Therapeutic Nutrition in Cardiology: An Introduction

Introduction
There are many nutritional theories for cardiovascular diseases (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Obesity is a risk factor for a number of diseases including diabetes. One of the popular theories is that fish oil is beneficial (6).
The Fish Oil Theory
"n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) are suggested to prevent cardiac death via inhibition of cardiac arrhythmia."
Brouwer et al (6)
"Observational studies indicate that intake of fish is associated with a lower incidence of fatal coronary heart disease in several populations."
Brouwer et al (6)
Fish oil is favored by the famous Dr. Andrew Weil (7). It is also favored by orthomolecular scientists (8).
Vitamin E
"Vitamin E is next. At effectively large doses, vitamin E helps to strengthen and regulate the heartbeat. It works almost like one of the digitalis family of drugs." Dr. Andrew Saul
Dr. Saul treated a patient with severe arrhythmia. He gave magnesium, calcium, and large doses of vitamin E (9).
Saul also had him take fish oil, vitamin C, and B complex vitamins. The dosage of vitamin E was 1000 international units, which is greater than the RDA. Saul reported a miraculous cure of the patient.
"The complete or nearly complete prevention of angina attacks is the usual and expected result of treatment with alpha tocopherol." Wilfrid Shute, M. D., cardiologist

"In addition, vitamin E inhibits blood clotting (platelet aggregation and adhesion) and prevents plaque enlargement and rupture." Dr. Andrew Saul (9)
Shute used vitamin E to treat hypertension as well as other forms of heart disease.
Vitamin C
Rath and Pauling favored the use of mega doses of vitamin C and of lysine, an amino acid, to fight
cardiovascular disease (10). This was confirmed by 1998 Nobel Prize winner Dr. Louis J. Ignarro (11). Thus the theory has been favored by two Nobel prize winners. Pauling is deceased, but Rath is till alive and still supports the theory.

Conclusions

It can be concluded that there is a lot of hope for heart disease. Much of this hope lies in the area of nutrition. Cardiovascular surgeons and undertakers would have a lot less work to do if people gave up junk foods and followed good diets as well as taking supplements.

References

1. Lonn E, Yusuf S, Arnold MJ, et al. Homocysteine lowering with folic acid and B vitamins in vascular disease. N Engl J Med. 2006; 354 :1567-1577. [PubMed]

2. Virtanen JK, Voutilainen S, Alfthan G, et al. Homocysteine as a risk factor for CVD mortality in men with other CVD risk factors: The Kuopio ischemic heart disease risk factor (KIHD) study. J Intern Med. 2005; 257 :255-262.

3. Bos MJ, van Goor ML, Koudstaal PJ, et al. Plasma homocysteine is a risk factor for recurrent vascular events in young patients with an ischemic stroke or TIA. J Neurol. 2005; 252 :332-337. [PubMed]

4. Spence JD. Homocysteine-lowering therapy: A role in stroke prevention? Lancet Neurol. 2007; 6 :830-838.

5. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Apr;26(2):121-32. Dietary magnesium deficiency induces heart rhythm changes, impairs glucose tolerance and decreases serum cholesterol in post menopausal women. Nielsen FH, Milne DB, Klevay, Gallagher S, Johnson L.

6. Brouwer IA, Geelen A, Katan MB. n-3 Fatty acids, cardiac arrhythmia and fatal coronary heart disease. Prog Lipid Res . 2006 Jul;45(4):357-67. Epub 2006 Apr 18. Review.

7. www.drweil.com.

8. www.orthomolecular.org.

9. www.doctoryourself.com.

10. "A unified theory of human cardiovascular disease leading the way to the abolition of this disease as a cause for human mortality". Rath, M., Pauling, L., J of Orthomolecular Medicine, 7: 5-15.7.

11. "Long-term combined beneficial effects of physical training and metabolic treatment on arterioscleroses in hypercholesterolemic mice", Ignarro, LJ, Publication of the National Academy of Science, Vol 101, 246-252, June 8, 2004.