Fasting and Eating for Health (18 page)

Normally, clots occur to prevent bleeding from a damaged blood vessel, but a clot, or thrombus, that occurs as a result of a small fissure or ulceration in a vessel wall diseased with atherosclerosis can occlude it, leading to a heart attack or infarction (death of tissue in a specific area due to blockage of circulation). In a person with atherosclerotic heart disease, we cannot predict the spot where this fissure in the plaque and subsequent blockage will occur.

An embolus is a traveling thrombus that can occlude a small artery in the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke. The main causes of strokes and heart attacks are thrombi and emboli.

While medical treatments aim at reducing symptoms and may address some discrete areas of disease, they do little or nothing to remove the underlying illness or stop its progression to an untimely death. On the other hand, fasting treats the entire body. It addresses all the biochemical abnormalities that make cardiovascular disease so dangerous. Combine this with a cholesterol-free diet before and after the fast, and patients are able to rejuvenate their cardiovascular system, safely adding years to their life.

Fasting thins the blood and prevents blood clots, or thrombi. Platelets do not clot as easily during fasting, and the ability of the red blood cells to clump together is diminished. Therefore, the fast quickly lowers an individual's risk of a heart attack.

The potential of a total fast (water only) to induce biochemical changes within the body that prevent formation of a thrombus has been well documented.56 In one such study a fast was undertaken by 22 normal volunteers. The ability of their blood to clot and .form a thrombus under fasting conditions was extensively analyzed. Fasting was discovered to lead to the reduction of blood plasma and red cell coagulation, deterioration of platelet aggregation, a rise of the oxidized hemoglobin content, and an increase in red cell resistance to peroxide hemolysis. In short, fasting lowers the risk of intravascular coagulation and thrombus formation.

Other studies have shown that after 36 hours of fasting there is a significant increase in the fibrinolytic activity of the blood. Fibrinolysis is the breakdown of clots. This activity continues for 24 hours after the fast is terminated.57,58

Increased fibrinolysis during fasting may account for the dramatic improvement and feeling of well-being in patients suffering from thrombophlebitis (caused by clots in the blood vessels in the legs) who are fasting to treat obesity.59

Early in the fasting state, a significant increase in sodium and fluid excretion is predictable. This property of the fast to allow the body to excrete extra fluid has been shown to be effective as a treatment for congestive heart failure.60

The sodium excretion and the quick loss of excessive fluid retained within the 94

body's tissue and in the blood immediately place less stress on a diseased or weakened heart.

Fasting so effectively reduces the workload of the heart that its efficacy has even been reported in cases of intractable, severe congestive heart failure.

These medical investigations began when low-salt diets and medications such as diuretics no longer sufficed to prevent the heart failure from causing fluid overload, multi-organ failure, and death, and physicians were looking for another solution.

One indication that a patient with severe chronic heart failure is entering a terminal phase is when he or she retains water, even when given diuretics and when salt intake is restricted. Several drastic measures have then been applied, including tube drainage, dialysis, and water restriction. In the search for a more successful and
less
harrowing program of management of these patients, fasting was tried .and found to be successful in spite of failure of all other medical interventions.

In a case reported by Arthur J. Merrill, M.D., a patient who was spiraling downhill and expected to die was placed on a fast. This resulted in her recovery, enabling her to be
sent
home without shortness of breath or edema.

Dr. Merrill states, "Had it been realized that the change would be so spectacular, a more strenuous effort would have been made to obtain accurate intake and output data with an indwelling catheter, as well as 24-hour excretions of sodium, but the patient was thought to be moribund."61

During the early portion of a water fast, excretion of sodium is about three times that observed with a low-salt diet. This and other biochemical parameters that favor the liquid state of the blood and lower cardiac workloads are desirable aspects of water fasting not seen with juice fasts or calorie-restricted diets. Remember, consuming only juices or any other source of calories will not give the same benefits to the cardiac patient as a total fast. Even the smallest amount of carbohydrate stops the sodium excretion.62,63

The fast will immediately lower or remove the risks that hang like a dagger on a thread ready to drop on disease sufferers and cut short their lives. Diets and treatments of every description flood the media, but nothing will remove these risk factors as effectively, quickly, and predictably as fasting.

