Heart Disease and the Plant Based Diet

It’s no secret that what we eat affects our heart and our overall health. But, how exactly does a plant based diet affect our heart? And, can eating a plant based diet actually prevent and reverse heart disease?

Heart Disease

First, what exactly is heart disease?

Heart disease is a broad, general term for a wide variety of heart conditions. These include arrhythmias, congenital heart defects, and blood vessel diseases, such as coronary artery disease (CAD), which is the most common.

When cholesterol and plaque buildup in the arteries, the arteries become hardened and narrowed. This hardening makes it increasingly more difficult for blood to flow, which results in decreased blood and oxygen supply to the heart.

Symptoms

Symptoms of heart disease may be:

angina (chest pain)
shortness of breath
chest tightness or pressure
decreased blood flow, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke
heart failure
pain, numbness, or coldness in legs or arms (where blood vessels are narrowed)
pain in neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen, or back
heart racing or fluttering in chest
lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting

Heart disease is not only the number one cause of death in the United States, but also the world.

Risk factors

Risk factors for developing heart disease include:

high blood pressure
high cholesterol
diabetes
smoking
obesity
unhealthy diet
age
family history
stress
physical inactivity
poor dental health
excessive alcohol use

Complications

Complications from heart disease include:

heart failure
heart attack (myocardial infarction)
stroke
aneurysm
peripheral artery disease
sudden cardiac arrest

Pink stethoscope surrounded by variety of yellow and green vegetables.

Prevent and Control Heart Disease with a Plant Based Diet

Many studies have shown that a plant based diet can prevent heart disease. However, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s groundbreaking research discovered that a plant based diet actually has the ability to reverse heart disease.

In 1985, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D., initiated a study of 24 patients (ranging in age from 43-67 years old) with advanced CAD. In fact, 5 of these patients were given one year to live by their cardiologists. Previously, these patients had experienced 49 cardiovascular events, including:

15 cases of increased angina
13 cases of measurable disease progression
7 bypass surgeries
4 heart attacks
3 strokes
2 angioplasty procedures
2 worsening stress test results

At the start of the study, all patients were put on a plant based diet, which was low in fat, contained no oil, and little to no caffeine. Initially, small quantities of low fat dairy were included in their diets, but dairy was eventually removed all-together.

After one year, 6 patients had dropped out of Dr. Esselstyn’s study. At the end of 5 years, 18 patients still remained. And of those 18 patients:

no coronary events from start of study
11 had no progression of CAD
8 had reversal of CAD

On the contrary, of those 6 patients who dropped out early on:

4 cardiac bypass operations
4 cases of increased angina
2 new episodes of ventricular tachycardia
1 angioplasty
a new case of congestive heart failure
1 death

In 2007, over 20 years since the start of his initial study, 15 of the 18 participants were still alive and well.

Follow-up study

After the incredible results from Dr. Esselstyn’s original small heart disease study, a second larger study was conducted in 2014. This study consisted of 198 patients:

119 had undergone previous coronary intervention (stents or bypass surgery)
44 had previous heart attacks

Participants were asked to follow a strict whole food plant based diet, and results were monitored over 4 years. 177 of the 198 participants adhered to the WFPB diet.

Outcomes for the 177 adherent participants:

99.4% avoided any major cardiac event (including heart attack and stroke)
144 improved
39 experienced reversal of CAD
4 worsened
5 deaths, but none of them were cardiac-related
93% improved angina
average 18.7 pound weight loss

Outcomes for 21 non-adherent participants:

0 improved
11 with CAD progression
13 worsened
2 deaths, both of which were cardiac-related

Dr. Esselstyn’s research had once again proven that a WFPB diet can not only prevent heart disease, but has the ability to reverse it as well.

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease book by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

Controversy?

Dr. Esselstyn’s scientific research results have been criticized due to the small number of patients in his studies and for having no randomization or control group. Additionally, the 24 original patients all took cholesterol lowering medications and none were smokers.

I think any reasonable person can look at Dr. Esselstyn’s study results and conclude that there must be a strong link between diet and heart disease. No other diet or intervention has exhibited the ability to reverse heart disease.

Does more research need to be done? And, with larger study sizes and control groups? Absolutely! But I’m here to tell you: the funding isn’t there. Why? Because there isn’t a whole lot of money to be made in medicine by putting patients on a whole food plant based diet.

Doctors, hospitals, and drug companies don’t make money by educating patients about diet and ways to avoid medical intervention. They make money by conducting procedures, performing surgeries, and prescribing medications.

Additionally, pharmaceutical companies give funding to some medical schools. I think the true controversies are clear…

Family History ≠ Fate

Each of our cells expresses (turns on) only a fraction of its genes. The remaining genes are repressed (turned off). Gene regulation is the process of turning genes off and on.

We have trillions of cells in our body, each containing DNA. Epigenetics are the non-genetic influences that cause gene expression (such as age, environment, and diet.) Rather than change the DNA itself, epigenetic signals cause changes in the chemical groups attached to a gene, turning it off and on. The foods we eat are an important source of epigenetic signals.

Animal foods, such as meat and poultry, cheese, milk, and eggs are one of the primary causes of obesity, heart disease, and common cancers. For example, choline (a chemical found in high concentrations in animal foods) has profound negative effects on gene expression. In contrast, folate from plants causes favorable epigenetic changes.

Your health is not predetermined. A common saying among many health care professionals is, “genetics load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger.”