Preventing Heart Disease
The number one cause of death in the United States every single year for both men and women since 1918 (when a bird flu virus likely triggered the deadliest plague in human history) continues to be heart disease. William Clifford Roberts recently published a landmark review on the cause of our number one killer.
Dr. Roberts is executive director of the Baylor Cardiovascular Institute, has authored more than 1,300 scientific publications, written more than a dozen textbooks on cardiology, and has been the editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Cardiology for 25 years.
The review, published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nutrition in Clinical Practice, was entitled “The Cause of Atherosclerosis.” Doesn’t he mean causes? Aren’t there lots of things that increase our risk of heart disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, inactivity, cigarette smoking, etc.? None of those matter, he says, unless our cholesterol is too high. All those other things can speed the buildup of plaque in our arteries; but since the plaque itself is made out of cholesterol, if our cholesterol level is low enough, there is nothing with which our body can actually build plaque. According to Dr. Roberts, atherosclerosis simply does not occur if cholesterol is low enough.
If cholesterol is the cause of atherosclerosis, how low does our cholesterol have to be for us to become heart-attack proof? Ideally, our bad cholesterol—“LDL”—should be under 70. Quoting the review: “If such a goal was created, the great scourge of the Western world would be essentially eliminated.” There are only two ways, he says, to get it down that low: (1) put a hundred million people on a lifetime of high dose statin drugs starting in their twenties, or (2) be what he calls a “pure vegetarian fruit eater,” which is the term he uses for those eating whole food vegan diets.
If we put everyone on drugs, then thousands of people would suffer side-effects. So, according to Dr. Roberts, “Of course a… [vegan] diet is the least expensive and safest means of achieving the plaque-preventing LDL goal, but few in the Western world are willing to live on the herbivore diet.” In his words in a recent interview: “The best way to prevent heart disease is to be a…non-flesh eater, a non-saturated fat eater.” “Because humans get atherosclerosis,” he reasons, “and that’s a disease only of herbivores, humans also must be herbivores.”
The cause of our number one killer is elevated cholesterol. According to Dr. Roberts, probably the most renowned cardiovascular pathologist in the world, that means the cause of our number one killer is: not eating vegan.
20 Comments
What about fish?? Isn’t it important to get heart healthy fats from fish oil in our diet?
Great post!
I agree with Brian!
Jodie – I also have moderate cholesterol but have quite a healthy lifestyle and am not overweight. Apparently for me, it runs in the genes…So it’s just being extra careful about doing anything that will make it worse.
If you’re eating a good diet (whole-foods plant-based, packed with nuts, beans, veggies, etc while eliminating trans fats (found still in many deep-fried foods) and minimizing saturated plant fats (cocoa butter (in chocolate), coconut oil (in coconut milk), and palm kernel oil (in much processed junk)) then I would encourage you to ask your physician about getting your thyroid function tested. If you do have an underactive thyroid, then thyroid hormone replacement therapy (like synthroid) should drop your LDL into the safe zone.
Thank you for the question and do let me know how you’re doing–an LDL that high is certainly a concern.
In health,
-Michael
My mom’s side of the family has a history of heart disease. When I was young (maybe 8-10 yrs old) I vowed to never end up like my family. I limited my butter intake, fate intake, ect and I was 10! I am now 20 and now full vegan and loving how I feel with this new lifestyle. My aunt’s and uncle’s on my mom’s side are still eating their food high in fat and yes – dead animals. They are in poorer health then they were when I was younger and I am thankful I found out about veganism.
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Could the thyroid be a contributing factor if it’s subclincal? I know that over the last few years it has been creeping toward hypoactive, but it’s not quite there yet.
What about the wonderful book, The Vegetarian Myth? Also Dr. Glen Auckerman , very noted intergrative physician in Columbus, Ohio, says to NOT eat nuts, soy, nut butters, avocados, bananas, i.e. “latex” fruits and vegetables….he says reduce inflammation by eating full fat milk, butter, no corn-fed animals, locally grown produce and in-season only.
Hey Jodie! Your cholesterol level is plenty low. It’s normal for a body to make cholesterol. You need it for a variety of normal functions.
The vegetarian myth is based on poor reasoning unfortunately. I did not find it so wonderful. That’s quite a bold recommendation Dr. Auckerman gives! Does he have any studies to back it up?
In my opinion, dietary cholesterol does not cause high cholesterol – just as eating fat, does not make you fat. I have seen a lot of research on eating a diet high in grains (wheat, breads, pasta, etc.) can actually cause this problem in our bodies due to their effect on insulin levels. Look into it! :D
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I’ve been vegan without fail for 3 years, and still can’t get my LDL below 113. My body just keeps on pumping it out despite no cholesterol in my diet.
May 12, 2010