Plant-Based Prescription for Blocked Arteries

Former President George W. Bush’s prognosis is good following his surgery to open a blocked artery, and we wish him a quick recovery. If there is a silver lining to a public figure’s health struggle, it is that it brings a serious issue back into public awareness. What people need to know is that heart disease is not caused by age or genes for the most part. Rather, it comes from things we can control, with meaty diets and smoking at the top of the list. In America, where meat-heavy diets are the norm, the disease begins in childhood, gradually narrowing arteries to the heart and other parts of the body. Narrowed arteries eventually lead to chest pain, lower back pain, erectile dysfunction, and finally to heart attacks and strokes. But the disease can be stopped—and even reversed. Doing that requires more than a switch from beef to chicken with a side of Lipitor. The best medicine for the heart is a plant-based diet. With no cholesterol or animal fat, a vegan diet is a prescription that helps the arteries begin to reopen. In 2010, former President Bill Clinton received two stents. Following his surgery he adopted a low-fat plant-based diet and turned his heart health around. And there are countless other people from all walks of life who are having similar success using a plant-based diet to fight heart disease, diabetes, and health conditions If you or someone you know could use a few tips on how to put the power of healthy eating to work, please visit PCRM.org/Health-Topics.