Brief Summary
Dr. Praep Jam Nadas, a leading cardiologist, discusses the prevention of heart disease through lifestyle adjustments, focusing on the critical role of insulin resistance, inflammation, and gut health. He advocates for fasting to reduce visceral fat and improve insulin sensitivity, highlights the dangers of modern toxins and processed foods, and suggests practical steps to improve cardiovascular health, including specific exercises, dietary changes, and stress management techniques. The conversation underscores the importance of understanding individual risk factors and adopting a holistic approach to heart health.
- Heart disease is the number one killer worldwide, but it is preventable through lifestyle changes.
- Insulin resistance, driven by frequent consumption of carbs and processed foods, is a major contributor to heart disease.
- Fasting helps reduce visceral fat and improves insulin sensitivity.
- Gut health and the microbiome play a critical role in cardiovascular health.
- Modern toxins and processed foods contribute to inflammation and heart disease.
Intro
Dr. Praep Jam Nadas, a world-leading cardiologist, focuses on preventing heart disease through simple lifestyle techniques. He emphasizes the toxicity of glucose in the bloodstream and how frequent consumption of carbs and processed foods leads to insulin resistance, a major cause of heart disease. Fasting is presented as a key method to reduce visceral fat, which is very detrimental. The discussion will cover overlooked unhealthy factors, such as excessive aerobic activity, mold toxicity, bad sleep, calcium supplements, excessive fruit, and white rice.
The No. 1 Killer Worldwide
Heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide, encompassing various conditions affecting the heart muscle, arteries, and valves. These include cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, aortic stenosis, peripheral circulation issues, and microvascular disease. Dr. Nadas has treated over 30,000 patients over 35 years, observing a shift towards younger individuals developing heart conditions.
Young People Are Developing Heart Disease
The demographics of heart disease patients are changing, with a significant number now under 65. The youngest patient Dr. Nadas treated was 28, who was experiencing a full-blown heart attack due to a completely blocked artery. This highlights the increasing prevalence of heart issues among younger individuals.
Why Do Young People Get Heart Attacks
A heart attack occurs when a plaque inside an artery cracks, leading to blood clot formation that blocks the artery. Angina, or chest pain, results from reduced blood supply due to plaque buildup, but many patients may not experience discomfort. A heart attack is caused by a blood clot at the site of a rupture, which is triggered by inflammation.
What Leads to Heart Disease
Heart disease involves plaque formation, plaque instability (rupture), and blood clot formation. These processes are influenced by inflammation, which is a reaction to something foreign in the body. The perfect storm of plaque formation, instability, and increased blood coagulation contributes to the heart disease epidemic. Addressing the underlying reasons for plaque formation, rupture, and blood clotting is crucial for prevention.
What Causes Heart Problems in Young People
The 28-year-old patient was overweight with belly fat, a fatty liver, and pre-diabetic with high insulin levels despite normal glucose. Insulin is a very aogenic molecule, causing smooth muscle proliferation, vasoconstriction, blood clotting, and inflammation. Many heart attack patients are not diabetic but have glucose intolerance and high insulin levels, which can be detected through glucose tolerance tests and insulin level measurements.
The Link Between Sugar and Insulin
It's crucial to understand the relationship between glucose (sugar) and insulin. Glucose is toxic in the bloodstream and must be removed quickly. The pancreas releases insulin to push glucose into cells. Frequent consumption of glucose and carbs causes insulin levels to stay high, leading to insulin resistance. Processed foods, lacking fiber, cause quick absorption and require the pancreas to react rapidly.
The Importance of Checking Insulin Levels
High insulin levels, even with normal blood sugar, can damage metabolism, leading to fatty liver and visceral fat accumulation. Visceral fat, produced from glucose, is highly detrimental and inflammatory. Frequent eating prevents insulin levels from coming down, leading to insulin resistance. Early screening for insulin levels is essential for prevention, as coronary artery disease can develop even before a diabetes diagnosis.
