I lost my old doctor, whom I loved. I am more than sad to see him go, but I found a new dr who was recommended as being much like the old one. She is an osteopath. A "DO". I have never seen one before. Anyone have anything they can tell me about an osteopath? I have zero interest in chiropractic services and that is not what she does, thank goodness. As bad as my back is with discs and arthritis, I don't want a chiropractor near it. She got good reviews on line. I hope I chose right. Of course, I can always go to someone else, but DH and I will be out of meds by our appt.
Osteopaths are physicians. The difference is the school that they used to get the degree. DO = osteopathic medical school and MD = allopathic medical school. DO (osteopaths) get some training in osteopathic manipulation but most of the training if 98% the same as allpathic training.
MD = DO essentially. They haven't been different since the mid 1980s when the curriculum changed. Howeover - I think primary care physicians who are DOs are better trained for some holistic approach to medicine as James alluded to. However - don't kid yourself - most DOs are in the exact same residency programs and curriuclum as allopathic physicians are. They get the same jobs. There are 2% of DOs who are different than an MD. 98% are the same.
And James - I disagree with a lot of your points - and this is the final thing I'm going to say about it. We can agree to disagree here, this forum isn't the proper place for the discussion. Holistic medicine does not have cures to diabetes (well, weight loss can cure type II frequently but that has zero to do with holistic medicine) heart disease etc. The things you listed aren't curable. Any "holistic" practicioner who says otherwise is putting YOUR health at jeopardy. If you want to give them your money, that is your preference. As a physician, I would counsel you along the lines of modern, scientific medicine as well as try and listen to your concerns and recommend you use holistic medicine to your content as long as it didn't harm you.
I think MANY many people are blurred when it comes to these distinctions, and it dangers themselves and their families.
Grant
Actually I see major differences between medical doctors (MDs) and osteopathic doctors (ODs). As I already pointed out ODs have the same training as MDs, but have significantly more training in the form of holistic therapies. Therefore ODs use a lot of things that MDs would not dream of using such as ozone therapy, radiofrequency therapy, herbs, certain nutritional supplements and various diagnostic machines.
As for the place for the discussion you will find that a lot of discussions on here are not about rocks. In fact if you look at the title of this thread you will see that even the topic of the thread itself has nothing to do with rocks unless one wishes to really stretch it saying the lettuce was grown in soil that was formed by the weathering of rocks.
As for your claim that holistic medicine does not have the cure for diabetes, heart disease, etc. you are 100% wrong.
Allopaths do not have cures for these diseases because again they are too focused on covering up symptoms, not addressing the cause with few exceptions such as antibiotics for bacterial infections.
Let's start with diabetes. Type 1 is generally autoimmune, which most often has a microbial trigger. Although it has also been linked to cow's milk being given to infants since bovine insulin is antigenic and can be absorbed intact across the intestinal wall since the gut is still permeable to intact proteins up to the age of 2. This is to allow the passage of maternal antibodies until the infant's immune system becomes adequate to protect the body itself. Anyway, the second component of autoimmunity is adrenal dysfunction. It is adrenal corticosteroids that regulate the production of the normal high affinity antibodies vs the abnormal low affinity antibodies (autoantibodies). You can look this up in an immunology textbook as this has been known for decades. So the immune system IS NOT overactive as doctors claim. The immune system is suppressed through the adrenals, another component of immunity. The rest of the immune system is doing its job just as it is designed to do. The white blood cells are going after the antibody tagged cells. So no immune over-activity as MDs claim. Same reason allopathic treatments such as steroids mask symptoms while making the underlying condition worse. Steroids atrophy the adrenals. This is a well known fact. So the first step to curing type 1 diabetes that is autoimmune is to work on the adrenals, which is done primarily with vitamin C, which is the most important nutrient for the adrenals. In fact the adrenals get priority on vitamin C over the entire rest of the body. Second most important nutrient for the adrenals is pantothenic acid (B5). Adaptogenic herbs also help support adrenal function. If from other causes such as pancreatic trauma, anesthesia, alloxan, etc. not involving autoimmunity then that can be skipped. Now type 1 diabetes differs from type 2 in the fact that type 2 involves damage or destruction of the pancreatic beta cells. Studies have shown that pancreatic beta cells can be regenerated with gymnemic acid from the herb Gymnema sylvestre, which also enhances insulin sensitivity and is a sugar blocker. Studies have also shown that catechines from green tea aid with beta cell regeneration. This does take longer than dealing with type 2 diabetes, which in the early stages does not involve any pancreatic damage. That does not occur until the much later stages from either the long term elevated glucose or the oral hypoglycemic drugs prescribed to lower the blood sugar in type 2 diabetics. Type 2 diabetes is the result of "clogging" of insulin receptors primarily from obesity as you make reference to or more commonly as research has shown from lack of chromium and/or magnesium, which maintain insulin receptors in an open position:
