Healing The Root Cause Of Heart Disease: Fix Your Body’s Survival Response To Keep Your Heart Healt

Healing the Root Cause of Heart Disease:

Isaac Eliaz, MD

INTEGRATIVE PHYSICIAN | BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

Isaac Eliaz, MD, MS, LAc is a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine with more than 30 years of experience as a physician and researcher. He has partnered with some of the nation’s leading research institutes, including Harvard and Columbia Universities. As an internationally recognized expert in the treatment of cancer and other complex diseases, Dr. Eliaz embraces a whole-person approach to healing. He is the author of The Survival Paradox, as well as the owner and formulator of EcoNugenics, a line of science-backed supplements. He is also the founder and medical director of Amitabha Medical Clinic & Healing Center in Santa Rosa, Calif.

“I’ve learned to let go of our current medical system’s dogmatic paradigms, both conventional and alternative. People often say I think ‘outside the box,’ to which I reply, there was never a box to begin with.”

— Isaac Eliaz, MD, MS, LAc

PART ONE HOW THE SURVIVAL RESPONSE AFFECTS OUR HEALTH

CHAPTER

ONE

WHAT IS THE SURVIVAL PARADOX?

RebeccafirstcametoseemeatAmitabhaMedicalClinicin2011.Shewas seventy,withstage4lungcancerthathadmetastasizedtoherbones.Shehadno familyandlivedalone;hercompanionthatdaywasastone-facedchauffeur waitinginacaroutsidetheclinic.Withtearsinhereyes,shetoldmeshehad justbeendiagnosed.Handsshaking,sheshowedmethePETscanreport highlightingthemultipletumorsthroughoutherbody.Basedonwhatthe oncologistsaid,sheunderstoodthatherlifecouldcometoanendverysoon.

“Idon’twanttodie,”shesaid.“I’mnotreadytogo.”Everycellinherbody wasreelingwithanxietyandfear.Herrestlessnesswaspalpableintheair.

Asanintegrativephysicianwhotreatscancer,I’dhadthisconversationmany times.Ihandedheratissueandshewipedhertears.“IwilldoanythingIcanto overcomethiscancer,”shesaidfirmly.Iacknowledgedherfiercedetermination, herresolve.Afterall,determinationiswhat’sneededfirstandforemostto overcomeadeadlydisease,right?

Withheranxietysopalpable,Iwonderedhowthisfearmustbeaffectingher. Notjustonthelevelofheremotionsorqualityoflife;Iwonderedhowitwas affectingthecancercells.Willthisfear-baseddeterminationnottodiehelpher overcomeherdisease?Orwillitcausehertobecomesickerandshortenherlife? Heranxietywassoprominentthatitinfusedhersurroundings,affectingher abilitytotakeadeepbreath.Itwasconstantsuffering,anditwasclearshewas in“survivalmode.”

Beinginsurvivalmodemeantthathersympatheticnervoussystem hormones,thedriversofherinnatebiochemicalresponsepatterns,weredialed allthewayup.Heradrenaline,noradrenaline,andcortisolwereelevated,and herinsulinwasspiking.Herimmuneresponsewasbeingsuppressed,andher metabolic function was altered. Ultimately, it meant that many of the compoundssheexcretedinanefforttosurvivewouldverylikelynourishher cancerandallowittogrowandsurviveaswell.

Survivalmodeisoftenastateofstressandpanic.Thebodyfeelsrushedand doesn’tslowdown,andallcells,whethernormalorcancerous,fightharderto survive.Thus,Rebecca’sanxietyandfearofdyingcould“feed”thecancerous cells.Herbestchanceatbeatingthecancerandlivingalongerlifewastoshift awayfromsurvivalmodeandmoveintoastateofgreaterrelaxation,withless reactivityonthecellular,emotional,andpsychologicallevels.

Basedonresearchandmyyearsofworkwithpatients,onethinghasbecome clear: when facing a life-threatening or debilitating illness, the natural biochemicalstressresponse,ourinnatefight-or-flightmechanismsthatare drivenbyourinstincttosurvivearefundamentallyatoddswithourabilityto healandthrive.Thissurvivaldrive,rootedinoursympatheticnervoussystem andexpressedbyourbiochemicalalertsystem,isnotgoingtosaveus.Infact,it canharmus.

Howdoesthisphysiologicalresponsesystemturnagainstussodramatically, fuelingdiseaseprocessesandprematureaging?Andmoreimportantly,whatcan wedoaboutit?

Thegoodnewsis,wecandoalot.Andwecandoitinawaythatisactually simplerthananyonefacingacomplexhealthcondition—patientorprovider— mighthaveimagined.

