As promised to my friends and colleagues, I am writing about what I learned about
regaining health to overcome cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure,
heart attacks and strokes from a meeting that I attended in Portage, MI. Much of this
information comes from Matthias Rath, M.D., a German medical doctor who has been
on the scientific cutting edge approach regarding cellular health.
Dr. Rath promotes health through the natural control of a vitamin program to halt
and actually reverse existing coronary artery deposits. As a precursor and reminder,
it is known and accepted that the body can heal itself at the cellular level if given the proper vitamins and
nutrients. Conventional American medical treaments involving medicines/drugs tend to treat organs
(eg. cardiology, gynecology, pulmonology,urology, orthpedics, and etc.) and symptoms. It has been well-
established that European countries whose vitamin intake is high finds heart
disease rare. Thomas Edison years ago thought medical research would be directed
toward plants, vitamins and minerals at the cellular level for modern miracles and cures, but a
complete different direction occurred. Why, because one can’t patent vitamins per se.
Heck this is the 21st century, and our government and medical community (the best
in the world and of such high tech) is operating, in my opinion, in the dark ages.
If you want to talk about real healthcare reform, let’s start at the prevention level.
I don’t want to control what people can and cannot eat, but the green police may
have it right. I do apologize to a past administrator or boss of mine who wanted to
implement a wellness program. When I was President of my teacher’s association he
asked our Association if we would particpate in a wellness program to help control
healthcare costs. Unfortunately and against my “gut” feeling, I said ”No,” due to
having to follow directives given to me from top union chiefs.
For natural control, Dr. Rath lists about 30 basic vitamins, minerals, trace elements and
other cellular nutrients. At this particular meeting, the following 4 essential nutrients
for optimum cellular performance and health were presented:
- Vitamin C – stabilizes the artery walls
- Magnesium
- L-Proline and L-Lysine – supports collagen production,stability of the artery wall and reversal of plaques
- Other trace elements
Vitamin C was the critical ingredient for healthy arteries. Veternarians will tell you
that animals naturally produce Vitamin C, but people don’t. Since we don’t produce
Vitamin C, we must get Vitamin C and other vitamins through our food source of plants,
fruits, and cereal. However, within the last century our foods, eating habits, and diet
are vitamin deficient due to food processing, chemical preservatives, long term storage
(eg. picking fruits green), and overcooking or nuking our foods. Even our soil is vitamin
deficient, and contains many herbicides and pesticides. Chronic Vitamin C
deficiency impairs heart and blood vessel wall functions which contributes to high blood pressure,
atherosclerotic deposits, irregular heartbeat, and heart failure (shortness of
breath, edema, and severe fatigue). Without Vitamin C, our blood vessels
weaken and crack. Our liver does not produce the needed proteins to absorb
plague and to repair the cracks; and to detoxify all of the toxic substances in our
environment.
Interestingly, not only are we deficient in vitamins from our diet, but also our life-style
is a contributing factor too. Think about how stressed-out you are today? Stress and
the taking of aspirin for headaches depletes Vitamin C. Doctors actually tell people who
are at-risk of heart disease or stroke to take a baby aspirin. It thins the blood, but at
what expense? Vitamin deficiency is the root cause of Heart Failure.
Almost all prescriptive drugs lead to a gradual depletion of vitamins and other
essential nutrients needed for the body at the cellular and molecular level. Millions
of adults are now taking cholesterol-lowering drugs in the statin category. The naturally
produced coenzyme Q-10 is decreased and as a consequence one could experience
life-threatening cardiovascular complications. The problem is weakened blood vessel
walls. Cholesterol does not treat this core problem. Also on a side note, without cholesterol
our brain deterioates and is compromised. I wonder if there is a direct correlation between the rise
of Alzheimers and the taking of cholesterol drugs? In 1996, the Journal of the American Medical
Journal published an article that discussed research that proved that most of the lowering cholesterol
drugs caused cancer in animals at a prescriptive strength taken by humans. Yet, why is it that
the pharmaceutical companies still manufacture and dispense these drugs to doctors across
the nation; and when it is not cholesterol but vitamin deficiency that causes cardiovascular
disease?
Smoking is really bad for your health. Smoking contains free radicals. Our body attacks
these free radicals with anti-oxidants. So the anti-oxidant Vitamin C is the first to go.
Thus, the smoker’s blood vessels and organs including the heart are in effect rusted and damaged.
My neighbor across the street at the age of 53 had a sudden massive heart attack and died.
He was a heavy smoker!
If you are serious about regaining or maintaining good health, then your focus and
education needs to be directed towards vitamins, minerals, trace elements
and other cellular nutrients. Dr. Rath suggests eating a diet containing plants rich in
vitamins and fiber. Exercise regularly and watch your weight. Avoid sweetened foods and
foods high in fat. Be sure to take Vitamin C. I, personally, am starting on a vitamin program
and did give up drinking coca cola for Lent and maybe for the rest of my life. It was hard going
from about 3 cokes a day to drinking water. Ice and lemon helps. The vitamins helped to stop my
craving for coke and keep me energized. Every morning I try to drink a glass of orange juice and
take a Vitamin C pill (1000 mg). The recommended dosage I believe is between 600 mg and 3000 mg
of Vitamin C. In the European study, the controlled group took 300 mg of Vitamin C and in women
reduced their risk of heart disease by 40% and for men by 50%. The American diet usually contains
50 mg of Vitamin C. An apple or perhaps an orange or more a day can certainly keep the doctor away.
Reference: Why Animals Don’t Get Heart Attacks … But People Do! by Dr. Matthias Rath, M.D., 5th edition 2009 and published by Dr. Rath Health Food Foundation.
Note: I paid $5.00 for this book at the meeting, so this is a bargain and worth every cent!
