Heart-shaped vegetable cutlet
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At the recent ICM meeting "Matters of the Heart" in Philadelphia March 6-8, 2019, one of the little-known secrets of integrative cardiology was revealed. The plant-based diet can prevent and reverse coronary-artery disease.
Case Reports
A few case reports in the medical literature are illustrative: In 2015, Dr Massera reported on a 60-year-old male with typical angina and a positive stress test who declined both drug therapy and invasive treatment. His symptoms resolved promptly on a plant-based diet. (13)
"A 60-year-old man presented with typical angina and had a positive stress test. He declined both drug therapy and invasive testing. Instead, he chose to adopt a whole-food plant-based diet, which consisted primarily of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, potatoes, beans, legumes, and nuts. His symptoms improved rapidly, as well as his weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels." (13)
Here is another 2017 case report from Dr Daniela Massera of a 77-year-old female with unstable angina who declined bypass surgery. Her symptoms resolved on a plant-based diet: (12)
"A 77-year-old hypertensive female with unstable angina was taking atenolol 50 mg and simvastatin 20 mg daily. She had chest pain (angina) with mild exercise which resolved at rest. Coronary angiography showed severe triple vessel disease with normal left ventricular function (normal EF). The patient declined treatment with cardiac bypass surgery. Instead she changed her diet from a 'healthy western' to a whole-food plant-based diet (all vegetables, fruits, whole grains, potatoes, beans, legumes and nuts). She avoided all animal products, eggs, dairy, meat. One month later, symptoms had resolved and the patient could walk on treadmill form 50 minutes without chest pain."(12)
A third case is a 79-year-old male who has an improvement in left-ventricular function on a plant-based diet.(11) Three more case reports were published by Dr Esselstyn in 2004.(14)
40% Reduction in Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease
According to Dr Kahleova in 2018, plant-based diet reduces mortality from cardiovascular disease by 40%, the only diet to reverse coronary-artery disease, as well as beneficial for weight loss, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.(3-4)(9):
"Vegetarian dietary patterns reduce CVD mortality and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by 40%. Plant-based diets are the only dietary pattern to have shown reversal of CHD. Additionally, evidence suggests benefits of vegetarian dietary patterns in both the prevention and the treatment of heart failure and cerebrovascular disease. Plant-based diets are associated with lower blood pressure, lower blood lipids, and reduced platelet aggregation than non-vegetarian diets and are beneficial in weight management, reduce the risk of developing metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. They have also been shown an effective treatment method in diabetes management." (3-4)
What is a Plant-Based Diet?
Dr Robert Ostfeld in Geriatric Cardiology 2017 gives us the definition of a plant-based diet: "All minimally processed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, herbs, and spices and excludes all animal products, including red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products."(5)
Benefits for Weight Loss, and Obesity
In 2017 Dr Turner-McGrievy reports that:
"Both clinical trials and observational research indicate advantage of PBDs (Plant-Based Diets) for preventing obesity and promoting weight loss."(6)