Chromium and blood sugar abstracts
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract"In conclusion, chromium supplementation seems to improve glycaemic control in type 2 diabetic patients, which appears to be due to an increase in insulin action rather than stimulation of insulin secretion."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract"Chromium is an essential dietary trace mineral involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Chromium is required for cellular uptake of glucose, and chromium deficiency causes insulin resistance. Chromium supplementation may improve insulin sensitivity and has been used as adjunct treatment of diabetes mellitus in humans."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract"CONCLUSION: Chromium supplementation gives better control of glucose and lipid variables while decreasing drug dosage in type 2 diabetes patients."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract"CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that corticosteroid treatment increases chromium losses and that steroid-induced diabetes can be reversed by chromium supplementation."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract"Chromium (Cr3+) is an essential micronutrient for humans. Its main action is thought to be the regulation of blood sugar, because chromium deficiency is associated with diabetic-like symptoms, and chromium supplementation is correlated with increased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract"These data demonstrate that supplemental chromium had significant beneficial effects on HbA1c, glucose, insulin, and cholesterol variables in subjects with type 2 diabetes. The beneficial effects of chromium in individuals with diabetes were observed at levels higher than the upper limit of the Estimated Safe and Adequate Daily Dietary Intake."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract"Chromium is an essential nutrient required for sugar and fat metabolism. Normal dietary intake of Cr for humans is suboptimal. The estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake for Cr is 50 to 200 microg. However, most diets contain less than 60% of the minimum suggested intake of 50 microg. Insufficient dietary intake of Cr leads to signs and symptoms that are similar to those observed for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Supplemental Cr given to people with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes leads to improved blood glucose, insulin, and lipid variables. Chromium has also been shown to improve lean body mass in humans and swine. Response to Cr is dependent upon form and amount of supplemental Cr. Chromium is a nutrient; therefore, it will only be of benefit to those who are marginally or overtly Cr deficient. Trivalent Cr has a very large safety range and there have been no documented signs of Cr toxicity in any of the nutritional studies at levels up to 1 mg per day. "
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract"The influences that age-related decreases in chromium levels might have on increasing the risk to develop age-related impaired glucose metabolism, disordered lipid metabolism, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and type II diabetes mellitus are outlined, and the role that refined carbohydrates play in the development of compromised chromium status is presented."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract"CONCLUSIONS--Ours is the first report of a significant reduction in serum TGs in a group of NIDDM patients treated with chromium. The low cost and excellent safety profile of chromium make it an attractive lipid-lowering agent for this population.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract[Is chromium an essential or a toxic element?]
"Chromium holds a frequent and important place in toxicological literature. The large number of more or less important toxicological facts (e.g. allergic dermatoses, ulcer, perforations of the nasal septum, bronchitis, cancerogenity etc.) are the reason why chromium is conceived rather as a toxic element. On the other hand in the non-toxicological literature favourable actions of chromium are described (its relationship to carbohydrate utilization, the glucose tolerance factor, diabetes etc.) which may induce us to consider chromium an essential element. Is chromium toxic or essential? It is both. The concept of essential or toxic cannot be conceived statically, these terms are relative and depend on a number of other facts and data (dose, time, chemical form, individuality of the organism, interaction with other substances in the environment etc). This relative view has a more general validity not only for chromium but for trace elements in general and it is very important in particular with regard to prevention of health damage caused by deficiency or excess of a substance."
