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Independent Distributor
Nature's Sunshine Products
February 2000 Newsletter


Research Reports

Vitamin E can both help and prevent heart disease. Plaque often gets a hold on the arteries where free radicals have caused damage. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and prevents that damage. In a long term study of nurses, those who took 100IU of vitamin E per day for 2 years had 40% fewer cardiovascular disorders. Doctors at the Shute Medical Clinic in Ontario have found that long-term use of Vitamin E helps patients with atherosclerosis.
- Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients (December 1996)

If you had an angioplasty, keeping your anger in check could prevent you from having a second surgery. Researchers from Union Memorial Hospital and Loyola College of Maryland interviewed 41 men and women to measure hostility. They kept track of them for the next year and found that those who scored high in hostility were 2 1/2 times more likely to have their arteries re-clog than those who had lower hostility scores.
- Prevention (December 1996)

At Duke University's Center for Living a study was conducted with 24 women who were an average age of 47, mildly hypertensive and somewhat sedentary. Portable blood pressure monitors took the women's reading 4 times an hour. They found that women who were more fit had relatively stable blood pressures, while women who were more sedentary experienced a rise in blood pressure at work that stayed high even after they went home.
- Prevention (February 1997)

Heart Tonics

One out of every two Americans will die from heart disease. In other words, you have a 50-50 chance of dying from this disease. If you don't die from the disease, you may die from the surgery. Doctors often recommend surgery in which your chest is completely opened up, your heart is stopped, then arteries are replaced. Often these surgeries don't work, and within several years the replaced arteries are just as clogged as the original arteries were. You may also be put on one of several kinds of drugs, depending on your symptoms. There are drugs that lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, slow the heart beat, stimulate the heart beat and rugs that this the blood. All these drugs come with serious side effects and studies show that many of them don't raise the chance of life enough to be worth the risks.

With all this news you may be wondering what you can do. How can you solve your heart disease problems? Even better, how can you stay in the 50 percentile who never die from this disease? The cures are so simple that they may not be believable, but they work. Millions of people who have heart disease, people who have already had heart surgery and people who want to prevent heart disease are using herbal remedies to keep the heart strong and the arteries clear. You can cure heart disease simply and naturally, so read ahead and spread the word!