Fasting vs. Calorie Deficit: Fat and Muscle Changes
Fasting and calorie deficits are not the same. Fasting lowers insulin levels by not stimulating the pancreas. Calorie deficits slow metabolic rate and break down both fat and muscle. Fasting uses stored fat for energy, initially depleting glycogen from muscles and liver in the first 12 hours, followed by visceral fat. Visceral fat is more inflammatory than other fat types.
Fasting for Women vs. Men: Key Differences
For reducing visceral fat, start with 12/12 fasting (12 hours eating, 12 hours fasting with no-calorie liquids) for 2-3 weeks, then move to 18/6. For significant weight loss or diabetes reversal, consider 48-hour fasts weekly or three-day water fasts every nine days, alternating with one meal a day (OMAD). Women can generally handle fasting, except those trying to conceive or pregnant. A 72-day fast under supervision can reverse diabetes, normalize blood pressure, and cause significant weight loss with skin retraction.
The Power of Fasting and Allowed Liquids
During fasting, allowed liquids include black tea, black coffee, and water with electrolytes (such as Element or Celtic salt). MCT oil can help with cravings. Fasting leads to different weight loss compared to calorie restriction, with skin retraction and significant body changes. The body undergoes unique physiological processes, including using stored fat for energy.
The Benefits of Ketones and Should We Always Be in Ketosis
Ketones are energy molecules produced by the liver from fat when insulin levels are low due to fasting. They are a cleaner fuel, producing fewer reactive oxygen species. Ketones stimulate brain-derived neurotropic factor, improving cognitive functions, and boost stem cell production, enhancing immunity and repairing blood vessels. However, constant ketosis is not ideal; alternating between glucose and ketone metabolism is healthier.
Building Muscle While Fasting
Exercise during fasting, ideally near the end of the fasting period, to maximize growth hormone. Resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIT) are recommended over long aerobic activities to avoid glucose depletion. Women should consider resistance training to avoid muscle breakdown. Cycling in and out of a ketogenic diet is advisable, with regular 36-hour fasts for healthy individuals. Ketogenesis also induces autophagy, recycling cellular components and improving cellular function.
Best Exercise for Heart Health
Overdoing aerobic activity can cause more inflammation and coronary artery disease than short sprints, resistance exercises, and HIT. A balanced approach includes 15-20 minutes of aerobic activity followed by resistance exercises using body weight. HIT involves short bursts of intense exercise (30-45 seconds) with complete rest, allowing the body to clean up reactive oxygen species.
What's the Solution to Heart Problems?
Dr. Nadas has treated at least a quarter of a million patients, emphasizing the importance of quality of life and optimal living. He aims to educate people to live optimally and pass away swiftly.
Do Healthy People End Up With Heart Problems?
Even healthy individuals can develop heart problems due to underlying inflammation sources, such as a bad microbiome. A patient with a high coronary calcium score despite a healthy lifestyle was found to have chronic GI problems, highlighting the gut's role in heart health.
The Link Between Gut Microbiome and Heart Health
The gut, housing trillions of bacteria and viruses, has a symbiotic relationship with the body, producing micronutrients and maintaining intestinal lining integrity. A dysfunctional microbiome can compromise the intestinal lining, leading to leaky gut and fatty liver. Fatty liver can result from alcohol, leaky gut, or excessive insulin. Fixing the fatty liver through diet changes, increased fiber, and supplements can flatten the progression of coronary calcium.
Could Calcium Supplements Hurt You?
Calcium supplements increase the risk of cardiovascular events and should be avoided. The key is to take vitamin D3 for better calcium absorption and vitamin K2 to ensure calcium is deposited in the right places, not in the vasculature. High-dose calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
How to Improve Gut Problems That Affect Heart Health
To improve gut health, consume lots of fiber to feed good bacteria and take inulin with FOS, a soluble fiber. Fermented foods provide beneficial bacteria and postbiotics like vitamin K2 and short-chain fatty acids. Lifestyle factors, including sleep (7 hours a night) and stress management, are crucial for gut health.
