Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Interesting Article

A heart surgeon with 25 years' experience has written an article that turns conventional thinking on its head when it comes to heart disease. Very interesting, I thought.

Heart Surgeon Declares What Really Causes Heart Disease

What do you think?

Love and Warm Hugs,

Personally I think its a lot more complicated than that.

I agree that inflammation is part of it.

But don't agree with his stance on fat.

I will say that this is a hotly debated topic on diabetes forums:

there are those of us that think both carbohydrates and bad fats are bad news for us

and another group that thinks its only carbs that are bad for diabetics.

i think it depends on ones genetics: bad fats are fine for some people and bad for others.

but yes, I do think inflammation is a big part of it.

My stepfather who has crohns has afib which we believe is attributed to his crohns as his cholesterol is great due to the questrin he takes since most of his small intestine was cut out due to the crohns. In his case, it is probably the inflammation to blame.

For me, it goes back to the problems with processing carbs and the body turning those carbs into fat. And thus for me, i think "bad fat" and "good fat" are something for me to consider.

That's my current opinion. With more research, I could change my mind.

I definitely agree that going back to a "whole foods" diet has to make sense. I remain incredibly suspicious of the damage that highly processed foods are doing to our bodies. Personally, I know that my raised cholesterol levels correlate with inflammation. The only time they go down to good levels is when I have been on antiinflammatory meds.

Good plain food, and a varied diet that takes advantage of seasonal varieties.

Actually, I'm relatively certain it's more complicated than that. That said, I found it quite interesting in many other regards.

Processed / convenience foods are probably the worst innovation when it comes to human physiology. All those multi-syllabic Latin words/phrases in the ingredients lists can't be good. The chemicals and preservatives must have a negative effect on us. The hidden sugars, fats and salts can't help either. Not to mention 'natural flavours'. Really? You don't know what they created that natural flavour with.

Honestly, to read in ingredients list one must be fluent in Latin and have a degree in bio-chemistry.

And every time humanity tries to improve nature, we frack it up. So, we have all these foods that aren't supposed to contain something, except it's full of a 'natural flavour' that does include it.

Ultimately, yes, it depends on the individual's genetics. You have a problem processing carbs, but I wonder if that problem isn't caused by all the 'fixing' we humans have done to our foods. You know what I mean?

I also know that my mother, who has genetic high cholestoral, now no longer needs cholestoral meds as she uses a whole diet that she watches very carefully. They told her she would be on those meds for the rest of her life. My stepfather is diabetic (or not, depending which doctor you talk to ) and since my dad was also diabetic, Mum just cooks for my stepdad as she did for my dad. Whole foods prepared fresh at home.

My husband has high blood pressure and is now off most of his BP meds due to us watching his diet, doing our own cooking with very few processed foods and no salt. We add salt afterward if we want it, or if we've used a store-bought sauce, it provides the salt. We are also careful about fat intake and types of fat. He's also diabetic. In the past year he has come off most of his BP meds and his diabetes meds due in large part to weight-loss, lifestyle choices and exercise.

Coming off all those meds (not to mention the lifestyle changes) has had the residual effect of clearing up a bunch of other symptoms that were causing trouble and he has (in what is considered a minor medical miracle) reversed fatty liver. A year ago, he still had it. Two weeks ago, no sign at all. His healthcare team is stunned. They didn't know it could happen. But it can and it did with a lot of very hard work and dedication.

As for the diabetes debate, all I know is that Dad controlled it with one insulin shot in the morning and diet. He ate whatever he wanted, but in moderation. He chose to calorie count to control it so we ate moderate portions of meat, lots and lots of veg, no cakes unless it was a birthday or Christmas, no candies unless it was Hallowe'en, Christmas or Easter (or some other special occasion), no pies, no cookies, no potato chips, now white bread (only multi-grain or stone ground) no junk, no crap - but he 'cheated' once a week with a cruller. We all ate that same diet which was basically what this doctor talks about.

I don't think there will ever be a one size fits all when it comes to this, but I can't help thinking he's onto something.

Love and Warm Hugs,

Interesting that your cholesterol levels go down when on anti-inflamatories.

I like your prescription for it!!

Love and Warm Hugs,

Its also really interesting that before I went gluten free I used to be able to tolerate maize/corn fine. When I got diagnosed coeliac, I initially felt pretty wonderful on a gluten free diet, almost from the start, then after a period of a few weeks started getting exactly the same gut and fatigue symptoms again. I wasn't cheating, I wasn't getting hidden gluten (doc did blood tests to check). The difference was that after a few weeks of eating "naturally gluten free" I had got my gluten free food prescriptions sorted out and had started eating GF substitutes. I then discovered they were all absolutely loaded not just with maize starch, but a particularly highly processed form of it (hi-maize, or gastro-resistant maize). Within weeks of starting to eat this stuff I had become completely intolerant of maize in all forms - including even things like corn sugars and corn oils.

That was the major event that made me really realise that highly processed food is absolute rubbish. I'm back now with a mostly naturally gluten free diet. If I want starch, I eat rice or potatoes or tapioca or quinoa. I avoid processed flour of any kind as much as I can.

Also interesting is what appears to be a growing number of folk with coeliac disease who are also becoming corn intolerant. If they could stick with maybe more natural forms like polenta maybe it wouldn't become a problem, but when its processed to death to be used in gluten free flour mixes, thats when I think it becomes a problem. The other issue with corn is that it is now in just about every single processed food item in one form or another - whether that be as modified starch, maltodextrins, corn oil, or corn syrup. I think back to the days pre-widespread peanut allergy, when peanut paste ended up in a huge range of foods as an emulsifier, meaning that folk got peanuts not just occasionally but daily. To my mind that just has to contribute to increasing sensitivities.

I'll get off my soapbox.

Fat or cholesterol is the basis for heart disease though. That is a key in the pathogenesis of that disease. What happens is the liver produces enzymes to destroy the LDL. This is where the immune system gets beat(when it gets overloaded) and as a result you have extra LDL that causes the disease which is a form of fat.

OMG I have been saying for years manufactured foods are KILLING US. This tremendous article confirms it. I cook my steak with only Olive Oil (first pressed) because I have believed for years it is very heart healthy. Thank you Kat for sharing with us. If you find any other articles such as this one I would be very interested in reading it. I also think I should STOP eating so much sugary foods.

Hey, have you seen this article? I remember reading about it when it was released. I was stunned and gluten-free production is going to have to become stringent about the maize that is used in so many gluten-free products. I`d be willing to bet there`s a connection to what you`ve experienced.

Gluten Intolerance Linked to GMOs

Really, a stink has to be made about this because the cure is now causing the problem.

Every. Time. Humans. Interfere. With nature. We [*bleep*] it up. We keep doing it. It keeps biting us in the butt.

What price progress, eh.

Love and Warm Hugs,

Well, actually, here`s another article:

Medical News Today

I can`t help but think about all the people taking meds they might not have needed, with corresponding side effects creating the need for more meds in some, if these researchers and doctors are right. I`m pretty much on this page at this point, but will be watching the research.

By the way, this is why I hope this research pans out:

Statins Side Effects

They put people on these as a matter of course now. So many of the side effects include physical pain. I`m sure there will always be people who actually need these meds, but how many are on them a prophylactic basis. It`s de rigeur now.

Be interesting to see where this goes.

Warm Hugs,