Chromium and magnesium effects on blood sugar-abstracts
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=Abstract[Chromium: physiologic role and implications in human pathology]
[Article in French]
Dubois F, Belleville F.
Laboratoire de Biochimie B, CHU Nancy-Brabois, France.
Reported values for total body stores of chromium vary between 0.4 mg and 6 mg. Chromium stores may be higher in neonates than in adults, relative to body size, whereas tissular chromium may be depleted in the elderly. The recommended daily allowance for chromium is 50 to 200 micrograms/day but actual needs are poorly known. Digestive absorption is better for organic chromium, which is part of the "glucose tolerance factor" (GTF), than for inorganic chromium. Furthermore, chromium (VI) is better absorbed than chromium (III). In the body, chromium (VI) is rapidly reduced to chromium (III) by a number of metabolic pathways. Absorbed chromium binds to proteins, mainly to transferrin which exhibits a high affinity for chromium (III). Most absorbed chromium is eliminated through the kidneys. Renal excretion occurs according to a two or more-compartment model. Current methods used to assay chromium, i.e., atomic absorption spectrometry using a graphite furnace or neutron activation, are sufficiently sensitive and specific to evaluate chromium levels in blood, urine or hair. However, none of these levels accurately reflects chromium body stores. Chromium is part of the GTF molecule. This factor has no effect per se but may facilitate binding of insulin to insulin receptors and amplify the effects of insulin on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Chromium deficiency may play a role in a development of some forms of adult diabetes mellitus and of arteriosclerosis. Partial chromium deficiencies seem to be common, especially in individuals with high intakes of refined foods. Acute chromium poisoning is usually due to an excess of chromium (VI) and is sometimes seen in the chromium industry.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=AbstractThe therapeutic potential of glucose tolerance factor.
McCarty MF.
Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) is synthesized in vivo from absorbed dietary chromium, and acts as a physiological enhancer of insulin activity, binding to insulin and potentiating its action about three-fold. Since GTF is well absorbed orally, the development of sufficiently concentrated and stable supplementary sources of this agent may enable convenient and physiologically appropriate pharmacological modulation of insulin activity. A review of the numerous physiological actions of insulin suggests a number of therapeutic applications for GTF, in such diverse ailments as diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, reactive hypoglycemia, obesity, cancer, protein malnutrition or malabsorption, endogenous depression, Parkinsonism, hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias. GTF supplementation may also have value in preventive medicine.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=AbstractMagnesium Intake and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Men and Women.
Lopez-Ridaura R, Willett WC, Rimm EB, Liu S, Stampfer MJ, Manson JE, Hu FB.
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts. Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. Division of Preventive Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
OBJECTIVE:-To examine the association between magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-We followed 85,060 women and 42,872 men who had no history of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer at baseline. Magnesium intake was evaluated using a validated food frequency questionnaire every 2-4 years. After 18 years of follow-up in women and 12 years in men, we documented 4,085 and 1,333 incident cases of type 2 diabetes, respectively. RESULTS:-After adjusting for age, BMI, physical activity, family history of diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption, and history of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia at baseline, the relative risk (RR) of type 2 diabetes was 0.66 (95% CI 0.60-0.73; P for trend <0.001) in women and 0.67 (0.56-0.80; P for trend <0.001) in men, comparing the highest with the lowest quintile of total magnesium intake. The RRs remained significant after additional adjustment for dietary variables, including glycemic load, polyunsaturated fat, trans fat, cereal fiber, and processed meat in the multivariate models. The inverse association persisted in subgroup analyses according to BMI, physical activity, and family history of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS:-Our findings suggest a significant inverse association between magnesium intake and diabetes risk. This study supports the dietary recommendation to increase consumption of major food sources of magnesium, such as whole grains, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=AbstractDietary Magnesium Intake in Relation to Plasma Insulin Levels and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women.