Are We Fiber Deficient?
Women and men are significantly fiber deficient. Fiber is found in non-processed foods, especially a variety of vegetables (30-40 types per week), including spices.
Modern Toxins Living in Our Bodies
Toxins, molecules that shouldn't be in the body, include pesticides, herbicides, plastics, forever chemicals (PFAS, BPA), mold, and heavy metals. A dysfunctional gut increases susceptibility to toxicity. The liver, responsible for detoxification, can become overwhelmed by modern environmental and dietary toxins. Mold toxicity is prevalent, causing systemic inflammation.
The Harmful Foods We're Consuming
To end up on a surgical table, one should consume nutrient-deficient processed foods, refined wheat products, fast foods, and items with artificial colorings and sweeteners. Alcohol and a lack of fiber are also detrimental.
Daily Foods You Thought Were Healthy
Most bread is unhealthy, except for sourdough in small amounts due to fermentation. White bread is particularly bad, offering pure calories. White rice should be soaked to remove arsenic, cooked with excess water, cooled, and reheated to create resistant starch. Overcooking food creates advanced glycation end products, increasing inflammation. Excessive fruit consumption, high in fructose, can cause fatty liver. Vegetable seed oils are high in omega-6, disrupting the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
Is Our Oral Microbiome Linked to Heart Health?
Bad breath and poor dental hygiene are linked to valvular disease and coronary calcification. Chronic sinusitis, especially fungal, is associated with premature coronary artery disease and inflammation. The entire lifestyle affects coronary arteries.
Is Coffee Good or Bad?
Excessive caffeine is similar to adrenaline, causing a constant state of fight or flight. While moderate caffeine intake is safe, excessive amounts can raise blood pressure and stress the heart. Coffee is beneficial due to its soluble fiber and polyphenols, which are good for gut bacteria.
When Are Heart Palpitations a Sign of Concern?
Heart palpitations are concerning with underlying structural heart disease, but in otherwise healthy individuals, they usually indicate an imbalance in the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. A dysfunctional vagus nerve, often due to leaky gut, can cause this imbalance.
The Power of the Vagus Nerve
The vagus nerve, the largest in the body, communicates between the brain and body, with a significant distribution in the gut. It is crucial for gut health, heart function, and overall repair. A healthy vagus nerve promotes faster healing, less coronary disease, and reduced inflammation. It can be supported through omega-3 supplements, gut health improvement, and hacks like breathing exercises (inhale for four, exhale for eight), eyeball exercises, cold water exposure, humming, and laughing.
The Valsalva Maneuver
The Valsalva maneuver, involving straining while holding breath, stimulates the vagus nerve. A healthy vagus nerve leads to faster healing, less coronary disease, and reduced inflammation.
Are Statins Safe to Use?
Statins, while generally safe, can cause muscle loss, diabetes, and cognitive issues in some patients. They effectively lower LDL, but whether this translates to decreased cardiovascular events is debatable. The focus should be on reducing damaged, oxidized, small dense LDL levels.
The Perfect Diet for a Healthy Heart
For breakfast, eggs are a good option, or kefir with a few berries and inulin powder. Skipping breakfast and opting for lunch and dinner only can facilitate 18/6 fasting. Dr. Nadas eats meat, fish, chicken, and turkey sourced organically and grass-finished, along with vegetables and Indian food like lentils and curries. He supplements with D3, K2, omega-3 fish oil, vitamin C, inulin, kefir, magnesium, nattokinase, and a spore-based probiotic.
What Tests Should I Get Done?
To screen for heart health, individuals over 30 should get a coronary calcium score. If it's zero, that's good; if not, consult a cardiologist for a prevention program. Also, get an inflammatory panel like Cleveland Heart Labs to assess HDL, LDL, particle sizes, and inflammatory markers. Depression can be a symptom of inflammation. Living in the present moment is crucial for making positive changes.
