Reversing Heart Disease with a Vegan Low fat Diet? | Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn MD

I spoke with Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn from the Cleveland Clinic about Reversing Heart Disease and vegan low fat diets.

Do imaging studies show actual heart disease reversal?

Is a low fat vegan diet required for heart disease patients?

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Animations: Even Topland @toplandmedia

References:

Disclaimer: The contents of this video are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor to replace medical care. The information presented herein is accurate and conforms to the available scientific evidence to the best of the author's knowledge as of the time of posting. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding any medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information contained in Nutrition Made Simple!.

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0:00 Dr. Esselstyn
1:16 Centenarian patient
2:09 Abdominal pain patient
3:52 Rapid results
7:20 Regression vs dilation
8:10 A devil´s advocate

[thierryremy]

Someone already wrote this but I will say it again, Caldwell Esselstyn is a National Treasure!

[midneis]

Man, it's so refreshing to see the person say "I don't know" to something that puts their theory in question. That's a real scientist. So many people on so many podcasts speak like they have the answer to everything, it's a breath of fresh air to see someone ACTUALLY thinking and considering all variables and possibilities.

[cherylchilds]

Thank you, Gil, I’m really looking forward to seeing the long version!

[tomedwards]

Caldwell Esselstyn is a National Treasure.

[Arugula]

I appreciate your question about whether the benefits from Dr Esselstyn's low-fat vegan diet are coming from an expansion of the artery or the reduction of the plaque in the artery. Since the endothelial is a one-layer cell, and nitric oxide's action is on the endothelial layer, it would take a lot for that one-later cell to expand the tunica media and the tunica externa. It seems to be that the more logical explanation is the reduction of the plaque because on a low-fat vegan diet, you poop more frequently in a day (1 to 3 times), the transit time is shorter, and given the huge amount of magnesium in the vegan diet, your potassium and magnesium level goes up, your arteries and muscles are more relaxed, and you sleep better. That also means that the glympathic system is working well to clear dead cells, fragments of plaque and/or proteins from the brain and the body, and discharging them as wastes when you wake up. I know young scientists are skeptical about Esselstyn's findings. They ask why he did not do an RCT, forgetting the historical context of his study. It was in the 1980s, three years before Statins came on the market, and when the standard of care was bypass surgery. Only patients who could not be treated any longer by drug or surgery would be eligible and ethically permissible to be referred to his study. Did you think that those patients would be willing to be randomized? They had just a few months left to live. One chance to live longer. It took Esselstyn 4 years to find 24 patients willing to participate in his study. He himself tried the diet for a year before asking for permission to do the study. Since he knew it worked on him, would it have been ethical for him to try another type of diet when he had only one chance to save those 24 patients' lives? I am so glad that I came to know his work through Sanjay Gupta's "The Last Heart Attack" broadcast on CNN, just 2 weeks after I experienced a heart attack. I read his book and went plant-based, gradually going "all in" into a low-fat vegan diet 6 days a week. I eat fish one meal a week to get Omega-3 naturally besides getting it from seaweeds (Wakame) daily. I feel so much better now, even though I am more than a decade older.

[TangoMasterclassCom]

Love his work!! And who is giving live interviews at 90 y/o, so sharp and accurate. He is a true example for me, and for my father who is also a medical doctor. He is 85 y/o and just as sharp mentally as Dr. Esselstyn. At this age, my fathers' mother (my grandma) already had Alzheimer, but my father is still sharp and fit. He also eats a whole food plant based diet since 2019. Wish we had heard of this diet earlier in our lives. But luckily as a family (my parents and siblings) always ate quite plant dominant. But leaving out the dairy, eggs, meat completely made a big improvement. I chose vegetarian at age 4, so I had a big advantage, that I now still benefit from at age 45. Completely plant based mostly whole foods since 2017. Never sick. My husband went from animal based heave eating (Argentine) to totally vegan in 2019, and he is more fit at age 50 than he was at age 20.

[georgejefferson]

It is wonderful that discussions can be held where there can be disagreement and the result is not confusion but realization that we have good information that could be better. Cheers to both!

[michaelmore]

Esselstyn is such a classy guy, and sharp as ever. I 100% support his conclusions. Not only do his recommendations open arteries (whatever the mechanism), but pathologists never see that kind of opening in other patients following other protocols. I truly appreciate your efforts to help patients by bringing him on, treating him with the respect he deserves, and sharing his groundbreaking research on compliant whole-food plant based diets. Incredible.

[ptanji]

I heard this word loud and clear today, “compliant”!

[kentroskelley]

I appreciate that no animals were harmed in Dr Essylstyns study.
And he is an opened minded and honest man. He’s been around long enough to have no need to play games.

[kenschulz]

Love the animation to help people understand what is being said verbally. Even if you don't need it for comprehension, it makes the content easier to remember 😊

[reedclippings]

"Yeah, I agree" towards the end. Love this guy.

[hikedayley]

How are you going to grow plaque when you are eating Kale"----That was funny. I met Dr Esselstyn on the Holistic Holiday at Sea cruise. He is such a gentleman who really cares about people. He practices what he teaches.

[mytube]

I bought Dr. E’s book years ago, and followed the diet for awhile and reduced body weight consistently. It really worked. His approach is to not eat anything with a face and to connect with communities. I guess the main criticism to his work is all observational, no clinical trials. But he used imaging techniques and blood work to continue monitoring his patients.

On a side note, his physical appearance and mental clarity are so strikingly well for his age. I can trust him to be our president 😂😂

[mirandayeoh]

Halfway across the world from Cleveland Clinic, I'm happily following Dr Esselstyn's diet principles. Thanks.

[haroldwood]

Thanks, Gil. Like others, I look forward to the long version.

[elephantintheroom]

I believe the evidence he has presented. Large studies replicating his protocol need to be done, at once.

[Sonnell]

I love how you look kinda unimpressed and bored when he talks about anecdotal experiences, but lights up when he starts to talk about actual knowledge and science :)

[breworbebrewed]

Looking forward to the full interview.

[sandyglover]

I can’t wait to hear this full interview.