Song Y, Manson JE, Buring JE, Liu S.
Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts. Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
OBJECTIVE:-Higher intake of magnesium appears to improve glucose and insulin homeostasis; however, there are sparse prospective data on the association between magnesium intake and incidence of type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-In the Women's Health Study, a cohort of 39,345 U.S. women aged >/==" BORDER="0">45 years with no previous history of cardiovascular disease, cancer, or type 2 diabetes completed validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires in 1993 and were followed for an average of 6 years. We used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate multivariate relative risks (RRs) of type 2 diabetes across quintiles of magnesium intake compared with the lowest quintile. In a sample of 349 apparently healthy women from this study, we measured plasma fasting insulin levels to examine their relation to magnesium intake. RESULTS:-During 222,523 person-years of follow-up, we documented 918 confirmed incident cases of type 2 diabetes. There was a significant inverse association between magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes, independent of age and BMI (P = 0.007 for trend). After further adjustment for physical activity, alcohol intake, smoking, family history of diabetes, and total calorie intake, the multivariate-adjusted RRs of diabetes from the lowest to highest quintiles of magnesium intake were attenuated at 1.0, 1.06, 0.81, 0.86, and 0.89 (P = 0.05 for trend). Among women with BMI >/==" BORDER="0">25 kg/m(2), the inverse trend was significant; multivariate-adjusted RRs were 1.0, 0.96, 0.76, 0.84, and 0.78 (P = 0.02 for trend). Multivariate-adjusted geometric mean insulin levels for overweight women in the lowest quartile of magnesium intake was 53.5 compared with 41.5 pmol/l among those at the highest quartile (P = 0.03 for trend). CONCLUSIONS:-These findings support a protective role of higher intake of magnesium in reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, especially in overweight women.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query...t=AbstractLow plasma magnesium in type 2 diabetes.
Walti MK, Zimmermann MB, Spinas GA, Hurrell RF.
Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland. monika.waelti@ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
QUESTIONS UNDER STUDY/PRINCIPLES: Magnesium depletion has a negative impact on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic patients. Low plasma magnesium concentration is a highly specific indicator of poor magnesium status. In the USA and some European countries, plasma magnesium concentrations have been found to be decreased in diabetics. The aim of this study was to compare plasma magnesium concentrations of type 2 diabetics and healthy controls in Switzerland. METHODS: Plasma magnesium concentrations were determined in 109 type 2 diabetics and 156 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. RESULTS: Mean (+/- SD) plasma magnesium concentrations of the diabetics and controls were 0.77 +/- 0.08 and 0.83 +/- 0.07 mmol/L, respectively (p <0.001). Plasma magnesium concentrations were below the normal reference range in 37.6% of the diabetic patients and 10.9% of the control subjects (p <0.001). Plasma magnesium was not correlated with glycemic control as measured by HbA1c. CONCLUSIONS: Lower plasma magnesium concentrations and poor magnesium status are common in type 2 diabetics in Zurich, Switzerland.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15319146Intracellular magnesium and insulin resistance.
Magnesium, the second most abundant intracellular divalent cation, is a cofactor of many enzymes involved in glucose metabolism. Magnesium has an important role in insulin action, and insulin stimulates magnesium uptake in insulin-sensitive tissues. Impaired biological responses to insulin is referred to as insulin resistance. This review was designed to reach a better understanding of the mechanism involved in the correlation between magnesium and insulin resistance. Intracellular magnesium concentration is low in type 2 diabetes mellitus and in hypertensive patients. In patients with type 2 diabetes an inverse association exists between the plasma magnesium and insulin resistance due to intracellular changes. The suppressed intracellular magnesium concentration may result in defective tyrosine kinase activity and modify insulin sensitivity by influencing receptor activity after binding or by influencing intracellular signaling and processing. Intracellular magnesium deficiency may affect the development of insulin resistance and alter the glucose entry into the cell. CONCLUSIONS: Magnesium is required for both proper glucose utilization and insulin signaling. Metabolic alterations in cellular magnesium, which may play the role of a second messenger for insulin action, contribute to insulin resistance.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12537988Role of magnesium in insulin action, diabetes and cardio-metabolic syndrome X.
