Coronary Heart Disease in America

As a part of my Summer Refresh Seasonal Detox we will be focusing on the heart.
Discussing both heart disease and the importance of the emotional condition of
our heart from a more esoteric point of view.
Proverbs 23:7  "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he"
Please enjoy this informative blog which will expand your understanding of heart health.
​It is my pleasure to present Dr. Robert Thiel's point of view on this all important subject.

For this discussion I have chosen to focus on the work of Dr. Robert Thiel, whom I met while living on the Central Coast of California. His comprehensive research on the topic of nutrition speaks for itself. Founder of Doctors' Research Products, one of the first providers of whole foods supplements, he also offers nutritional counseling and has helped many who have suffered to find the path to natural healing. Below you will see excerpts from his book, "Serious Nutrition" for a better understanding of the factors that lead to the development of heart disease.

Robert Thiel, Ph.D. is a nationally recognized nutrition researcher, scientist, naturopath, and a natural health consultant. He believes that clinical science demonstrates that through nutrition and lifestyle changes, the body can heal itself of both chronic and acute ailments; and that for congenital disorders, symptoms associated with them can often be reduced or eliminated.
He is a fully accredited Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Nutrition Science from the Union Institute and University, a Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine/Doctorate in Natural Health from First National University of Naturopathy, a Naturopathic Diploma from the International College of Naturopathy. The State of California awarded him an Instructor Credential in Naturopathic Medicine. Dr. Thiel was nationally board certified as a naturopathic physician by the American Naturopathic Medical Certification and Accreditation Board. Additionally  served as a member of the Council on Immunology/Oncology /Hematology/Vitamins of the American College of Nutrition.
A prolific researcher and author, He has written several books including Combining Old and New: Naturopathy for the 21st Century is his first which is available to the general public. Dr. Thiel’s research captured the attention of the National Institute of Health, National Cancer Institute, and National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, all of whom concluded his research had “significant scientific merit”.

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An interesting development of heart disease related illnesses world wide shows that populations in the formerly Russian States and many parts of Africa are experiencing a surge of heart disease. A recent abstract authored by Thomas A. Gaziano, MD, MSc, Asaf Bitton, MD, Shuchi Anand, MD, Shafika Abrahams-Gessel, MS, and Adrianna Murphy published on the National Center for Biotechnology Information website shows a clear relationship between modernization/industrialization & diets degenerating into processed foods as a major factor.

The photo above shows statistic of heart disease in the US. Although heart health has generally improved in the US, a surprising number of ethnic groups are still experiencing rates higher than average. This is due in part to similar circumstance as the global groups. Low income, highly processed foods, fast or convenience foods that lead to overloaded livers, the end result is development of plaques in the blood vessels, high blood pressure and higher statistical susceptibility to strokes. 

An excerpt from Dr. Thiel's book, "Serious Nutrition" states, "Cardiovascular problems have been the leading or second cause of death in Western societies for decades. Not surprising, the treatment of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia are big business in those societies."
​" What may be surprising is that even many mainstream health authorities recognize that for those with high risk factors, high levels of homocysteine may be a more important determinate of vascular health than high levels of cholesterol. ...but some common assumptions about diet and heart disease are simply not true. For example, properly raised eggs do not seem to raise cholesterol for men at all (and for women, only if they do not eat eggs daily) and most people with hypertension will not benefit by cutting salt out of their diets."
​Dr. Thiel goes onto to state that consumption of trans fatty acids from hydrogenated fats are, as recently documented, the "unhealthy fats", which should be avoided. Additionally he notes that consumption of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from fish and fish oils, soy, flax and leafy vegetables will bring improvement by "reducing circulating levels of triglycerides; reducing platelet aggregation; improving endothelial (cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels) function; reducing arterial blood pressure; up-regulating lipid (any of a class of organic compounds that are fatty acids which are insoluble in water.) oxidation and down-regulating lipid synthesis; and preventing arrhythmias."
On the subject of fish oils, a common choice for healthy Omega 3 fats, he emphasizes one must be careful of excessive fish consumption due to high levels of heavy metals being detected in many marine species. When selecting fish oil supplements he stresses the importance of selecting products that been "cleaned" through molecular distillation. There are now algae based Omega 3 supplements available for those who prefer a non-animal source or are sensitive to fish oils.

On the subject of cholesterol Dr. Thiel cites the work of researchers, Alice and Fred Ottoboni who note that, "cholesterol is a sterol found only in animal tissue that provides membrane flexibility for every cell in the body. Without cholesterol, our bodies could not make steroid or sex hormones, vitamin D, bile acids, other other necessary biochemical. In spite of the scientific evidence, many studies have been published maligning the intake of fats as a direct correlation to the heart disease and the formation of arterial plaques. " ...the Ottoboni's criticizes many these studies for focusing solely on fat consumption while ignoring other dietary factors, such as sugar." it is their belief that high sugar levels and starches when combine with high intake of saturated fats is the deadly combo.

Dr.Thiel goes onto to state, "It should be noted that the consumption of refined carbohydrates was linked to cardiovascular disease decades ago by alternatively inclined doctors. In reference to statin drugs, often prescribed to reduce cholesterol he points out that "the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial, one of the definitive studies on risk factors for heart disease, showed that elevated levels of cholesterol along with high blood pressure and smoking increased risk of heart attack and death from cardiovascular disease" Risk factors between high and low cholesterols groups differed by only 1 percent. Focusing treatment only on those with elevated cholesterol levels and treating them with statin drugs would only effectively help save or prolong death in 10 people per 1,000 treated. One might think that's a good thing until you understand this,  ..."to save 10 people in the high cholesterol group you would have to treat 1,000 people with drugs (statins) known to have toxic side effects that increase deaths from other causes. Is this good Medicine? No, it's insanity.... Statins have been linked to increased risk of kidney disease, immune suppression, memory loss and cancer."

if you or a loved one are taking statin drugs I recommend you do your own research, starting here. The Dangers of Statin Drugs: What you haven't been told about popular cholesterol-lowering medicines"

Dr Thiel's recommendations are to consider dietary changes and nutritional supplementation to help restore heart function and reduce cholesterols safely. Avoid concentrated low fiber carbohydrates, refined sugars, to be blunt...JUNK FOODS and excessive meat consumption. Starting with the addition of Co-Enzyme10 in the form of bovine heart tissue or nutritional yeast, thyroid support via bovine thyroid tissue and from kelp and tyrosine, an amino acid, much can be accomplished to begin the reversal or preventative support for heart disease. Policosanol a cane sugar derivative which can also be found in rice bran is helpful to regulate blood sugar and intermittent claudication (difficulty walking or standing). Bioflavonoids have "positive lipids effect" potentiating cholesterol reduction. Additionally important are proper levels of calcium and magnesium, which when present in abundance in the intestine helps reduce the absorption of saturated fats. In short, nature has provided through our widely varied natural food sources, the proper diet to maintain a healthy heart and even heal a congested and damaged heart and vascular system.

It is advisable in general to avoid expensive non-food supplementation as these products are often straining to the liver, but whole food supplements concentrate the amount of bioavailable nutrients needed to reverse a tendency toward disease. I strongly recommend those with plaque forming cholesterol, high blood pressure and the onset of congestive heart disease seek the help of a qualified naturopath/nutritionist who can guide you to making the needed changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Doctors Research Products are one of several companies dedicated to the support of individuals seeking the best in nutritional supplementation. Dr. Thiel has helped many with chronic illness at his clinic in Grover Beach California. You may contact his office for more information, follow the link to his contact page.

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