Taste for life/October 2004

By Carol Simontacchi, CCN with additions by Rose Kalajian-Herbalist

The leading cause of death for American women, cardiovascular disease kills close to 500,000 of us every year. Six times as many women die of heart attack as breast cancer.

What is equally frightening is that, until recently, researchers have pretty much overlooked women-even though our experience with heart disease is often unique. Not only is a heart attack different for a female than a male (see “Symptoms for Women”), but she may also develop heart disease differently. Women tend to be less physically active than men, predisposing us to cardiovascular and other related problems. Diabetes, low HDL (good) cholesterol, and high triglyceride levels also impact women more than men.

Females usually develop coronary artery disease (CAD) about 10 years later than men, when we may have developed other chronic problems that complicate recovery. Approximately 38 % of women will die within a year of a recognized heart attack, versus 25 percent of men. Women are almost twice as likely as men to die after bypass surgery.

Females are not merely smaller versions of males, so it comes as no surprise that we experience treatments differently, too. While 200 and lower is considered an ideal cholesterol level for a man, it may not be for a woman. Research suggests that women who have cholesterol levels in the 295-plus range experience the same or even lower rates of heart attacks than do men wit cholesterol levels of 204.

Due to hormonal fluctuations, women tend to process medications differently than men. The antidepressant Zoloft may pose a risk for women who have had a heart attack.

Emphasizing a plant food diet, studies show it lowers rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke, as well as other chronic disease. Flax Seeds, Walnuts and Purslane provides a wealth of omega-3 fatty acids, good fats that support heart health because they’re anti-inflammatory, reduce blood clotting, and help maintain a healthy HDL cholesterol to LDL cholesterol balance. While you don’t need more than a handful since there high in calories, nuts appear to lower LDL cholesterol and have an anti-clotting effect.

Rich in antioxidants and carotenoids, fruits help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Vegetables grown in good soil and minimally processed provide important antioxidants, fiber, minerals, and B vitamins, which help prevent high levels of homocysteine, implicated in heart disease. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables tend to be highest in carotenoids-more than 500 different nutrients-that protect against arteriosclerosis.

Eating plenty of Legumes-rich in amino acids, B vitamins, fiber, and calcium-has been linked to healthy cholesterol levels.

Select foods that support a woman’s heart. Processing food tends to strip out B vitamins needed to keep homocysteine within normal biological range. When homocsteine levels rise, so does the risk for heart disease. Including folic acid (400 mg.), B6/ 3 mg, B12/15 mg. Niacin/B3 has proven as useful in lowering cholesterol and improving the HDL/LDL balance as the pharmaceutical drug atorvastatin.

Vitamin C, (1,000 mg daily), a water soluble nutrient that humans neither store nor produce, protects against the free radical damage associated with arteriosclerosis and other age-related chronic diseases.

Vitamin E, 400 to 800 mgs is wise for optimal antioxidant protection.

CoQ10 works well with vitamin E to prevent free radical damage, while this coenzyme helps the heart muscle pump blood. Research with heart attack patients found that those who took CoQ10 had lower rate of both fatal and non-fatal heart attacks, as well as less incidence of angina and fewer arrhythmias, than those in the placebo group. In a double blind, placebo-controlled study, Italian researchers discovered “the addition of CoQ10 to conventional therapy reduces the hospitalization rate for worsening of heart failure and the incidence of serious cardiovascular complications.”

**“The vegetarian source of CoQ10 is found in Raw – Living Foods. In addition, Sprouted Legumes and Grains contain the highest vegetarian concentrations of tyrosine, (7g) which assists the body’s ability to produce its own supply of CoQ10”, says Rose Kalajian-Herbalist.

Factors which lead to low levels of CoQ10 are excessive exertion, aging, and the use of statin drugs to treat elevated blood cholesterol.

Also useful for congestive heart failure, L-carnitine is an amino acid stored in the heart. Supplements help stabilize levels there, allowing that organ to utilize its limited oxygen supply more efficiently. L-Carnitine also benefits the heart by reducing insulin resistance, increasing exercise tolerance in individuals with chronic stable angina, and helping to control weight-a risk factor in heart disease and diabetes. Experts suggest taking 1,500 to 4,000 mg daily in divided doses.

Several minerals also help protect your heart. Calcium supports healthy heart rhythm and helps lower blood pressure in people with hypertension. Magnesium deficiency has been implicated in cardiac arrhythmia, high blood pressure, and heart attack. Several medications including digitalis, diuretics, and insulin can reduce magnesium levels. But if the delicate calcium-magnesium balance is thrown into disarray by too much calcium and too little magnesium, it can seriously affect heart rate.

**Rose suggests receiving the calcium-magnesium from herbs such as Red Raspberry, Comfrey Leaf, Borage, Red Clover, and Chamomile. These herbs can be made into a tea. Drinking 4 – 8 ounce cups per day will meet the calcium-magnesium needs. The green leaf herbs have as much antioxidant clout as vitamin E. In addition, Peppermint and Spearmint tea consumption reverses endothelial vasomotor dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. This finding may partly explain the association between tea intakes and decreased cardiovascular disease events.

Botanical medicines are also protective and healing-to the heart. Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) is rich in flavonoids that open the smooth vessels of the coronary arteries. By increasing blood flow to the heart, this herb protects against heart attack. In addition,

Animal research suggests that this herb lowers cholesterol and protects against its buildup. Safe enough for long-term use, hawthorn may even be used during pregnancy and lactation.

Reduces total cholesterol, raises HDL, and appears to suppress oxidation of LDL effectively. Remember! Garlic is a natural anti-coagulant, helping to thin the blood.

Females Experience Heart Attacks Differently Than Males. Often the signs are subtle in women: mild chest discomfort or dull ache in the chest, indigestion, nausea, dizziness, coughing, fainting, cold perspiration, weakness, heart palpitations, and/or dry mouth. Other female heart attack symptoms may include a tingling sensation in the fingers, hands, and wrists. Even pain in the back, jaw, neck, shoulders, or teeth can signal heart attack in women.

A woman may experience a “silent heart attack” with no pain at all. Women with diabetes are most at risk for this type of heart attack.

If you think you may be experiencing a heart attack, immediately take an aspirin unless you have a sound medical reason not to. Then seek help right away. Women usually take an hour more than men to get to the emergency room time that can make the difference between life and death.

**Rose Kalajian-Herbalist placed her thoughts into this article without the knowledge or approval of the author.