Magnesium (Mg) is one of the most abundant ions present in living cells and its plasma concentration is remarkably constant in healthy subjects. Plasma and intracellular Mg concentrations are tightly regulated by several factors. Among them, insulin seems to be one of the most important. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that insulin may modulate the shift of Mg from extracellular to intracellular space. Intracellular Mg concentration has also been shown to be effective in modulating insulin action (mainly oxidative glucose metabolism), offset calcium-related excitation-contraction coupling, and decrease smooth cell responsiveness to depolarizing stimuli. A poor intracellular Mg concentration, as found in noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and in hypertensive patients, may result in a defective tyrosine-kinase activity at the insulin receptor level and exaggerated intracellular calcium concentration. Both events are responsible for the impairment in insulin action and a worsening of insulin resistance in noninsulin-dependent diabetic and hypertensive patients. By contrast, in NIDDM patients daily Mg administration, restoring a more appropriate intracellular Mg concentration, contributes to improve insulin-mediated glucose uptake. The benefits deriving- from daily Mg supplementation in NIDDM patients are further supported by epidemiological studies showing that high daily Mg intake are predictive of a lower incidence of NIDDM. In conclusion, a growing body of studies suggest that intracellular Mg may play a key role in modulating insulin-mediated glucose uptake and vascular tone. We further suggest that a reduced intracellular Mg concentration might be the missing link helping to explain the epidemiological association between NIDDM and hypertension.
When the insulin receptors are blocked or closed the cells simply cannot be sensitized to insulin to uptake glucose to the blood sugar remains high. In response the pancreas, which responds directly to blood sugar levels independently, secretes more insulin in an attempt to lower the blood sugar. This leads to an excess of circulating insulin, which is low concentrations is a vasodilator but in high concentrations does just the opposite becoming a potent vasoconstrictor. Therefore the high circulating levels of insulin leads to rupturing of the micro-blood vessels leading to retinopathy, nephropathy, gangrene and contributes to heart disease. The high blood sugar is what leads to the excess urination, diabetic cataracts, demyelination leading to neuropathy, etc.
As for the weight loss this can have a lot to do with holistic medicine. First thing to keep in mind is that obesity IS NOT always due to just over eating. There are other causes including ratio of brown adipose tissue (BAT) to white adipose tissue (WAT), thyroid function (many things can lead to hypothyroidism), many medications such as Premarin or Prednisone, high cortisol that mobilizes glycogen increasing blood glucose levels, etc, etc, etc. Again holistic medicine looks to find and address the causes of these issues instead of simply trying desperately to cover up the symptoms. For example if due to hypothyroidism what does the allopathic MD do? They prescribe a thyroid hormone, normally T4 despite the fact that T3 is the most biologically active thyroid hormone. And as the medication further atrophies the thyroid they simply up the dose to compensate, which further atrophies the thyroid until it completely shuts down. The OD will look for the potential causes. Is it hypothalamic, pituitary or adrenal dysfunction? They will test for elevated rT3, which can lead to hypothyroidism even when all other thyroid labs are in normal range. I don't think most MDs even know what rT3 is or what its role is in hypothyroidism. Is it from a lack of iodine or excessive exposure to displacing halogens? Is it due to elevated estrogen or exposure to more powerful xenoestrogens, which are all well known thyroid suppressants? Is it due to PCOS? Is it due to the intake of goitrogens? Is there poor T4 to T3 conversion?.......... Then they will address the cause rather than mask the symptoms so the problem actually gets corrected, which can in turn lead to weight loss. If the weight gain is due to hormones, including PCOS, there are holistic ways to deal with this such as trimethylglycine and/or bitters to improve the breakdown of hormones by the liver. If the weight gain is due to a higher ratio of WAP to BAT then there are supplements that increase cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels to increase the "burning" of WAT by BAT and/or cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitors to prolong this affect and to further improve proper thyroid function that is also cAMP dependent. Cortisol can be lowered with adrenal support to prevent over-reaction by the adrenals, which also plays a role in thyroid function including proper T4 to T3 conversion and lowering rT3. If due to diabetes then I already addressed this including chromium, which has also been shown in studies to reduce body fat levels. And so on and so forth.
