Health and Wellness Centre which opened in October 2005. He is a consultant in Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He is also a senior specialist in Emergency Medicine and in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. For 18 years he practiced in several large public hospitals including a period of time as an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at a major trauma hospital in Canada and as the Director of a leading Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Unit. He is a lecturer, examiner and current board member for the Australian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine and a past-examiner for the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. A long personal battle with illness led him on a profound exploration of healing processes and the prevention of illness. He reappraised both his medical focus and the way he approached health care delivery.

He believes in the intrinsic ability of the body to heal itself if the underlying cause of the illness is addressed. His practice revolves around three core principles, in the belief that almost all non-traumatic illnesses will respond to these principles:

• Elimination of food and chemical sensitivities
• Alkalinisation and detoxification
• Balancing of hormones

Dr Emerson regularly lectures both within Australia and internationally on Nutritional and Environmental medicine. He also runs his own successful international medical conference. His mission is to provide people with the knowledge, tools and motivation to live a life of extraordinary health, vitality and longevity.