Herbs to Heal the Heart

You heard all the reports that told you to change your diet and get more exercise, especially if heart disease ran in your family, but you felt fairly healthy and fit so you didn't think that any of these recommendations applied to you. Now you have heart disease. You may have suffered a heart attack, during which a segment of the heart muscle died because the blood supply going to the heart was blocked. Or you may have experienced a stroke, bringing on sudden weakness to one side of your body because the blood supply going to the brain was blocked. The doctors say your arteries are covered with plaque that is blocking your blood flow and serious measures must be taken. You are not sure that you want to have surgery, and you've heard that the drugs can have serious side effects. What can you do? Dick Quinn, the author of Left For Dead, found himself in the same situation. His doctor recommended bypass surgery, so he took it. He had regular check-ups during which time the doctor told him he was doing fine, even though he felt terrible. Six months later the doctor told him his arteries were clogged again and he needed another surgery. Dick was upset and confused. Why wasn't bypass surgery bringing the permanent healing results he desired?
Little did he know at the time that current medical treatments of heart disease don't attack the underlying cause, but rather provide a temporary cure. Atherosclerosis is a disease of all the blood vessels in the heart, even though one spot is usually more clogged than another. During bypass surgery the most clogged artery is replaced with a new one, but it isn't long before it also clogs. Studies show that 10% of grafts closed within 2 weeks after surgery. 20% closed by the end of the first year. Surgery doesn't correct the cause of atherosclerosis. In fact, another study found that the atherosclerosis progresses ten times faster in grafts done by surgery when compared to arteries which haven't undergone surgery.
Another common therapy that doctors will prescribe is balloon angioplasty. During this surgery a balloon is sent into the artery. It is then inflated and the plaque is compressed against the artery wall. This surgery does not clear the plaque, but temporarily opens the artery. It also causes serious damage to the artery muscle. Studies show that an artery which has undergone angioplasty collapses in 1/3 of the time of a regular artery. (Stents are now used to help keep the artery open)
Doctors also often prescribe drugs to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. These drugs come with many risks and studies show that they do not solve the problem. The Multiple Risk Factor Inventory Trial studies reported that people who take aggressive drug treatments for high blood pressure have a higher death rate than those with high blood pressure who take no drugs.
With all these options before him, Dick didn't give up on life, but he did give up on his doctor. He had heard that capsicum or cayenne pepper would help, so he bought some at the local grocers and started taking it. The very first day of his herbal treatment he felt better than he had since his surgery. He continued to take cayenne, to search for stronger varieties and to combine them with other heart tonics, until he found himself healed. At the writing of his book he had gone ten years without surgery and he felt more healthy than ever in his life.
Why did cayenne and other herbs work? Cayenne, unlike surgery, gets to the heart of the problem. Cayenne improves circulation. This hot pepper dissolves blood clots, opens arteries and stimulates the heart. Studies in Thailand have shown that cayenne prevents heart attack or stroke by lowering fibrin in your blood so blood clots can't form. Cayenne helps to clear plaque. Dick used it to heal his body and live when the doctors had planned on surgery and drugs till he died. The following are other herbal products you can use to help you to solve your heart problems.
Garlic helps to lower high blood pressure. The sulfur compounds in garlic not only give it its pungent smell, but also work as antioxidants and help dissolve clots. With garlic, plaque can't form as easily, because garlic decreases fat and cholesterol levels. Garlic also protects the heart by decreasing the blood's ability to clot and by dilating the arteries.
Instead of cholesterol lowering drugs, try eating garlic. A study reported The Lancet showed that garlic decreases cholesterol levels. Volunteers ate a meal containing 4 oz. of butter. 1/2 of the group also ate 9 cloves of garlic. After three hours the non-garlic group had a 7% increase in their cholesterol levels. The garlic group, on the other hand, not only had no rise in cholesterol, but actually decreased their cholesterol by 7%!
Many tests have been done with hawthorn and time and time again this herb proves to be the heart's good friend. Hawthorn lowers blood pressure, dilates vessels to help blood flow more freely and helps the heart work better under stress. Hawthorn helps increase the heart's pumping force, relieves heart spasms and limits cholesterol deposited on artery walls. European studies show that after having a heart attack, many of the capillaries are broken and the heart, deprived of blood, atrophies. Hawthorn heals damaged capillaries, restores circulation and builds the damaged heart.
HS II combines the heart healing powers of hawthorn, garlic and capsicum. Together these herbs produce a synergy of which you'll want to take advantage. Cayenne and garlic work to regulate the blood pressure and lower the cholesterol levels. Studies show garlic oil penetrates hardened deposits built-up on the arteries and loosens them so they can be washed away by the increased circulation and vitamin A capsicum provides. Cayenne with hawthorn acts to strengthen the heart and bring stamina to the person with heart problems.
Ginkgo & Hawthorn Combination blends the heart healing powers of hawthorn with ginkgo biloba, an herb which increases circulation, especially to the brain. Ginkgo has an antioxidant effect which helps prevent plaque build-up. Ginkgo also reduces the risk of stroke by preventing blood clots.
CoQ10-30 is a combination designed to build the heart and increase circulation and energy. CoQ10 is an enzyme found in all body cells and the heart has the most of these enzymes. Scientific studies have shown that people who have suffered a heart attack or who have high blood pressure greatly improve by taking CoQ10. This combination also contains capsicum and ginkgo.
Valerian is a nervous system tonic. Valerian relieves stress and anxiety helping to lower high blood pressure. It regulates the heart rhythm and stops heart palpitations. This odorous herb strengthens the heart's pumping action.
Chelation therapy is another way that you can solve heart disease rather than temporarily relieve the symptoms. Chelates are substances that grab onto foreign matter and take it out of the body system. Dr. Charles Farr, M.D. and founder of the American Board of Chelation Therapy, reports that chelation works. In twenty years of prescribing chelation therapy, he has seen 70 to 80% of his heart disease patients experience healing.
Medical doctors use intravenous chelation, but many people have found that oral chelation has the same effects. Mega Chel is an oral chelation program which contains vitamin, mineral and fish oil chelates along with gingko biloba, hawthorn and coenzyme Q10. Together these substances work to pull the plaque from the arterial walls. Be aware that this program may cause a rise in cholesterol levels before you see a fall in cholesterol levels. This is because the body is taking the cholesterol from the walls of the arteries into the blood and then eliminating it from the body.
Butcher's broom was once used to scrub the butcher's chopping blocks to remove grease and oil. This herb has the same effect on the arteries. It has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and prevent blood clots.
Lecithin is one of the good fats. It helps oil and water mix and thereby liquefies cholesterol and dissolves plaque.
Magnesium regulates the heartbeat and lowers high blood pressure. This mineral prevents strokes by reducing platelet adhesiveness by about 40%. It also helps to absorb plaque.