As for heart disease this generally refers to atherosclerosis or arteriosclerosis.
Let's start with atherosclerosis, which is a form of arteriosclerosis. So here we have a build of arterial plaque that can calcify. So how often do MD's look for the cause of atherosclerosis, which IS NOT high cholesterol? In fact about 50% of heart attacks occur in people with normal to low cholesterol levels and low cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart attacks. Know why?
The whole cholesterol causes heart disease myth started with a faulty rabbit study conducted back in the 1940s. The rabbits were fed high levels of cholesterol, which IS NOT part of a rabbits normal diet. The rabbits developed atherosclerotic plaques and the myth was born. That is as ridiculously stupid as feeding horses beef, also not a normal part of their diet, then claiming whatever illnesses the horses develop are the same thing that will happen in humans eating beef!!!
So what leads to plaque formation? Simple, it is called inflammation, which I can prove real easily. Cholesterol plays a major role in the healing process. When there is an injury to a part of the body cholesterol floods the area to aid in the healing process. When the arteries are injured cholesterol goes to the injured area and deposits to aid with healing that spot. If the source of inflammation remains the cholesterol keeps doing its job of "patching" the injured area, which can lead to a build up. So what are some of the things that can lead to arterial damage and thus inflammation? Smoking, high blood pressure, insulin damage from diabetes, xanthine oxidase, elevated homocysteine, etc. And what are some well known factors for the development of arterial plaque? Smoking, high blood pressure, insulin damage from diabetes, xanthine oxidase, elevated homocysteine, etc. Now consider people having bypasses. Did you ever stop to consider why it is that it can take 50, 60, 70 years or more before plaque builds up enough in someone's arteries to induce a heart attack yet when they do bypasses the bypasses are generally plugged within 10 years? So why is that? Simple, when the bypass is being done the artery being bypassed is being clamped and cut and they bypass vessel also clamped, cut handles and sewn. All that leads to trauma of the blood vessel and thus INFLAMMATION!!!! The massive amount of inflammation leads to immediate and massive mobilization and deposition of the cholesterol on the arterial wall and thus the bypass is plugged vastly significant shorter time than the original build up.
If you still not convinced then try to answer this question. Why do arterial plaques occur in specific areas of the body? In other words the person may have a build up of plaque in the carotid artery but can have clean femoral arteries. If the high cholesterol myth leading to plaque formation were true then the cholesterol circulating even throughout the body in high levels would be depositing evenly throughout the arteries throughout the body. Of course that is not the case again because high cholesterol DOES NOT cause plaque formation. Damage to the arteries leads to inflammation, which in turn leads to cholesterol deposition at the sites of the injuries and inflammation.
Arteriosclerosis can also be caused simply from a loss of blood vessel elastin reducing their elasticity and thus leading to "hardening".
So how are these conditions cured by holistic medicine? Well that depends on exactly what is going on.
