JOHN APPLETON ON HEALTH
NUTRITIONAL OPTIONS FOR THE HEART LAST MONTH I ATTENDED THE AUSTRALASIAN INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE (AIMA) Conference in Melbourne (I was involved as a minor sponsor of the event). AIMA www.aima.net.au is an independent not for profit organisation of individual medical practitioners seeking to provide whole person medical care by integrating evidence based complementary medicine into mainstream practice. Former AIMA president Prof Marc Cohen who is a medical doctor with two PhDs says “Ultimately, medicine has a single aim: to relieve human suffering. When measured against this benchmark, different therapies can be seen as either effective or ineffective rather than `orthodox’ or `unorthodox’. No single professional group has ownership of health, and the best healthcare requires a multidisciplinary approach. Thus there is an imperative for all healthcare professionals to work together for the benefit of their patients and the wider community.” Of particular interest for me at the conference was a very enlightening presentation by Australian Cardiologist Dr Ross Walker. It’s clear that more and more doctors are now looking for new ways to improve outcomes for their patients and are using nutritional interventions with considerable success. When one really looks around, it’s surprising how many options there are for supporting normal cardiovascular function. Objectives are to: maintain the integrity of our blood vessels – reduce the potential for chronic inflammation – maintain normal blood pressure – support the normal rhythm of the heart and to ensure that the energy requirements of this vital organ are being met. In the world of nutrition, for me, the key plank when it comes to a healthy heart is a sharp focus on a plant based diet. However in the highly ‘toxic’ world we live in today it’s all but impossible to obtain optimal levels of key nutrients from our diet alone and supplementation can be important when it comes to achieving the objectives as above. In his book ‘Stop America’s Number 1 Killer’, American Cardiologist Dr Thomas Levy provides 650 references from the medical literature to ‘show’ how vitamin C is essential for the health of our blood vessels. Our blood vessels rely on collagen (the most abundant protein in the body) for their integrity. No vitamin C – no collagen. vitamin C is at the top of my list. Chronic inflammation is something we need to be very mindful of when it comes to preventing heart disease. Nature’s anti-inflammatories are omega 3 (from Fish Oils) Curcumin (an extract from turmeric) and magnesium (most New Zealanders have less then optimal levels of magnesium). An important but simple blood test can assess inflammation – HSCRP (high sensitivity C reactive protein).
The World Belongs to the Dissatisfied
Nutrients that can be used to support normal blood pressure are: coenzyme Q10 (the ‘active’ - ubiquinol form is more readily absorbed) – magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Vitamin C would also be on my list. An amino acid L-Arginine provides an additional option if required. Many of us from time to time are aware of missed heart beats – a racing heart or other problems with normal rhythm such as atrial fibrillation. All of these are known as arrhythmias. Nutrients that can be used to support normal heart rhythm are magnesium – coenzyme Q10 and omega 3 (fish oil). Heart failure is a serious condition that develops over time as the heart is less able to function normally. Symptoms such as shortness of breath and build-up of fluid in the legs and lungs require on-going treatment. Metabolic Cardiology is a relatively new term which looks at heart failure as an energy crisis and with specific nutrients addressing the energy needs of the heart this approach has a lot to offer. Dr Stephen Sinatra (American Cardiologist) talks about the ‘awesome foursome’ using coenzyme Q10 – D-ribose – L-carnitine and magnesium as nutrients to ‘recharge’ the cellular ‘batteries’ in the heart known as mitochondria. His well referenced book ‘The Sinatra Solution’ is excellent. In heart cells, approximately 75% of the volume is occupied by mitochondria which is indicative of the energy requirements of the heart. Coenzyme Q10 has vital role in ‘sparking’ the production of the fuel (ATP) which is used by the cell for energy. L-carnitine (an amino acid) is responsible for shuttling fats into the mitochondria where they can be burned for energy and D-ribose is a simple ‘sugar’ which has a primary role of rebuilding the energy ‘pool’ in the cell. Magnesium is an essential mineral that’s critical for energy requiring processes. Unless we have adequate levels of magnesium in our cells, the cellular processes of energy metabolism cannot function. Each member of the “awesome foursome” is fundamental to cellular energy metabolism in its own right and each plays a unique and vital role in supplying the heart with the energy it needs to preserve its contractile force. When it comes to the heart, Metabolic Cardiology surely is the future of medicine. It’s important however not to stop taking any medication without consulting with your doctor. For anyone interested in the integrative approach to medicine – the head of the Auckland chapter of AIMA is Dr Bernard Willis “The Optimal Wellness Centre” 475a, Manukau Road, Epsom T: 09 623 6234 (JOHN APPLETON) PN APPLETON ASSOCIATES, T: 09 489 9362 john@johnappleton.co.nz www.johnappleton.co.nz
DEADLINE – 20TH OF THE MONTH October 2012 PONSONBY NEWS+
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