Statistically speaking, it's
entirely possible - after all, strokes are one of the leading causes of death. Referred
to in medical parlance as "cerebral vascular accidents, or CVA's, and now often called
"brain attacks", by whatever name they are labeled, they leave in their wake a path of
devastation, disability and death.
In the United States, strokes are the leading cause of
adult disability. And, they're on the rise. About three quarters of a million occur
each year and one third of these people die.
Who in their right mind would
sign up for such a fate? Clearly, putting a good
stroke prevention strategy in place is a smart move. But what to
do?
First,
understand what stroke
is: The arteries
going to your brain from your heart and the veins that return it are like a hose
carrying fluid (blood). Strokes can occur either because of a problem in
the hose, such as it leaking or breaking, or a problem that blocks the flow of
the fluid. Therefore your stroke prevention strategy needs to have two
aspects:
- keeping the
internal "hoses" in strong, open and in good repair,
and
- keeping the fluid
moving through them thin enough to flow well not to create
blockages.
To
keep the "hoses" strong and in good
repair, certain nutrients are key.
Since arterial walls are made of connective tissue, health practitioners may
recommend products that help build, repair and strengthen connective tissue, such
as:
- magnesium, which
helps relax constricted smooth muscle inside the arterial
"hoses".
- whole food concentrate
vitamin E, or
- products rich in the
"P' factors of the vitamin C complex, such as
bioflavonoids
- a high quality
omega -3 oil that will pick up and carry minerals out of your and allow
them to either be used or eliminated instead of settling in and hardening
your arteries - a clear set up for a stroke.
- herbs that
strengthen connective tissue, such as Gotu Kola
- dietary changes
that reduce inflammation, which narrows the internal open space (lumen) of the
"hose".
To
keep the fluid moving through the arterial
"hoses" and thin enough to flow readily. This means creating a strategy that prevents your
platelets - blood cells that play a critical role in bleeding - from becoming
'sticky' and developing into clots. Once clots form, they block the flow
inside the hose (arterial flow), cutting off the blood supply to your brain and
resulting in the second kind of stroke.
For years now, the medical
recommendation to reduce 'sticky' platelets has been to an aspirin a day. Is this
a good strategy, and is it the only option, or are there better ones? Aspirin reduces
blood platelet activity and blood clotting. That sounds good, right? Well, yes, it
does sound good. However, an aspirin a day
is not without its problems. Aspirin therapy:
-is known to increase stomach
and intestinal bleeding
-to increase the risk of macular degeneration, (the
leading cause of blindness in the elderly).
-a German study demonstrated that platelet activity
was only reduced in the first 12
hours following the aspirin dose, with
a rebound reaction afterwards which
actually enhances blood
clotting!
-an Australian study found that people whose arteries to
their brains were already blocked were three times more likely to have a stroke if they took even as little as half an adult
aspirin tablet daily.
-these problems are made worse in people who consume
three or more alcoholic drinks every day.
-aspirin cannot be used during the last three months of
pregnancy (it may cause problems in the unborn child or complications during
delivery).
-aspirin can cause ringing in the ears
-aspirin can cause hearing loss.
-people who have diabetes, gout, arthritis, or are taking
anti-coagulation (blood thinning) medications must avoid it.
-long term aspirin ingestion depletes the body of some
vitamins and minerals, especially iron, thus results in anemia.
So what's an
alternative?
Many health practitioners have
had excellent success with nutritional products that assist protein digestion,
Typically these protein digesters, when used as digestive aids, are taken with
meals. However, when taken for stroke prevention, they should be taken
between meals,
on an empty stomach. How does this work?
Since clots are made of the
protein fibrin, the enzymes in protein digesters help break down the fibrin-based clots
and plaque in human arteries. This has been demonstrated to work in rabbits, where the
product used was bromelain, an extract from pineapple that helps break down
protein.
When poor arterial flow
results from the body having difficulty recycling its fluid wastes, there can be a
number of factors at play. Here are some of them along with strategies that can
address them:
1. Poor digestion in the
stomach, suggesting that dietary changes may be needed so that foods ingested are
those that benefit your particular body. Digestive aids may also need to be taken
with meals;
2. Clogged kidneys that are
having difficulty filtering wastes, suggesting a need for nutritional and herbal
products that help break down the molecules that are clogging the tiny filtration
tissues of the kidneys;
3. Toxic bowel, one
of the factors at play when blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels are
high, suggesting a need for products that acidify the intestines, increase presence
of healthy "bugs" or flora that clean up the environment, high
chlorophyll-containing products (especially because they neutralize the highly
toxic guanidine produced in the toxic bowel, etc.;
4. Too much calcium in the
blood stream rather than in the bones and tissues where it is needed, suggesting
omega 3 fatty acid support, or possibly nutritional support for the
parathyroid gland;
5. Old, indigestible
iron in the blood, suggesting a need for products high in phosphorus and other
particular minerals that tend to alkalinize the body and remove the
iron;
6. Stone formation, which
is the body's way of attempting to remove from circulation materials such as
calcium, iron, protein (uric acid), bile, metals, drugs, and junk food and
synthetic vitamins. Stone formation suggests the need for a combination of products
that may include choline, phosphorus, and bile thinners; and
7. Chemical contamination,
which thickens and slows blood flow, as in mercury toxicity (secondary to leaking
silver amalgam dental fillings, or consuming contaminated fish, for example),
pesticide residue, etc. This situation suggests strategies that support the
body in cleaning up the contamination, which need to be targeted to the
specific contamination.
Note: these strategies are
presented as summaries for educational purposes only and are not intended as
substitutes for medical care. Always consult your health practitioner before
embarking on a course of action. The best stroke prevention strategy is one that
is both informed and targeted, meaning it's based not only on knowledge about strokes
and their treatment in general, but also about your body in particular. Making such an
investment could save your life.
