A coconut oil-rich diet reduced C. albicans in the gut compared to a beef tallow-or soybean oil-rich diet. Coconut oil alone, or the combination of coconut oil and beef tallow, reduced the amount of C. albicans in the gut by more than 90% compared to a beef tallow-rich diet.
“Coconut oil even reduced fungal colonization when mice were switched from beef tallow to coconut oil, or when mice were fed both beef tallow and coconut oil at the same time. These findings suggest that adding coconut oil to a patient’s existing diet might control the growth of C. albicans in the gut, and possibly decrease the risk of fungal infections caused by C. albicans,” said Kumamoto, Ph.D., a professor of molecular biology and microbiology at Tufts University School of Medicine and member of the molecular microbiology and genetics program faculties at the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences.

“Food can be a powerful ally in reducing the risk of disease,” added another of the study’s authors.
Controlling Candida growth in the mouth is vital to good health. Research has shown that the yeast works in tandem with the decay-causing bacteria S. mutans to create extra strong, extra sticky biofilms – a/k/a dental plaque. Both bacteria and yeast thrive, promoting tooth decay and gum disease.
Eating more coconut oil is one way you may be able to keep the yeast under control. Another is to use a coconut-oil based toothpaste. There are plenty of commercially available pastes, or you can make your own at home.
Then there’s oil pulling, which can help eliminate plaque, prevent bad breath, and reduce oral pathogens. Most folks start out swishing coconut oil throughout their mouth for short periods of time, but the ideal is 10 to 20 minutes. The oil pulls out harmful bacteria and debris from the teeth, becoming thin and milky in the process. Then you just spit it out into the trash (not down the drain, as the oil will solidify and clog it).
Oil pulling should be done at least once daily for two months to see noticeable results.
Do note, however, that if you have mercury amalgam fillings, you may want to think twice about oil pulling. Some have expressed concern that mercury naturally released from these fillings may be concentrated in the oil and ingested.
If you have amalgams – or if you have crowns or braces, or are pregnant or breastfeeding – consult your dentist before doing any pulling with coconut oil.
Otherwise, it’s a safe practice – and one that our patients often find very effective indeed.

The post From Mike Rehme’s Tooth Body Blog: Coconut oil and the yeast in your mouth first appeared on Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health.

Nearly a third of migraine sufferers have low intracerebral magnesium, and the levels decrease drastically during an attack, according to a study appearing in the journal, Headache (2002; 42:242-248). Using magnesium to prevent migraines has had mixed results. In research appearing in the journal, Neurology (1998;50(suppl 4):A340) magnesium levels could be increased intravenously, but a daily oral dose of 250 mg. did not increase the magnesium level. Other research, appearing in the journal Clinical Neuroscience (1998; 5:24-27) recommended 600 mg. of magnesium per day in a timed release form. One study, appearing in the journal, Headache (1991; 31:298-301) and another, appearing in the journal, Cephalgia (1996;16257-16263) demonstrate some value in taking magnesium supplements for the prevention of headaches. There are other, less positive studies, but there are issues with the dosage, absorption and the type of magnesium supplements used. Higher doses do seem to be more effective. For many people, however, a high dose of magnesium can cause diarrhea.
Another supplement that may be useful for patients suffering with migraines is riboflavin (B2). Riboflavin is necessary for the formation of ATP (a source of energy for the cell). One study, appearing in the journal Neurology (1998; 50:466-470), a high dose of riboflavin (400 mg per day) significantly reduced the incidence of migraines (by ½ or better) in 59% of the subjects..
CoQ10 is another substance that is involved with cellular energy. One study, appearing in the journal Neurology (2005; 64:713) had subjects take CoQ10. The frequency of migraines was reduced by half or better in about 47% of the subjects.
The natural urge for people reading an article like this is to try the supplements and see if they produce results. Natural health care works best when a comprehensive program is employed. While these studies do show some hope that supplementation may offer some relief for headache sufferers, it would be wise to put together a more complete program. Diet, exercise, lifestyle choices, and hands-on techniques, like chiropractic all be a part of a natural program to eliminate headaches.
 

The post By ICIM member Rindie Coker, DN: Natural healthcare and headaches first appeared on Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health.

