Healing hearts

There are many studies showing how a vegan diet can reverse heart disease but the medical profession still needs persuading. A recent case study published in Case Reports in Cardiology provides an excellent example of the power of diet change.

A 60 year old patient with heart disease suffering from angina (chest pains) declined conventional drug treatment and invasive testing. Instead, he chose to adopt a whole-food plant-based diet which consisted primarily of vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, potatoes, beans, other pulses and nuts. After four months on this diet, his symptoms improved dramatically – the angina subsided, he could do mild exercise without problems, he lost excess weight and his blood pressure and cholesterol levels normalised.

It’s worth noticing he described his prior diet as a ‘healthy’ – skinless chicken, fish and low-fat dairy with some vegetables, fruits and nuts.

The patient stayed on the vegan diet and continued to improve. Two years after the diet change, he is able to jog more than four miles without problems and has no symptoms of heart disease. He still doesn’t use any drugs and hasn’t required any treatment.

Viva! Health offer a guide specifically for people with or at risk of heart disease, Have a Heart. You can download it free or order a paper copy at www.vivahealth.org.uk/heart or call the office on 0117 944 1000 (9am – 5pm).

_{Massera et al. 2015. A Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet Reversed Angina without Medications or Procedures. Case Reports in Cardiology. 2015: 978906.}