For plaque formation lecithin granules can be used to remove arterial plaque as the lecithin makes the cholesterol water soluble so it can be removed from the walls and eliminated from the body. Ozone therapy rapidly and effectively clears arterial plaque as the ozone reacts with the cholesterol forming lipid peroxides in a chain reaction, which are then broken down by antioxidant enzymes such as catalase and the glutathione peroxidases in to water and oxygen. Magnesium salts can be used to displace the calcium from the plaque rendering it softer and easier to remove by the body. Research the electromotive series of metals. You will see calcium is more reactive than magnesium and thus readily exchange. Magnesium also functions like a natural calcium channel blocker thus relaxing blood vessels improving circulation and lowering blood pressure. I prefer magnesium malate not only because it is better absorbed than most magnesium compounds but it also provides malic acid. Both magnesium and malic acid increase adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. In fact if you look up the Krebs cycle you will see that malate is involved in cellular energy production in the Krebs cycle (citric acid cycle, tricarboxylic acid cycle). Some DOs also like chelation, although I am not a fan. And there are still various other means to effectively remove arterial plaque and thus cure heart disease which bypasses, roto-rooting, angioplasty and statins DO NOT do.
Speaking of statins, do you know why these drugs can induce heart failure? More specifically what medical condition leads to the heart failure? Hint, they make reference to it in the statin commercials.
For "hardening of the arteries" due to lack of arterial elastin this is addressed mainly though vitamin C sources with bioflavonoids, especially rutin, and silica in the form of orthosilicic acid that is the form of silica the body absorbs and utilizes. Silica is used throughout the body. Hair, nails, teeth, bones, cartilage, skin, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, nervous system, etc. Vitamin C and silica are components of both collagen and elastin among other proteins. As we age stomach acid levels decline due to decreases in methylation, which is also decreased by lack of stomach acid in a vicious circle. This is because the body's main methyl donor S-Adenosyl-l-methionine (SAMe) requires B6, B12 and folate, which all require sufficient stomach acid for absorption from the gut. Methylation though, which is required for about 4,000 reactions in the body, is also required for the production of stomach acid. So the decline is stomach acid leads to a decrease in methylation, which leads to a decrease in stomach acid formation, which leads to....... The over-prescribing of proton pump inhibitors by MDs have really exacerbated the problem and increased the risk of so many diseases including cancer, arthritis, heart disease, hormone and neurotransmitter imbalances, etc all reduced or prevented by methylation. So not only does vitamin C and silica aid in curing "hardening of the arteries", but so does increasing stomach acidity back to normal levels, which increases the conversion of silica as silicon dioxide in to the absorbable and utilized form of silica known as orthosilicic acid.
Once the arteries are cleaned out and/or elastin restored the next step is to prevent formation of arterial plaque. This can again be done through the things I mentioned above to clean plaque out of the arteries as it is relatively slow to form. Prevention also involves addressing the cause of the formation rather than masking the symptoms with bypasses, roto-rooting, laser ablation, stents or balloon angioplasty none of which solve the problem long term. Again there are multiple causes, which is why it is important for doctors to actually take the time to talk to and learn about the patient instead of just asking symptoms, looking at labs many of which are highly faulty then prescribing drugs to cover up symptoms while ignoring the cause leaving the problem to return. Cancer for example. How often do MDs address the cause of cancer? How many even know what the most common cause of cancer is, which is widely reported in the medical journals they almost never read? Since they do not address the cause this is one of the reasons so many cancers recur within 5 years. In fact, the only highly effective chemo drugs are Vincristine, Vinblastine and the podophyllumtoxin derivatives all from herbs or originally derived from herbs. Why are these drugs so effective other than the fact they are from herbs? Because they address the cause of the cancers they are used for. Know what that is? It is the same for the vast majority of cancers and neither radiation therapy, surgery nor most chemo drugs address those causes.