The compound in question, agaratine, is most commonly found in the mushrooms belonging to the genus Agaricus. This includes the common white or button mushroom—your everyday supermarket variety that is commonly found raw at restaurant salad bars:

• A study in the 1990s found that agaratine has a carcinogenic effect in the bladder of rats, while another study found cell mutation effects in mice that could lead to cancer.
• However, extrapolating from the study, the risk was found to be quite low—a lifetime cumulative cancer risk of about two cases per 100,000 lives.
• Other rodent studies have found that agaratine in mushrooms had no carcinogenic effects at all.

Since agaratine is destroyed through cooking, the cautious consumer may wish to sauté, bake, or broil their mushrooms—the common white ones, in particular—just to be safe.
Do not, however, forgo mushrooms altogether! As Dr. Mercola points out, about 100 species of mushrooms are currently being studied for their health-promoting benefits, with a half dozen of them notable for their ability to boost the immune system.
While more exotic species are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for a variety of important conditions, even white button mushrooms can help weight management, improve nutrition, and increase your vitamin D levels.

Cordyceps mushrooms (also called caterpillar fungus) increase ATP production, strength, and endurance, have anti-aging properties, protect liver and kidneys, and can even repair damage from stokes. Shiitakes have antitumor properties, are both antiviral and antibacterial, stabilize blood sugar, and reduce atherosclerosis and cholesterol. Reishi has similar properties but is also an anti-inflammatory, an antifungal, and reduces prostate-related urinary symptoms in men.

So eat your mushrooms—but for maximum nutritional value (and to get rid of any toxicity), you might want to give them some light cooking first! You don’t need to use too much heat. Indeed, studies are showing that cooking at too high a temperature is causing health problems for us, in particular the creation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). Cooking at under 300 degrees seems generally safe, and of course it depends on what you are cooking. We’ll return to this interesting subject in another article.

The post Are Supermarket Mushrooms Dangerous to Eat Raw? first appeared on Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health.

The American Heart Association’s woefully outdated dietary guidelines are hurting Americans’ health.

• “Reduce saturated fat!” Wrong. In fact, eliminating saturated fat from the modern diet might be harmful, if only because of the alternatives that replace sources of saturated fat. Take butter, for example. Raw, organic butter from grass-fed cows can be extremely healthful: it contains vitamin A in its most bioavailable form, lauric acid, antioxidants, vitamin E, and vitamin K2. But the alternatives to butter—margarine and hydrogenated or processed polyunsaturated oils—are far more detrimental to your health than saturated fat. They are actually a leading cause of heart disease. Recently, the evidence that saturated fat has no connection to heart disease has been snowballing. To give just one example: as reported by LewRockwell.com, a massive meta-analysis by the British Heart Foundation (it examined seventy-two academic studies involving over 600,000 participants) found that saturated fat consumption was not associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
• “Drink low-fat and skim milk!” Wrong. A recent study has shown that children who drink whole milk are slimmer than kids who drink skim! One theory for this is that “full fat foods” promote satiety. Additionally, full-fat dairy can actually reduce your risk of heart disease, as well as diabetes and cancer. (Not surprisingly, the AHA doesn’t even discuss raw milk and its proven benefits.)
• “Avoid ‘bad’ cholesterol!” LDL has some crucial health benefits—it can even provide protection from cancer as well as support aging muscle mass. In addition, studies show that lower levels of LDL don’t necessarily lessen your risk of heart disease.
• “Limit Your Intake of Red Meat!” Wrong again! Unless you have prostate cancer or a propensity to it and want to be extra cautious, there are reasons to view hormone-free, grass-fed beef positively. Red meat is an excellent source of protein and other nutrients. Among other nutrients, it contains L-carnitine, an amino acid that is helpful for heart disease. A large meta-analysis, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, found that L-carnitine actually helps heal the heart after a myocardial infarction (heart attack).
• “Don’t smoke tobacco, and avoid secondhand smoke!” Finally—something we can all agree on.

 
Meanwhile, statin drugs may actually be driving Americans to overeat: a twelve-year study published in JAMA Internal Medicinefound that statin users increased their calorie intake by 9%, and fat consumption by 14.4%, over the study period (those who didn’t take statins didn’t significantly change in either measure).
 
This study controlled for age, race, education, diabetes, and high cholesterol—which means that researchers isolated statin drugs as the reason participants were overeating. Researchers speculate that the explanation is psychological: those on a “magic pill” feel entitled to take greater liberties with their diet.