A case in point is that of Robert, a 59-year-old counselor. When he came to see me he was in quite a dangerous condition, having suffered two heart attacks. A third one was obviously imminent. Robert had undergone balloon angioplasty and bypass surgery but was now suffering from recurrence of his angina (chest pain). His last angiogram showed complete blockage of two out of the three main coronary arteries and 80 percent blockage of the remaining one. He was having chest pain even as he sat in my office and described his medical history.

Robert explained that a recent stress test showed such severe cardiac insufficiency that his cardiologist had immediately stopped the test. This 95

physician recommended repeating the bypass surgery. Robert, remembering his prior bypass experience, which almost killed him and resulted in prolonged postoperative mental confusion, decided to refuse such a risky procedure. He instead contacted Dr. Dean Ornish's office, which referred him to me.

After observing Robert for a short period of time, we began his fast. Shortly thereafter, Robert's blood pressure began to fall to a safe level and he felt better than he had in years. The biochemical changes that occur during a fast, decreasing the blood's ability to clot, lowered his risk of sudden death. His blood pressure fell to within the normal range and he enthusiastically continued his fast for a total of 24 days. His chest pain did not recur. The results of his next electrocardiogram (EKG) showed that the signs of ischemia (impaired oxygen delivery to the heart) had resolved.

No long taking any medication, Robert began to exercise—riding a bike and lifting weights—free of any pain. Today he is living a life free of any cardiac symptoms.

Another patient, Neil, underwent two balloon angioplasty procedures for recurrent angina. Within a few months after each angioplasty, his chest pain recurred, as did his severe coronary blockage, as demonstrated by repeated angiograms. He received the bad news from his physician: "You must undergo bypass surgery now as too much scar tissue has formed in the main artery of your heart and we cannot do another angioplasty." Neil refused bypass surgery and was referred to me. He underwent a 20-day fast. Soon, he was free of pain and able to play tennis and golf, and enjoy his previously active life, symptom-free. He no longer required any medication for high blood pressure or chest pain. Repeated cardiac testing (PET scans) a few months later showed that his blockage had reversed from approximately 95 percent to 60 percent. By changing his diet and fasting, he quickly reversed a dangerous cardiac condition.

For many years, Kevin had been suffering from erectile impotence and excruciating pain in his legs whenever he walked. This type of pain is called intermittent claudication. It is caused by blockages in the blood vessels that supply blood to the legs. The leg and hip pain began when the patient was 46, but at that time manifested itself only during significant exertions, such as long hikes. The pain slowly progressed over the years and in the last two years had become quite
severe.
Recently, even mild exertion such as walking 100 yards on a flat surface would generate acute pain in both legs and hips and numbness in the left foot.

Kevin consulted numerous physicians and underwent an angiogram, which documented severe atherosclerosis of the iliac arteries (major blood vessels in the leg). Immediate angioplasty of the arteries in the legs was recommended.

The patient was informed there were no alternatives. Primary hypogonadism (low testosterone levels) was also diagnosed, which was thought to be the source of his impotence. He was given injections of testosterone every two weeks for the condition.

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Kevin fasted for only 12 days. During the fast he continued to suffer from the above symptoms. After the fast he was first fed a small quantity of fresh fruit and vegetable juice. He progressed to melon by the end of the fourth day and was then fed raw salad and vegetables. On the fourth day of refeeding he began exercising on a stationary bike. By the seventh day of refeeding Kevin was able to walk 20 minutes without any discomfort in the legs, calves, or feet.

