Off The Record
World Renown Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease
Dr. Dwight Lundell is a cardiac surgeon with around a quarter century’s experience in the field. But he is a class apart from other experts because, despite the immense knowledge he has collected, Dr. Lundell is not afraid to admit it when he’s made a mistake.
Dr. Lundell has worked with many famous doctors whose opinions hold great importance in the world of medicine. All of them are sure of the fact that high levels of cholesterol are the reason for cardiac issues. Their way of treating this was giving drugs to reduce cholesterol and recommending foods that are low on fat. Other doctors were not allowed to prescribe anything else and it was seen as blasphemy if they did.
But that’s not how it works!
Recent discoveries have made this prescription obsolete. Some time back, it was discovered that the artery wall becoming inflamed was the root of cardiac disease and this fact has changed the treatment method for all issues related to the heart.
The change in diet that was the age old prescription has only pushed patients into becoming obese or diabetic or both.
No other epidemic in history has resulted in so much pain, death and hardship, physically, mentally and economically.
Even now, with a quarter of Americans taking costly statin drugs, and even after they have eliminated most of the fat from their daily food intake, an increasing number will fall victim to fatal cardiac issues. The number will be higher than it ever was before!
Studies conducted by the American Heart Association reveal that more than seventy million people in America have been diagnosed with cardiac issues. Around twenty million are diabetic and more than twice that number are in the early stages of diabetes. People are developing these issues at a very young age.
Must read: The Cure for Heart Disease: Truth Will Save a Nation
Inflammation is at the root of all this. If there was no inflammation, it would not be possible for cholesterol to collect in the wall of blood vessels leading to serious cardiac issues and strokes. When there is no inflammation, cholesterol travels through the body without any hindrances and does not accumulate excessively in any particular place.
It is easy enough to understand inflammation. It is how the body protects itself from bacteria and viruses but continuous exposure to toxic substances can make it a chronic condition.
Many of us have unknowingly fallen into this trap by sticking to these popular diets that reduce fat intake but recommend high amounts of carbs and polyunsaturated fats.
The huge amounts of processed carbs and omega-6 vegetable oils that we consume are like scraping sandpaper over yourself every single day for a few years.
Imagine the injury that would cause and imagine that injury becoming more and more serious every single day. That is how the inflammation is growing inside you. An inflamed artery actually resembles a wall that has had a stiff brush being scrapped harshly against it over and over again.
You might be enjoying that piece of cake but your body is treating it the way you would treat an enemy who is coming to fight with you. When you eat food that is full of preservatives in order to make it last longer, they poison you gradually from the inside.
Think about what would happen if you accidentally spill molasses on your laptop. This is what happens within the cell when you eat that kind of food. There is an increase in the blood sugar levels which causes the pancreas to produce more insulin in order to store that sugar as energy in all the cells. If the cell is saturated, it sends that sugar back and when all the cells are filled, your blood sugar level once again increases leading to the production of insulin which turns the glucose into fat. All this surplus sugar combines with other proteins and harms the walls of the blood vessels and when this keeps happening, they become inflamed. It might not be visible to you but it is definitely happening.
It is important to ensure that there is a balance between the amount of omega-3 and omega-6 in your body but often, Americans have very high amounts of omega-6 because it is present in all processed foods. The cytokines present in it can cause inflammation. And the surplus fat from consuming those foods can overwhelm fat cells causing them to produce many chemicals that can cause inflammation.
We cannot hide from the fact that all the artificial preservatives in the food we eat are making things worse for us.
The only way to deal with this is to find fresh ingredients that are low in omega-6 content as well. Go back to your roots and try home cooking with food that has not been excessively processed and avoid things that cause inflammation.
Dr. Dwight Lundell is the past Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery at Banner Heart Hospital , Mesa , AZ. His private practice, Cardiac Care Center was in Mesa, AZ. Recently Dr. Lundell left surgery to focus on the nutritional treatment of heart disease. He is the founder of Healthy Humans Foundation that promotes human health with a focus on helping large corporations promote wellness. He is also the author of The Cure for Heart Disease: Truth Will Save a Nation.