The post “Put Down that Healthy Food, and Take Statin Drugs Instead!” first appeared on Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health.

An earlier version of this article was published on LewRockwell.com on April 29, 2014.

The post Overwhelmed by Spring Allergies? first appeared on Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health.

• Sugar dumbs you down. A 2012 UCLA study showed that rats fed a sugary diet had a decrease in brain energy metabolism and synaptic activity.
• Oreos are as addictive as cocaine. One study found that high-fat, high-sugar foods light up the same parts of the brain as highly-addictive drugs.
• Sugar damages your heart. Recent research has found a direct, independent link between sugar overconsumption and heart disease.
• Healthy blood sugar levels = graceful aging. A 2013 study showed that higher blood sugar levels were associated with a decrease in memory recall and learning ability. It also suggested that maintaining healthy blood sugar levels—whether or not you’re diabetic—“could prevent age-related cognitive decline.”

But HFCS Is Even Worse

• Some brands of HFCS may contain mercury.
• It can make you eat more. Research on HFCS has indicated that it suppresses the sensation of being full, causing people to eat more of it (read: more calories, more weight gain).
• It makes a beeline for your liver. During the creation of HFCS, glucose and fructose molecules are separated. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, this allows fructose to “mainline” directly into your liver. Too much can contribute to fatty liver, which also contributes to obesity and diabetes.
• HFCS causes heart disease, too, even in children and adolescents.
• HFCS causes high blood pressure, according to the American Society of Nephrology.
• Rats fed HFCS developed fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes, while those on a fructose-free diet did not.
• Studies suggest that HFCS directly causes obesity.

What About Artificial Sweeteners?

• Aspartame (Equal and NutraSweet). Despite FDA officials describing aspartame as “one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved” and its safety as “clear cut,” in March 2006, Environmental Health Perspectives (from the National Institutes of Health) published the first compelling experimental evidence for the carcinogenic effects of aspartame at a dose level within range of human daily intake. So despite FDA assurances, aspartame may in fact cause cancer.
• Neotame, a version of aspartame made by NutraSweet which is between 7,000 and 13,000 times sweeter than table sugar and 30 to 60 times sweeter than aspartame. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, “Judging by the chemicals used in its manufacturing, it appears even more toxic than aspartame.”
• Saccharin (also marketed as Sweet’N Lo), which is much sweeter than sucrose but has a bitter or metallic aftertaste in high concentrations, became mired in controversy in 1977, when a study indicated that the substance might contribute to bladder cancer in rats. In 2000, the chemical was officially removed from the federal government’s list of suspected carcinogens once scientists learned that rodents have high pH, high calcium, and high protein levels in their urine, and this combines with saccharine to cause tumors. As this does not happen in humans, there is no elevated bladder cancer risk, so it may be one of the safer artificial sweeteners.
• Sucralose (Splenda) alters the microflora in the intestine and “exerts numerous adverse effects,” according to Duke University study, including an increase in body weight, and an elevation of liver enzymes, which negatively affects the bioavailability of nutrients.

Fructose Is Not a Good Substitute
Fruits can have quite a bit of sugar, mostly in the form of fructose. However, this sugar is “delivered” via a whole food with lots of fiber—fiber not only helps you feel full, but slows your liver’s absorption of fructose (this is why fresh fruits are so much better for you than fruit juice).
Even so, you can have too much of a good thing: excess fructose from sugar can overload and damage your liver. For this reason, Dr. Mercola recommends you limit your fructose from fruit to 15 grams or less a day (that’s about an apple and a half, or about two bananas).
“Good” Sugars?
As we told you in 2011, some safer alternatives include stevia, sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol, and inulin. Stevia, a South American herb, is estimated to be some 150 to 400 times sweeter than sugar. Xylitol was originally isolated from birch sap, and is a must for dental hygiene (it can be used as mouth rinse since it prevents cavities very effectively; it is especially good for children, particularly those who have not had their teeth treated with a tooth sealant that contains BPA). Xylitol is also for use with colds and sinus infections, but it may not be the best choice for a sweetener as some people find it has a laxative effect in larger quantities. Erythritol occurs naturally in fruits and fermented food. Inulin, which is isolated from Jerusalem artichoke, is available as a powder or as Jerusalem artichoke syrup. Inulin is a long-chain polysaccharide that is mostly too long a sugar to absorb into the blood stream, though too much inulin intake can cause digestive distress in some people.
Don’t forget natural, though not low-calorie, sweeteners. Honey (raw, organic, and wild) is always the natural sweetener of choice. Maple syrup is the only sustainably-harvested, large-scale, forest sweetener in the world. Unsulfured, organic sugarcane molasses is fairly rich in vitamins and minerals and has been purported (like fresh sugar cane) to have “anti-stiffness factors” that break down detrimental calcification. And Lo Han Guo is a non-glycemic sweetener made from a type of wild cucumber used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat cough and laryngitis.
America’s Sugar Addiction Is Costing You
Sugar and HFCS won’t just damage your health—your tax dollars are at stake, t­oo.
Sugar is linked to $1 trillion in healthcare spending, and between 1995 and 2012, the US government spent $84.4 billion dollars on corn—aka HFCS—subsidies (in 2009, 11.7 million metric tons of corn was turned into HFCS).