Anyway, back to the cause of heart disease. Or more specifically the causes as since with most diseases there are various causes. Many of which I mentioned earlier. So let's say the cause is high blood pressure. So how does a DO prevent the high blood pressure to the plaque does not reform. Well it depends on the cause. If due to calcium then magnesium malate can be used to displace the calcium relaxing the blood vessels. It should also be determined what could be causing the elevated calcium. Hyperparathyroidism or pseudohyperparathyroidism, excess calcium intake especially with a lack of magnesium, excess vitamin D intake, some cancers, etc. If due to elevated insulin then again the cause needs to be determined and addressed. Obesity, lack of chromium and/or magnesium, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), etc. If due to epinephrine then adaptogenic herbs in particular can act like natural beta blockers. Ashwagandha is a natural angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and beta blocker. It also helps calm the nervous system by increasing brain levels of gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). There are weak and safer cardiac glycosides such as lily of the valley, cactus grandiflorus (night blooming cereus) and coleus forskohlii that slow the heart while strengthening contractions and by interfering with calcium again relax blood vessels lowering blood pressure. If due to a sodium sensitivity, which is rare despite what MDs claim, then potassium can be used to displace the sodium as potassium is a sodium antagonist and more reactive than sodium (again look up the electromotive series of metals). Is the high blood pressure from medications such as Prednisone that leads to high blood pressure by displacing potassium and leading to sodium retention, or the various nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that work basically by constricting blood vessels through prostaglandin inhibition? If so then maybe the drug needs to be stopped, replaced or their side effects countered. Maybe it is something more simple such as getting the person to stop smoking or eliminating other stimulants like caffeine. Maybe the high blood pressure is from anxiety or stress in which a natural GABA inducer such as ashwagandha or glycine can help. Again it is important to actually listen to and learn from the patient instead of guessing and relying on labs. So many things are interconnected in the body and drugs are not always the answer nor are labs always accurate. Symptoms can have various causes. When doctors go in with blinders they can miss important clues and misdiagnoses occur. It is like the lady who went to various doctors for second and third opinions. Each gave her a different diagnosis including cancer, hormone issues and pregnancy. Well one got it right as she gave birth to a 7 pound "tumor".
Another major cause of heart disease is hypothyroidism, which leads to elevated levels of inflammatory homocysteine linked to heart disease and cancer. How do MDs address elevated homocysteine? I have never heard of any methods that MDs will address this. A DO though will first check for thyroid function. And yes, MDs will check for thyroid pretty much as a routine, but lab tests for thyroid function are notoriously inaccurate for several reasons. These include the fact that stress, such as going to the doctor and getting stuck with a needle, TEMPORARILY increases thyroid hormone levels to meet the higher metabolic demand. So this can temporarily push a subnormal thyroid up to normal levels during the blood draw yielding a false normal. The other reason is that elevated reverse triiodothyronine (rT3) levels can induce hypothyroidism despite normal TSH, T3 and T4 levels. Yet few MDs test for rT3 or seem to even have a clue what it is. So you cannot just look at labs and say your thyroid is fine. It does not work that way despite this is what allopathic medicine teaches. You have to look at other things such as symptoms of hypothyroidism. Fatigue (again can have multiple causes), Raynaud's phenomena (not Raynaud's disease, which is autoimmune) weight gain in some cases, cold intolerance, hair loss (throughout the scalp or all over the body), subnormal pulse and blood pressure, constipation, dry hair and skin, etc. The biggest give-a-way is a subnormal body temperature. Some DOs will have the patient do basal body temp readings for at least a week to get an average since body temps can fluctuate throughout the day. So if the thyroid does turn out to be low, despite normal lab values, how is the hypothyroidism addressed. Well if hypothyroidism is determined by an MD they like to generally prescribe T4, which as pointed out before is not the most biologically active hormone, and the drug will further atrophy the thyroid. A DO may prescribe a natural thyroid hormone such as Armour containing both T4 and T3. This can still atrophy the thyroid so a good DO will only use this in low doses and for a short period of time while they learn from the patient possible causes of the hypothyroidism so the cause can be addressed and the person weaned off the drug, which can cause other problems such as bone loss and increased cardiovascular stress, while finding non-hormone methods of supporting proper thyroid function. This may be as simple as recommending iodine or addressing hormone imbalances including induced by drugs like Premarin.
If you would like details on how the other diseases I mentioned not cured by allopathic medicine but cured by holistic medicine are cured just let me know. I will be more than happy to explain how they are actually cured by holistic medicine.