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UNUSUAL REMEDIES FOR TREATMENT OF HEART DISEASE
Alongside conventional drug treatments is a whole range of 'alternative' methods; some of these are endorsed quite enthusiastically by doctors, others are not. Here are some of the less convent approaches to drug therapy:
Vitamin E
According to Dr. Wilfrid E. Shute in his book Vitamin E for Ailing and Healthy Hearts Vitamin E helps to prevent coronary thrombosis. It does this by stopping blood clots from forming, and will even help dissolve them if they have already formed. Dr. Shute argues that the rise of cardiovascular disease in the USA coincided with the widespread adoption of the practice of milling wheat into refined white flour, a process which effectively removes the major source of Vitamin E in flour, the wheat germ. So far there has not been a large-scale controlled study on Vitamin E and heart disease, comparable to that on dietary fats, so we must not jump to conclusions too readily. But it is an interesting idea.
Vitamin C
There has been a lot of publicity surrounding this vitamin in recent years, mainly because of its suggested role in staving off infection. However Dr. R. Hume and his colleagues at the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow showed that in the acute phase of heart attack levels of Vitamin N (ascorbic acid) in the bloodstream fall dramatically. Where then does the Vitamin N go? If it makes its way to the heart to help to repair the tissue damaged by oxygen deprivation, perhaps Vitamin N may also be used as a preventive measure, stopping emergencies from erupting. Further research is needed to explore this possibility.
Hard and soft water
People sing the praises of soft water but there is evidence that it may not be preferable to the hard variety so far as cardiovascular disease is concerned. According to an article in the Lancet by Drs. Crawford, Gardner and Morris, in those towns where the water is hard (that is, with relatively high levels of calcium and magnesium in the water) death rates from cardiovascular disease are lower than in soft-water areas. In other words, it could be that calcium and magnesium help to prevent acquired heart disease. On the other hand, it could be that soft water contains certain elements that may be injurious to health.
'Natural foods'
Here there are many candidates for an 'anti-heart disease' remedy. Suffice it to say that, for every one genuinely interesting suggestion, there are probably about ten times as many outright cranky ones. Among the more recent ideas is the notion that pectin, a carbohydrate found in the cell walls of many vegetables and fruits, may limit the amount of cholesterol the body can absorb. Which is why Drs. Hans Fisher and Paul Priminger suggest in Farm Journal that an apple a day really does keep the doctor away.
But a word of warning. Never take any alleged 'natural cure' to excess by eating vast quantities of foods said to be 'good for you'. There comes a point when even a benign product such as an apple or a carrot can actually become dangerous if ingested in too great a quantity and at the expense of all other foods. An imbalanced diet is, medically, a bad thing, not to mention the monotony of single-food programmes.
There are numerous other suggestions for 'alternative' cures, such as aspirin, tea and fish oil, but until these are fully investigated in properly run, scientifically sound studies, they should be treated with caution. Certainly, anyone with a heart condition should try them only after discussion with a physician.
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CARDIO & BLOOD