Meanwhile, the USDA’s sugar program—which consists of government loans, prohibitive tariffs, and artificial price supports—costs consumers over $3 billion a year. In 2013, just the loan portion of the program cost taxpayers $258 million in defaults, and forced the USDA to buy 640,000 tons of excess sugar.
That’s right—even if you’re not consuming sugar, you’re still paying for it.
This year is likely to be just as expensive. Although droughts in Brazil (the world’s biggest exporter of sugar) may spark a sugar shortage and raise global prices, America will still have a glut of sugar. This is because, since the American market pays a few cents more per pound than the international market, foreign farmers will still get the best price by selling to the U.S. This anticipated flood of imports—clearly unchecked by tariffs—could further saturate the American sugar market, driving down prices and encouraging farmers to default or hand their product over to the USDA.
Consider this: the government subsidizes sugar and HFCS (via corn subsidies). Big Food adds these harmful ingredients to their foods, sparking an epidemic of diabetes, then sells products for diabetics. The government—again using your tax dollars—cleans up Big Food’s healthcare mess. In essence, the US government is using your tax dollars to help make Americans sick so that Big Business can profit. A sweet tale of crony capitalism at its finest.
Take the case of the huge multi-national company Nestlé. It is best known for chocolate, but its products also include baby food, bottled water, breakfast cereals, coffee, dairy products, pet foods, and snacks. Among Nestlé’s blockbuster brands are Butterfinger and Kit Kat candy bars, sugary Nesquik “milk,” HotPockets, and a plethora of ice cream products.
Nestlé has around 450 factories, operates in 86 countries, and employs around 328,000 people. So while Nestlé doesn’t have a monopoly on disease-causing processed foods, they certainly have a large share of the market.
Interestingly, Nestlé not only makes the foods that can lead to diabetes—they sell products created to manage it, including Boost Glucose Control and Diabeteshield drinks, Dietsource salad dressings and pancake syrup, Glytrol (“complete nutrition support for patients with hyperglycemia”), Nutrisource frozen egg products, and Resource sugar-free puddings and desserts, mainly for hospitals. So there is no secret here—Nestlé makes no attempt to hide the fact that Big Food first sickens Americans, and then profits from it.
Action Alert! The government subsidizes the sugar industry to the tune of over $3 billion tax dollars per year. It’s time to stop paying for a product that directly contributes to our most grievous health problems. Tell Congress to repeal the sugar program!

The post Big Food’s Sugar Wars first appeared on Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health.

Invasive brain implants? Anything to put off considering safe and effective natural treatments for our war veterans!

• Osteopathic cranial adjustments done by DOs skilled in this increasingly hard-to-find art;
• Specialized chiropractic adjustments;
• Critical brain nutrients such as phospholipids and omega-3s;
• Melatonin supplementation to minimize brain swelling and dysfunction after TBI. When used proactively, melatonin supplementation can also protect against age-induced susceptibility to brain injury.
• Ginger extract to “significantly” enhance working memory, increase brain function, and shrink the area of damaged brain tissue.
• Coconut oil and other supplements known to combat Alzheimer’s disease for the reversal of TBI-related memory loss.
• Arnica, a remarkably effective homeopathic treatment, to be taken as soon after injury as feasible.

When will the Pentagon stop marching to the beat of the drug industry and their allies in the FDA and instead do what it takes to help our damaged soldiers?

