How To Reverse Heart Disease

Matthias Rath published a study in 1996 in which 55 patients were scanned using an Ultrafast CT which measures calcium deposits in the artery walls. This was carried out over a year so the growth of the disease could be measured. Then they were given a broad spectrum supplement containing around 30 nutrients to take for a year. Scans were taken at 6 and 12 months.

At the first scan, there had been a slowdown in the growth of calcium deposits in the arteries. After the one year scan there was a large drop in the growth. In the first year before the supplements were taken the growth of arterial plaques averaged 44%. One year after taking supplements the growth had more or less stopped. For some of the patients the deposits actually reversed and even disappeared. This study demonstrated that heart disease can be reversed.

The nutritional supplement Rath designed for this study had 4 objectives. Stabilise the artery wall. Decrease muscle tumours. Neutralise stickiness of fat molecules. Provide antioxidant protection.

Stabilize Artery Walls

Collagen, elastin and other connective tissues give stability to artery walls. Vitamin C and 2 amino acids are needed in optimal amounts for their production. Exactly how much will vary for each person but 600mg a day can be considered a minimum requirement for vitamin C. Collagen has a particular need for the essential amino acid lysine and the non-essential amino acid proline. About a quarter of this vital structural component consists of these 2 amino acids. A person weighing 70kg has around half a kilogram of lysine stored in their body. Rath recommends at least 100mg a day of each as a supplement.

Reduce muscle cell tumours

Muscle cells in the arteries form faulty collagen molecules in nutritional deficiency states. Optimal supplies of nutrients especially vitamin C and vitamin E inhibits this process. (minimum vitamin E requirement 130IU).

Neutralise stickiness

The most dangerous fat transport molecules are not LDL cholesterol but a variant called lipoprotein (a). Sticky protein molecules attach to LDLs and accumulate inside artery walls. One aim of nutritional therapy is to neutralise this stickiness and prevent the attachment. The 2 primary nutrients for achieving this are again lysine and proline. By forming a protective layer around lipoprotein (a), further deposition of fatty molecules in the arteries is prevented. Those already deposited can be released, reversing the disease process. Blood levels of lipoprotein (a) can be decreased with high doses of B3 (nicotinic acid) and vitamin C.

Antioxidant protection

Free radicals damage lipoproteins in the bloodstream, as well as tissue in the artery walls. A large number of nutrients and food factors have antioxidant activity and are an important part of any supplement programme.

By focusing on these 4 objectives, the heart disease patient has a good chance of stabilising or even reversing his or her condition.

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