Internal Medicine

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Heart Disease – Prevention and Treatment with a Plant-Based Diet

heart attack patientThis article was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Therapy in December 2018.

Abstract

Epidemiological studies show that vegetarians have a much lower risk of myocardial infarction. Reductions of risk factors and comorbidities such as angina, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity have also been shown.

A low-fat plant-based diet can reverse or prevent further progression of coronary atheroma, improve endothelial dysfunction and is effective even in cases of severe stenosis. Studies show that in addition to regression, there is a remolding of the geometry of the stenosis with consequent improvement in coronary flow reserve.

Those following a plant-based diet have much lower total cholesterol and LDL. They also have lower levels of cardio-reactive protein, apolipoprotein (a) and apolipoprotein (b), plus levels of MPO, MMP-9, MMP-2 and MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratios. In addition, studies have determined that vegans produce less TMAO than their omnivorous counterparts after dietary challenge.

Long term exposure to persistent organic pollutants can drastically affect the circulatory system. The consumption of animal products is the greatest source of exposure of these toxins, due to bioaccumulation of these lipophilic toxins in animal tissues.

Interventional studies confirm that a plant-based diet is as effective in lowering cholesterol as statin drugs. Interventional studies show that a plant-based diet can help treat heart failure and is very efficacious in treating angina pectoris. Vegetarians also show better improvements in cardiac rehab.  Follow-up studies at one and four years confirm continued benefit to the patient, and patient compliance has been demonstrated over several years. Treatment with a plant-based diet is devoid of side effects and contraindications. Continue reading →

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Chronic Kidney Disease – A plant-based diet prevents and treats CKD

KidneysThis article has been published in JOJ Urology and Nephrology

Abstract

Interest in the dietary treatment of chronic kidney disease has been growing as its incidence has been increasing. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is now the 8th leading cause of death in the United States and its treatment consumes substantial amounts of medical resources and money.

Several lines of epidemiological research have shown a lower risk of chronic kidney disease among vegetarians. It also shows a substantially increased risk among omnivores, especially those who eat red and processed meats.

Although the practice started long ago, research on the use of a low-protein plant-based diet to treat chronic kidney disease diet has intensified in recent years. This research has shown that a low-protein vegetarian diet is safe and efficacious at both treating and slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease.

Treatment with a low-protein vegetarian diet, often supplemented with keto analogues, has been shown to reduce acidosis, phosphotemia, uremia, proteinuria and to slow progression. Research shows that this treatment does not result in malnutrition. Research has also shown that larger amounts of plant protein than animal protein can be consumed, without deleterious effects.

Treatment with a low protein vegetarian diet also has the advantage of preventing and treating common comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease.

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The Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with a Plant-Based Diet – published

We are delighted to announce that our comprehensive review article on the prevention and treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with a Plant-Based Diet was recently published in the peer-reviewed Endocrinology and Metabolism International Journal.

Here’s the published article as a pdf.

Review Article

The Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with a Plant-Based Diet

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Editorial: Why didn’t my doctor tell me? Plant-based diets and Type 2 Diabetes

Editorial: Why didn’t my doctor tell me? 

Plant-based diets and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Printable (pdf) version: Editorial – Plant-based diets and T2DM

It’s the rare physician with an adult practice that doesn’t encounter a significant number of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Given the rapid rise of the disease, its prophylaxis and treatment should be of pressing concern for every physician. In spite of this crisis, the advantages of a plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of T2DM have been overlooked.

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Type 2 Diabetes: Prevention & Treatment with a Plant-Based Diet

The Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with a Plant-Based Diet 

Printable pdf version (25 pages) : Type 2 Diabetes article

  1. Introduction

Today’s physicians are only too aware of the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) currently in America, and of its complications such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy and diabetic nephropathy. The increased risk of coronary artery disease that type 2 diabetics face is on every physician’s mind. Administrators and policy makers grapple with the dollar cost to the health care system from type 2 diabetes, and perhaps most worrisome of all, the rise in obesity and metabolic syndrome tells public health officials that the problem will likely get worse if nothing changes.

This article presents evidence of the safety and efficacy of plant-based diets for prophylaxis and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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The Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease with a Plant-Based Diet

This article is also available in printable pdf form coronary-artery-disease-veg-of-wa-9-7-16

Introduction

For over 45 years, evidence from interventional studies has strongly indicated that a low-fat plant-based diet is both safe and efficacious in the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD).  Interventional studies have shown that a low-fat (<10% of calories) plant-based diet is a viable and highly advantageous alternative to other interventional strategies. This treatment can be used in combination with standard treatment regimens, including medication, stenting and CABG.

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Hypercholesterolemia and Atherosclerosis – Vegetarian diet as prevention and treatment

A printable (pdf) version of this article is available: hypercholesterolemia-and-atherosclerosis

Introduction

Hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis are the subject of intensive research the world over. Epidemiological studies investigating different diets, laboratory studies aimed at elucidating the different etiologic factors and their pathogenic mechanisms, as well as a number of clinical and interventional studies, are all active fields of investigation.

As is well known, hypercholesterolemia raises the risk and is a prime etiologic factor of atherosclerosis, which in turn is an etiologic factor in a number of diseases such as essential hypertension, coronary artery disease, and ischemic stroke, just to name a few.

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