The post Brain Injury: Pentagon Officials Should Have Their Own Heads Examined first appeared on Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health.

We provide more information about GABA. Readers weigh in on what works—and what doesn’t.

Whether or not the GABA molecule physically crosses the “blood-brain barrier” doesn’t matter, as the effects of naturally derived GABA on brainwaves, growth hormone synthesis, and brain protein synthesis within a short period of time after ingestion have been objectively shown.

Yet another study indicates that orally administered GABA not only induces relaxation and reduces anxiety, it also boosts immunity, even under stress. There are many other scientific studies of GABA very much worth checking out: here are listings in the government’s PubMed database, from the Life Extension Foundation, and from our own ANH-USA database.

For those in whom pure GABA supplementation isn’t effective, and we are all biologically somewhat different, picamilon—a blend of niacin and GABA—may be an option. As Life Extension Magazine explains, niacin is a good “carrier” for GABA to the brain, as it has low toxicity and high biological availability—so a combination of GABA and niacin increases the potency of each component.

“What are other natural solutions for anxiety?”

Theanine is a favorite. Like GABA, it is found in green tea, and is often cited as the reason that green tea has a “smoother” effect than other teas despite the caffeine.

For those who suffer from chronic anxiety, kava root extract has been shown to significantly reduce anxiety. Interestingly, the more severe your anxiety is, the better kava seems to work. A favorable verdict on kava’s safety is contained in an article by Kerry Bone in a special edition (October 2013) of Dr. Wright’s newsletter Nutrition &Healing.

A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that meditation is at least as effective as prescription medications.

Acupuncture can also help alleviate panic and anxiety disorders.

Studies show that aromatherapy with lavender oil can help promote relaxation, lift mood, and reduce anxiety.

One reader suggested a gluten-free diet will reduce anxiety. Food allergies are always a possibility worth considering.

“You’re right about anxiety drugs—they made me miserable.”

One ANH-USA reader, Carole, shared her story, which illustrated how conventional medicine has “adopted” depression drugs for anxiety although the benefit for anxiety is very unclear, and the side effects a real concern:

I was started on Paxil and Xanax in Feb. of 1994, never being told that they were addictive….Paxil changed my personality completely, and caused me for the first time in my life to consider and attempt taking my life….I did not realize how badly Paxil had changed my personality until after I was totally off of it and looked back at my past….

Next month I will have been on Alprazalom for twenty years (generic for Xanax). I have gone to two doctors during the past years to try to get help getting off of this poison, but both of them have told me it is too dangerous and the best thing I can do is to stay on it….Even missing one pill causes me to be extremely ill and so nervous my blood pressure shoots up to levels way too high.

It is not right that the pharmaceutical companies have been allowed to push these kinds of drugs on unsuspecting patients….

Anxiety, the most common mental ailment in the United States, causes a myriad of symptoms: emotional (feelings of dread, tenseness, and trouble concentrating), physical (pounding heart, headaches, and insomnia), and social (interference with friends, work, and family). Its victims are often desperate for relief. That the editor of the Atlantic wrote a book about his struggle against anxiety without apparently even being aware of natural alternatives was the main point of our story and does not speak well for our medical system.

The post Anxiety: Powerful, Natural Solutions first appeared on Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health.

Mr. Stossel has had the “best-of-the-best” treatment in conventional medicine, both talk therapies and drugs, but has been unable to control his severe anxiety. Although he admits to dabbling in some holistic approaches to anxiety—including yoga, acupuncture, and St. John’s Wort (which is actually more useful in managing depression)—his book recounts taking one dangerous anti-anxiety medication after another, including:

Alas, as Mr. Stossel writes, “Here’s what’s worked: nothing.”

It’s not surprising. Many of the medications listed above were not even developed for anxiety. They were developed for depression and pressed into duty for anxiety because of a lack of other alternatives that were not highly addictive or toxic. Klonopin, which Mr. Stossel found of some use, significantly impairs mental function. Antipsychotics, which again were not meant for anxiety but are sometimes used for it, are particularly dangerous.

It’s heartbreaking that Mr. Stossel, like most of the 40 million American adults suffering from anxiety disorders, has apparently never been told that GABA (gamma-aminiobutyric acid) can be taken as a supplement. GABA is what our own body produces to control anxiety. It is a naturally produced neurotransmitter that regulates neuron firing and calms brain activity. GABA deficiency can cause, among other things, insomnia, ADHD, and anxiety.

