Atherosclerosis, or arterial plaque, is the bottom line when looking at heart disease. What's interesting is that atherosclerosis is actually a product of the immune system -- when the arterial walls suffer from constant inflammation, lesions gradually develop. Since the body's priority is to stay alive now, even if it means self-sabotage in the long run, it delivers cholesterol to the lesions to patch them up, hence causing high cholesterol and atherosclerosis. The real key to healing heart disease, then, is to ferret out what's driving the inflammation.
One connection between digestion and the heart involves a very common stomach bacterium called helicobacter pylori, which is best known for causing gastric ulcers. What's less known, however, is that an h.pylori infection is also destructive to the walls of arteries; autopsies are turning up h.pylori in the lesions of stroke and heart attack victims. Considering that most, if not all, chronic users of antacids harbor excess h.pylori, we can see how statin drugs or heart-building nutrients are of little value for these people.

Another connection concerns the diet, but not fats. Rather, excessive carbohydrates are the main culprit in cardiovascular disease. After years of a typically American high-carb, sugar-laden diet that calls on the pancreas repeatedly to flood the system with insulin, the body's cells become insulin resistant. This leaves excess amounts of insulin circulating through the bloodstream, leading to high blood pressure, an increase in blood-thickening fibrinogen, and an increase of the enzyme activity that elevates cholesterol and hormonal imbalances.

In cases of insulin resistance we see men becoming estrogen dominant (developing breasts and hips) and women becoming testosterone dominant (growing beards and losing hair), and we know cardiovascular destruction is well under way.

These are the folks who are fatigued after meals and whose fasting blood sugar is over 100.
Healing cardiovascular damage naturally requires patience, dedication and thoroughness, not only from an educated practitioner, but especially from the patient.

Elaine Fawcett is a Certified Nutritional Therapist and health writer. For more information go to digestionconnexion.com or call Nourishing Health at (503) 569-6002