Question

[waiting]

If you had plaque in your arteries, what herbs would you take and why?

[Mother]

Perhaps Lois will have some input on this also but that's a difficult question Waiting because plaque buildup is a complicated issue. Taking herbs alone will not guarantee the plaque will be dissolved or that it won't return without a change in lifestyle, diet and perhaps even attitude if you believe that the mind has much to do with your health.

 

Off the top of my head and without the research at my fingertips to back it up,(though there has been thorough research into both of these herbs) I would suggest garlic and perhaps cayenne. Garlic, through it's active ingredients, one of which is allicin, reduces the ability of blood platelets and plaque attaching to the vessel walls and helps to prevent further buildup. It is a terrific antioxidant which reduces free radicals, one contributing factor to plaque buildup.

 

Cayenne works on a different, but similar, principle to lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. It is a very warming herb and increases the flow of the blood.

 

Caution: Both of these herbs are considered blood thinners and may interact with medicines you are currently taking.

 

I know you only asked about herbs but I'd like to caution that without getting to the root cause of the plaque and changing that, it's very difficult to keep the plaque from forming.

 

If I could suggest a couple of diet changes I would have to say add oatmeal to your DAILY diet. Study after study shows it's effectiveness and my DH brought his cholesterol down, despite a family history, to normal levels in only six months of adding daily oatmeal to his diet. It works. He was not reduced to a bowl of oatmeal each morning. We used it in bread, meat loaf, deserts and more. Lots of ways to sneak it in.

 

I would also encourage a change from saturated and hydrogenated fats in the diet to those higher in Omega 3's and 6's. That alone can start to dissolve plaque. Flax, fish, borage and evening primrose are some that come to mind. Olive oil is a good substitute but basically only contains Omega 6's and part of the problem comes from not enough omega 3's in the diet. Even adding freshly ground flax seed to foods is a great help. Make sure all these oils are FRESH though as rancid oils cause serious problems in the system.

 

I might point out that plaque in the arteries affects more than the heart area. Plaque can affect the brain, eyesight, hearing, circulation and even sexual prowess.

 

Hope this helps.

 

[waiting]

Yes, thank you. The info helped. We try to eat garlic and use olive oil but don't get enough of it, I'm sure. The oatmeal we have plenty of here but don't eat it as much as

we should, either. I do have flax seed which I've had awhile but I think it probably is okay because I keep it in the 'frig. And yes, we eat fried foods, which is a big no no but what can I say....DH and I both smoke, which we both will have to quit now and I'll have to change the way I cook, so looking into that. DH is the one with the health problem,(although I highly suspect I have clogged arteries and thought so before his condition was confirmed.) His cholesterol level is fine. He took the usual prescription that they give for this, which didn't help, and then his doctor told him about Red Yeast Rice, which the nurses took, so that is what he used to get his cholesteol back down to where it should be. (The only reason the Dr. told him about the Red Yeast Rice was because he knew DH was "into" alternative methods. I have heard of evening primrose but never read much about it. Will check into it.

And, yes, I believe attitude has more to do with health than a lot of people realize. I've read a lot on attitude and health and one study on what anger does to the system....but that's a whole new subject.

Anyhow, thanks for your info and if there is anything Lois or anyone else can share, I would appreciate it.

[Lois]

The really nice thing about flax seed is that it keeps well. When you grind or crack it, it begins to deteriorate, so grind it as you use it. I like it on salads and on cereals also.

Getting the bad fats out of your diet is the best way to allow the good fats to begin working on the clean up in your system.

If you must fry occasionally use coconut oil, which will not change when cooking in it.

For most of us it is difficult to get enough essential fatty acids in our diet alone, so we supplement with salmon oil and Evening Primrose oil from Swanson's http://www.swansonvitamins.com/

[waiting]

Thanks,Lois. I've bookmarked the site.

[westbrook]

http://cancercure.ws/budwig.htm

http://curezone.com/diseases/cancer/cancer_dr_budwig.html

 

just thought I would post this.

[waiting]

Thanks, Westie. Interesting site. I see he advocates grape juice. Red wine and brown bread are supposed to build up the blood, according to Edgar Cayce. I know a lot of people may not be interested in what he had to say because of his "source", but I find it interesting that much of what he had to say in the early 1900's is what the doctors are telling people to do today. Not sure I go along with all he had to say about different subjects, but when it comes to health issues, he has been proven right in a lot of areas, and will more than likely be proven right at some future time on the other health issues.