Of course, the natural solution is simply to give your body some help by supplementing with GABA. Because GABA supplements are safe, effective, nontoxic, and not habit-forming, this is perhaps the best way to combat mild to severe anxiety. It’s also relatively cheap, although you will need the best GABA and should not try to use cheap substitutes.

Anti-anxiety drug sales currently top out at several billion—that’s per drug, per year!Big Pharma isn’t in the business of non-addictive, cost-effective anxiety solutions. Instead, they offer such chemical solutions as benzodiazepines, a class of tremendously addictive anti-anxiety and sleep drugs that include Xanax and Ambien. These drugs work to stretch out the effects of the GABA that your body already produces.

Even in low doses, these “benzos” can cause confusion, depression, and impaired memory and thinking. Long-term use can cause confusion, lack of coordination, slurred speech, weakness, tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal. In his book, Mr. Stossel, citing a 1984 study showing that long-term benzo-use can actually shrink your brain, expresses his own fears about his long-term benzo use: “Does this explain why, at the age of forty-four…I feel stupider than I used to?”

Sadly, Mr. Stossel’s book discusses GABA’s role in the brain without even considering supplementation. Does the author even know that supplements exist?—probably not. The book also directly addresses the failures of conventional medicine (“Dr. Harvard…seemed to see me as a type—an anxiety patient—to be treated with a one-size-fits-all approach: drugs”). Despite this insight, Mr. Stossel does not seem to understand that simply replacing what the body lacks—the very definition of supplementation—can help manage even the most debilitating conditions.

How could someone as well-connected and well-educated as Mr. Stossel not hear of taking GABA as a supplement? It’s a deadly combination of four factors:

• the mainstream media’s extreme bias against integrative doctors and treatments, possibly connected with huge advertising revenue from Big Pharma;
• large, corrupt medical associations, also supported by Big Pharma, manipulating prescription guidelines;
• overzealous health claim regulation by the FDA; and
• FDA protection of drug companies’ mutually lucrative drug monopoly. This protection blocks vital information on natural solutions from ever reaching consumers.

It’s important to note that not all GABA supplements are created equal. They should be in advanced, bioavailable form. Lesser versions may be affected by the digestive process in a way that limits their effectiveness. A member of our ANH-USA team has had excellent experience with Thorne Research’s PharmaGABA-100. A useful but not complete list of other high quality producers would include Life Extension Foundation, NOW Foods, and Jarrow Formulas.

Don’t end up like Mr. Stossel, suffering a tragically impaired life, because the FDA, Big Pharma, and conventional doctors have failed to give you information about natural alternatives. But, as always, be sure to seek advice from an integrative doctor before trying a new supplementation regimen.

The post Scott Stossel’s Story of Anxiety first appeared on Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health.

Tips from the leaders in natural health on supplementation, diet, and more!

• Long-term supplementation with selenium and CoQ10 (taken together in the study) has been proven to reduce heart-related risk of death by 6%. Taken alone or together with other nutrients, CoQ10 is considered one of the leading heart supplements.
• In addition to CoQ10, Dr. Stephen Sinatra recommends supplementation with L-carnitine, D-ribose, and magnesium, as all four supplements nourish mitochondria, your body’s “power plant” cells that produce ATP, the energy source that triggers vital biochemical functions. Your heart is full of mitochondria, and keeping them healthy and productive is key to preventing heart disease.
• Studies show that individuals with high levels of vitamin K experience a significant reduction in heart disease.
• Maintaining optimal levels of vitamin D can help prevent heart disease, particularly in diabetics.
• Other supplements often recommended include vitamin C, gamma E, hawthorn, niacin, melatonin, omega 3 fats, garlic, bromelain, folate, B-6, B-12, arginine, green tea extract, and anti-glycation supplements such as carnosine and benfotiamine.
• There is an overlap between supplements for the heart in general and those for blood pressure, but other supplements often mentioned for blood pressure include magnesium, potassium, nattokinase, quercetin, celery, hibiscus, cinnamon, pomegranate, beets, grape seed extract, olive leaf extract, folate, and tocotrienols.

