Filed Under FROM THE DOCTOR'S PERSPECTIVE, HEART HEALTH, AMINO ACIDS
An Amino Acid That Could Save Your Life
by Dr. Julian Whitaker
Published 04/14
I'd like to introduce you to a completely natural, safe amino acid that is showing promise in the prevention of atherosclerosis—L-arginine. In fact, it may even completely stop it.
To understand how L-arginine can help you combat cardiovascular disease, let's briefly go over how atherosclerosis, which causes heart disease, occurs.
Atherosclerosis starts with an injury to the cells lining your arteries, called the endothelial cells. These cells can be injured by high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, or even cigarette smoke. Artery cells are also injured by the catheter that is used for a diagnostic angiogram—which is one of the reasons I am so strongly opposed to the widespread use of this test. This procedure always damages the lining of the arteries, starting atherosclerosis at multiple sites. Worse, the results of the diagnostic catheterization are inaccurate and thus not very useful in treating the disease—unless you happen to believe in unnecessary surgery.
Cholesterol, fat, and platelets are drawn to the injury sites on your artery walls, where they adhere. Then white blood cells migrate into and damage the muscle wall of the artery—and it's off to the races for atherosclerosis. If such conditions prevail, the process continues until your artery is completely choked with cholesterol, platelets, and white blood cells—leading to heart disease.
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