3 Ways To Prevent Heart Disease

1. Change Your Diet
The Seventh-Day Adventists and people living in Crete, an island off of the coast of Greece, have very low rates of coronary heart disease. Scientists trying to discover why decided these people's healthy hearts were due to their diets. Seventh-Day Adventists are vegetarians and the people in Crete have a diet of vegetables, fruits, grains, fish, olive oil and garlic. These diets are low in fat and high in substances that fight heart disease. Here are ways you can incorporate this diet into your life-style and the reasons why it can help you prevent heart problems.
  1. Add fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your diet. These foods are high in free radical scavengers which have shown effectiveness in preventing the build-up of plaque on the arteries. Studies show that free radicals which constantly invade our bodies cause damage to the arteries. Once the damage has been done, fats catch on those areas and begin to build-up, causing blocks which can lead to heart attack or stroke. Fruits, vegetables and grains are low in fat and rich in antioxidants which work to fight free radicals.
    Studies show that most people don't get the daily recommended servings of 2 fruits and 3 vegetables. To find out if you are meeting your needs, keep a diet journal for a week. You may find that you need to boost your natural antioxidants! Besides working to change your eating habits, you may want to supplement your diet with Orchard and Garden Essentials. These products contain phytonutrients from foods such as apples, cranberries, grapefruit, broccoli, red beets and carrots. They also contain enzymes to ensure that these nutrients are properly digested so they will reach the arteries and help protect the heart.
    Grapine is another powerful antioxidant combination. It contains pine bark or Pycnogenol and grape seed extract which has been shown in studies to be 20 to 100 times more powerful than other free radical scavengers.
  2. Eat foods low in fat. Fat is one of the main substances needed to build the plaques on the arteries. Fruits, vegetable, and grains are very low in fat, but you may be at a company luncheon or family party where foods full of fats are the only ones available. Though keeping these situations to a minimum is highly recommended, there is an herbal remedy. Fat Grabbers contains guar gum, psyllium hulls, chickweed and lecithin, all herbal products which trap fat molecules in the food you eat and prevent them from entering the blood stream.
  3. Get omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. There are a few fats essential to a healthy heart. Autopsies done on those who died of heart disease found that they had extremely low amounts of omega-3 oils in their fat tissues when compared to others who had not died of heart problems. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish (the same kinds the Crete's eat!) and they work to prevent blood clots. For those of you looking for a vegetarian source of these oils, try Flax Seed Oil which is high in omega-3 oils. Another oil which can help improve your cardiovascular condition is Evening Primrose Oil. This oil contains gamma linolenic acid, and essential fat which has been shown to improve cardiovascular conditions.
  4. Eat foods that are high in fiber. FRoods such as bran, dried beans and legumes, psyllium and barley are high in fiber and are proven to help you lower your cholesterol. Studies show that for every 10 grams of fiber you add to the diet, you lower your risk of dying from heart disease by 17%. Another way to add more fiber to your diet is to take LOCLO. This combination contains psyllium hulls, apple fiber, oat bran, guar gum and acacia gum, all herbal products high in fiber.

2. Get Regular Exercise

Studies show that regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease. By daily going for a brisk walk, riding a bike or swimming, you get your circulation moving to remove plaque. You also keep your heart in good condition to handle daily stress.

3. Control Anger and Stress

Studies show that the body's response to stress and anger can actually be one of the causes of heart disease. Aron Siegman, a psychologist, put people in situations which made them angry. He found that when these volunteers would react to the situations by yelling, grinding their teeth or clenching their fists, their blood pressure rose, their cholesterol levels rose and their arteries constricted, making their hearts have to work double time to keep the blood flowing. On the other hand, Siegman found that body conditions remained stable when volunteers took a deep breath and didn't let the situations get to them.
If you find your self constantly acting out against the stress and anger in your life, experts say that the best thing to do is not give into your anger. Keep your voice down and your muscles relaxed. Try distracting yourself. Go for a walk, read or try meditation. The good news is that anger does go away, and later you can work to solve the problem without pushing your heart to its limits.
If you find you are excessively angry, it may be a symptom of liver irritation. LIV-C is a Chinese herbal combination which will cleanse the liver and reduce hostility and irritability. A weakened or stressed nervous system could also be causing you to lose control of your temper. If you are nervous, tense and angry, Nutri-Calm is a vitamin and mineral supplement which strengthens the nervous system and the adrenal glands, helping you to feel calm and in control. RE-X contains herbs which can help to reduce anxiety and stress and clear the muddled thinking that often accompanies nervous disorders. STR-J combination reduces nervousness and calms the stomach ache that usually accompanies stress.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The information presented herein is for educational purposes only. Be sure to consult with a professional herbalist or competent health care provider for specific help in applying the information in this newsletter.
Your comments, questions and personal experiences are welcome.

Sources for this newsletter:
Sunshine Sharing  Vol. 8  No. 7
Dick Quinn, "Left for Dead" (Minneapolis, MN: R.F. Quinn Publishing Co., 1992).
Dr. Dean Ornish, "Reversing Heart Disease" (New York: Ballantine Books, 1990).
Richard Israel, The Natural Pharmacy Product Guide (Garden City Park, New York: Avery Publishing Group Inc., 1991).
"Love Thy Heart!" by Mike Finnegan in Energy Times (February 1997).
"Heart Healing Herbs" by Michael Castleman in The Herb Quarterly (Spring 1993).
"Hotheads and Heart Attacks" by Edward Dolnick in Health (July/Aug 1995).
"Alternative Medicine" by The Burton Goldberg Group (Puyallup, Washington: Ruture Medicine Publishing, Inc., 1994).
H. Dewayne Ashmead, "Conversations on Chelation and Mineral Nutrition (New Canaan, Connecticut: Keats Publishing, Inc., 1989).
John A. McDougal, M.D., McDougall's Medicine (Piscataway, New Jersey: New Century Publishers, Inc., 1985).

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2524 So. 161 Circle
Omaha, NE 68130 (402)-689-5891
http://www.djherbs.com


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