Diet

• Balance your omegas. An imbalance of your fatty acids—too much omega 6 (found in soybean oil and meat from animals fed soy) and too little omega 3 (found in fish, beans, nuts, and some vegetables)—can cause systemic inflammation, which can trigger heart disease, depression, and cancer.
• Watch your blood glucose levels. Studies have shown that people with high blood glucose levels have a nearly 300% higher risk of coronary heart disease than those with healthy glucose levels. Reducing your intake of grains (both whole and found in processed foods), sweets, and potatoes can help lower your blood glucose levels.
• Eat walnuts! A 2013 Penn State study found that consumption of whole walnuts or extracted walnut oil can help reduce cardiovascular risk by maintaining blood vessel integrity.
• Other foods that seem to be heart protective include vegetables, fruits (in moderation), chocolate, and olive oil.
• What to avoid: Traditional advice such as to avoid butter or eggs seems to be false. Butter—high in vitamin K2, which is hard to find—may help the heart. The single most important thing to avoid may be trans fats (such as in margarine). See our article about the FDA’s recent proposal about synthetic trans fat. But sugar and especially high fructose corn syrup is also a big risk for the heart, both by promoting diabetes, which takes its toll on your heart, and perhaps directly.

Exercise and Relaxation

• If you’re overweight, losing just 5 to 10% of your body weight can reduce your risk of heart disease.
• Circuit training—short bursts of intense exercise—helps improve the elasticity of your arterial walls, improving overall heart health. (Two of ANH-USA’s staff members swear by CrossFit for this kind of exercise!)
• Meditation has been shown to result in a 48% reduction in the overall risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
• Sleep is important and sleep apnea can increase your risk considerably.

Other Natural Interventions

• Brush your teeth! Dr. Sinatra, in his book Reverse Heart Disease Now, recommends keeping up with your oral hygiene, as bacteria produced from periodontal disease can trigger arterial issues.
• Blood viscosity testing. According to integrative health pioneers Dr. Jonathan Wright and Dr. Robert J. Rowen, blood with elevated viscosity (that is, thick blood) is a major risk factor in heart disease. Testing your blood viscosity can help detect and assess your cardiovascular risk.
• Donate blood! Too much iron in your blood can lead to a heart attack. Donating blood will not only help keep iron levels in check, but can help maintain a healthy blood viscosity.
• Monitor your hormones as you age. If you supplement, be sure to be use bioidentical hormones, and if sex hormones, use creams rather than tablets.
• Monitor your bones. If you have osteoporosis, the problem may be lack of vitamin K. In the absence of K2 and other vital co-factors, calcium ingested may have migrated to your blood vessels or heart rather than where you want it, in your bones.

Tests
There are many useful blood tests including fibrinogen, homocysteine (usually controlled with B6, folate, and B12), and c-reactive protein. The Life Extension Foundation has an excellent panel. There is also a new test for oxidized LDL cholesterol currently available from Dunwoody Labs and other sources. It is oxidized LDL which seems to be the real villain for your heart rather than LDL itself.
When testing, don’t forget thyroid. Also remember heavy metals—lead, cadmium, and mercury can all take a toll on your heart. That is why chelation has been shown to be an effective remedy for heart disease. Oral chelation is less effective but might be used as a preventive. You’ll need a skilled integrative doctor to steer you to the right tests (blood, urine, or hair), since conventional doctors often mistrust the connection with heart disease and in any case are not experienced in knowing which test to use.
An old stand-by, the waist-to-hip ratio, still remains one of the most reliable predictors of heart attacks.
A Treatment You May Not Have Heard Of

• EECP (enhanced external counterpulsation). This has been a therapy promoted by Dr. Julian Whitaker, another integrative medicine pioneer.

Treatments That Need a Second (or Third) Opinion

• Antibiotics taken routinely before dental cleaning to protect the mitral valve or other parts of the heart. The antibiotics kill the good bacteria which your body depends on for digestion and immunity. If you do take antibiotics, be sure to follow with a good pro-biotic.
• Bypass operations, angioplasty, and stents. Research suggests that these are often done when they should not be. Bypass may lead to brain damage.
• Chest radiation, e.g., routine or for breast cancer treatment. Keep in mind that the heart may be directly in the line of fire.

How do you keep your heart happy and healthy? Share your strategies and suggestions in the comments section below!

The post Natural Ways to Support Heart Health first appeared on Alliance for Natural Health USA - Protecting Natural Health.