Upon discharge, Kevin was instructed to follow an extremely low-fat, low-protein diet, high in complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and derived from fresh fruit, vegetables, and grains. When he returned for followup four weeks later, he was walking long distances without symptoms, his intermittent claudication had not returned, and he no longer required the testosterone injections as he was no longer impotent.

A fascinating aspect of fasting patients with atherosclerosis is the marked rise in cholesterol seen during the fast. Frequently patients whose cholesterol levels have gradually decreased to around 150 as a result of adopting a zero-cholesterol, plant-based diet see their cholesterol levels almost double during fasting. This large increase can occasionally continue for months after the fast is terminated. This probably reflects the breakdown of atheromas (cholesterol-laden blood vessel blockages) with release of their cholesterol contents.

Wayne, a 53-year-old man with a history of three prior angioplasties and an arthrectomy, had recurrence of his angina immediately after each of these four separate procedures. He brought his cholesterol level down from 280 to 159 by adopting a zero-cholesterol, plant-based diet, but continued to have angina while following the diet, so we began a fast about three months later. His cholesterol level on day 7 of the fast was 380; on day 14 it was 365. His angina ended on day 3 of the fast. He completed a 21-day fast and his angina has not returned. The cholesterol level normalized again to around 150 three months later. In individuals with arterial pathways narrowed by plaque, the cholesterol levels usually increase during fasting. Young patients or those who have followed vegetarian diets for years prior to their fast, who obviously do not have fatty plaque lining their blood vessels, do not illustrate this rise in cholesterol.

A Complete Recovery Is Possible—Don't Settle for Less
It is my belief that these nutritional approaches are the medicine of the future.

People who are at risk
for
heart attack or stroke because of high blood pressure, angina, or significant blockages in their coronary arteries can significantly extend their life span, avoid invasive medical procedures, and eliminate potentially dangerous medications for heart disease and high blood pressure. Taking advantage of today's state-of-the-art nutritional approaches makes this possible.

In my medical practice, I motivate and support patients who wish to regain control of their health. Many patients require ongoing guidance and close medical supervision during this transition. Patients quickly realize that eating a plant-based diet for better health is enjoyable and easy, not a sacrifice, and 97

they become enthusiastic as they watch their medical problem improve and eventually resolve. I believe this type of medical care is more rewarding for the physician as well as the patient. Inevitably, more physicians will be embracing this type of care in the future.

Making significant dietary changes allows people who suffer with coronary heart disease, high cholesterol, overweight or obesity, adult diabetes, high blood pressure, and/or certain digestive and rheumatic degenerative diseases first to reduce and then to eliminate their dependence on medications and to avoid major palliative surgeries, such as heart bypass and angioplasty.

A change to a low-fat, plant-centered diet is also the most effective way to permanently lose weight and gain more energy. This, along with smoking cessation and regular exercise, reduces the risk of chronic diseases that are the leading cause of illness, death, and health-care expenditures in the United States.

Helping my patients adopt an optimal nutrition approach that will reverse, retard, or prevent disease represents the most conservative approach to the treatment of many chronic, degenerative ailments and diseases. I believe this conservative approach is also the most progressive.

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Nutrition

One in 20 people has diabetes in this country. Diabetes, our seventh leading cause of death, is also a nutritionally related disease, one that is both preventable and reversible through nutritional methods. Like many other chronic diseases, diabetes is increasing in prevalence in the United States.

There are basically two types of diabetes: type I, or childhood-onset diabetes, and type II, or adult-onset diabetes. In type I, which generally occurs earlier in life, children incur damage to the pancreas, the organ that produces and secretes insulin, so they have an insulin deficiency. In type II, the individual still produces near-normal levels of insulin, but the body is resistant to it, so the level of blood sugar, or glucose, rises. The end result is the same in both types of the disease: the individual has a high glucose level in the blood.

Both types of diabetes accelerate the aging of our bodies. Having diabetes greatly speeds up the development of atherosclerosis, or cardiovascular disease. Diabetes also ages and destroys the kidney and other body systems.