We’llcontinuetodiscussthedetailsofRebecca’streatmentandoutcomesin thenextchapter.Iwitnessedsomethingincredibleinhercase,aswellasin manyothers.SomethingthatBruceLipton,DeepakChopra,andmanyothers havewrittenabout,andwhattheyogisandmysticshavebeensayingfor millennia: the mind can influence the body to heal spontaneously and completely.Themindcandeliverthebodyfromthebrinkofdeathanddisease tovitalityandlongevity.

THE CATCH-22 OF “POSITIVE THINKING”

Publishedevidenceonthemind-bodyconnectionissignificantandgrowing rapidly,andbasedonmypersonalandclinicalexperience,theresultscanbe exponential.Itspoweriswithinusallthetime,andit’sabsolutelyavailablefor ustouse.

So,

whydoesn’titalwayswork?

Ifmind-bodymedicineistheclinicallystudiedgoldstandard“alternative” deemedthesafestandmostbeneficialtreatmentandincreasinglyadoptedand appliedinclinicalsettingsaroundtheworld,itstandstoreasonthatmanymore peoplewouldbeabletomeditateor“positivelythink”theirdiseaseinto remission.

It’stheultimatecatch-22:whensomeoneisfacingalife-threateningdisease, askingthemtorelax,changetheirthoughtpatterns,andfocusonhappy, healingenergyismucheasiersaidthandone.It’slikeaskingsomeonewhose houseisonfiretostaycalm,thinkpositively,anddeeplyinhalethesmokefrom theirburninghome.

We’rebuiltforsurvival.Wedon’tjustwantbutintrinsicallyneedto overcomediseaseandtoheal.I’vecometofind,basedonextensivepublished researchandyearsofclinicalobservation,thatthissurvivaldriveistheone majorblockagestandinginthewayofwould-besuccesses.

Inanerawhenwetendtolookforquickfixesandsymptomsuppressors, we’rereallyjustsuppressingourhealingcapacity.Wedon’ttakethetimeto stop,slowdown,andlookwithin.Theideathatwedon’thavetime—thatwe must rush, and must compete with everyone, including ourselves—is detrimentaltoourhealthandwell-being.

WhatRebeccaneededaboveallelsewastoslowthissympatheticnervous systemresponse,butshecouldn’t.Herhousewasburningdown,and shecouldn’ttakeadeepbreathinthemidstofwhatappearedtobealifethreateningsituation.

Whenweexperienceasenseofrestlessness,notfeelingsafe,ornottrusting ourenvironmentandcommunity,itcantranslateallthewaydowntothe cellularlevel.Whenwefeelunsafeandbelieveweneedtosurviveonourown, itchangesthemetabolismandfunctionofourcells—theyreceivesignalsfrom theirenvironmentthatthereisalackofoxygen.Theformaltermforlackof oxygenishypoxia,andthehypoxiccellcan’tbreatheornaturallyrelax.(In cancerhowever,thecellsbehavethiswayeveninthepresenceofoxygen, whichwe’lldiscussindetaillaterinthebook.)

Tobeginthehealingprocess,weneedtomoveahypoxiccelltoaplace whereitfeelsitcanbreathe,createanormalmetabolism,andreturntonormal mitochondrialfunction.Todothis,thecellandthepersonmustshiftawayfrom astateofsurvivaltowardastateofrelaxation.Toachievesuchachange,the personasawholemustexperiencesafetyandbalanceallthewaytothecellular level.Thesurvivalalarmhastobeturnedoff!

So,howdidRebeccaandIbeginaddressinghercancer?Howwassheableto takeadeepbreath?Weworkeddirectlyonherbiochemistry.Wedidn’tjust circumventherfearandanxiety—wetransformedit.Weusedcertainnatural compoundstoquietthealarmsystem,normalizethecell,andfightthecancer.

Wecombinedthosecompoundswithmeditation,breathingexercises,regular acupuncture,andhealingsessionswithdifferentmodalities,includinghands-on osteopathic,craniosacral,sound,andvisualizationtherapies.Mostimportantly, we surrounded her with unconditional love and affection, a sense of community,andanenvironmentthatheldherwithoutjudgment—wecreateda worldwhereshefeltsafeandloved.

A DEEPER HEART-BODY CONNECTION

Themind-bodyconnectionisamazing,andit’snotaone-waystreet.Emotions, thoughts, and subconscious responses clearly affect our biochemistry, our physiology,andoursubjectiveandobjectiveexperiencesofhealthanddisease. Atthesametime,ourbiochemistrysharplyaffectsouremotionsandour thoughts.Itaffectswhoweareatthecore.

Meditationandothermind-bodypracticescanundoubtedlygiveusthe quantumedgeinhealing.Theyworknotonlybecausetheycancalmour anxiety,reduceinflammation,andreverseourbiochemicaldiseaseprocesses— theyalsoworkbecausetheymeltourrigidityandrelaxourfixations.They dissolvetheliteralboundariesbetweenthepersonandthedisease,allowingthe person to reach and engage the tumor, the atherosclerotic plaque, the burrowingLymespirochete,oranyotheropportunisticinfection.

