Coronary artery disease comes from the accumulation of cholesterol plaque along the arterial walls, a condition called atherosclerosis. The diseases make it difficult for blood to move through the body and puts severe pressure on the heart.
This continued additional stress on the heart can put your life in jeopardy.
If that information motivates you to make changes, a healthy heart could be in your future. There is plenty of evidence to suggest lifestyle factors have the power to reverse coronary artery disease. It just takes a lot of work and sound decision-making.
Reversing coronary artery disease may call for some extreme measures, but there is proof it can work. Some the best evidence supporting this theory comes from autopsies conducted during World War II.
During periods of starvation, there was little evidence of atherosclerosis. As economies rebounded and food became more readily available, atherosclerosis returned.
Of course, you don’t have to starve yourself or go without food to make life easier on your heart. But you will have to make some wholesale changes in how you approach eating and nutrition.
One program designed to combat coronary artery disease is called the “reversal diet.” It is essentially a plant-based diet that is very low in fat and cholesterol. Only about 10% of daily calories come from fat and it features less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol per day.
The plant-based foods are fruits, vegetables, legumes, etc., and there is no room for items like candy, chips, fries, or other “plant-based” junk food.
Aside from making the necessary dietary adjustments to save your heart, getting more physical activity and continuing current treatments can help. Talk to your doctor about a tailored plan, but be confident that you can, with the proper work, rescue an ailing heart.