However,mind-bodymethodslikemeditationcanonlyunleashourinnate healingpotentialwhenwefigureouthowtotrulyengageourhearts.Inthis regard,amoreaccuratetermforthistypeofhealingis“heart-bodymedicine” ratherthan“mind-bodymedicine.”Itisheartfulnessratherthanmindfulness.I callthis“openheartmedicine.”

Thebasicphysiologyofourheartandthefundamentalmechanicsofthisvital organfunctioninawaythatactuallyallowsandsupports“miracle”healing—an unexpectedpositiveoutcomethatdefiesprobability.

Ultimately,wehavetogetthroughthethinveneerof“positivethinking”and penetratethedeeperlayersofourdefenses.Ourinstinctualfearsandanxieties, whilepartofourinnatesurvivaldrive,obstructourhealingcapacityby triggeringbiochemicalchangesinourbodythatcreateliteralphysicalbarriers. Thesebarriersaremadeofdifferentcomponentsthatneedtobetreated.For example,therecanbehyperviscosity,whichisthicknessofthebloodthat hamperscirculationandtheabilitytodeliveroxygentothetissue;fibrosis, whichisthescarringorhardeningoftissuesandorgans;biofilmstructures, whichformprotectiveshieldsaroundtumorsandpathogens;andmore.Andall ofthiswilltranslateintochangesincommunicationsbetweenthecellandits environment.Thiscauseschangesinsidethecellsandaffectstheirfunction.

So,whatisthekeytoshiftingusfromsurvivaltoharmony?Fromdiseaseto longevity?Whatisthismetabolicsurvivalalarmthatmustbeturnedoff?

Researchershaveidentifiedonemasterproteinproducedbythebody,which isattheheadwatersofourbiochemicalalarmsystem.Thisproteindictatesour biochemicalandphysiologicalresponsetostress,illness,andinjury.

Themorestresswe’reunder,themoreourbodieswillviewlifeasabattle, leadingtoongoingconflictandfrictionwithin.Productionofthissurvival proteinwillrampupinanefforttoresolvetheconflictingdialoguebetweenthe bodyandtheoutsideworldandbetweendifferentsystemsandcellswithinthe body.Hereiswherewecanseetheparadoxofthissurvivalproteininaction.

Themolecularendresultofthisreactivedefensestrategyiscontraction, isolation,andoftendisease.Thesearesurvivalresponses,whicharedrivenby self-preservationbutunfortunatelyleadtoinflammationandfibrosis.These responsesalsoleadtodegenerationatthecellularlevel,organsystemlevel,and atthelevelofourwell-beingandlongevity.Theyhaltthecooperationbetween ourtrillionsofcellsthatwouldotherwiseseamlesslycommunicatewitheach otherinthemiracleoflife.Thebodyhasaninnatecapacitytohealitself—when thesurvivalresponsedoesn’tstandinitsway.

CHAPTER TWO THE ARCHITECT OF THE SURVIVAL RESPONSE: GALECTIN-3

Nowthatyouknowwhatthesurvivalparadoxis,let’smeetitsmolecular architect.

Ifyou’veneverheardofgalectin-3,youaren’talone.Despitethefactthat therearethousandsofpaperspublishedaboutitsroleindrivingeverythingfrom cancertoheartandkidneyfailureandmuchmore,thevastmajorityofpeople— includingmosthealthcarepractitioners—haveneverheardofiteither!But you’reabouttohearalotaboutit.

Therearedifferenttypesofgalectins,butthemoststudied(yetlittle-known) one is galectin-3, a fascinating carbohydrate-binding protein. On close examination,itplaysanimportantroleinthebalancebetweenhealthand disease. It is the core component and initiator of our self-preservation mechanism.Icallit“thesurvivalprotein.”Let’sdefineexactlywhatitisand whatitdoesinsidethehumanbody.

THE OPERATION OF GALECTIN-3

Wheninjury,illness,orotherstressorsoccur,ourinnatesurvivalresponse triggerstheproductionandactivityofgalectin-3.Intheseinstances,galectin-3 initiatesacascadeofprocessesthatarenecessaryforinjuryrepair.Howeverif thealarmfailstoturnoffafterthethreatsubsides,galectin-3getsoutofcontrol and can seriously harm us.

Whengalectin-3activitycontinuesuncontrollably,iteffectively“goes rogue,”drivinginflammationandfibrosisratherthanhealing.This,inturn,can leadtonumerousdiseaseprocesses.What’smore,pathogenssuchasdifferent infectiousagentsandtumorscanhijackgalectin-3anduseitfortheirown survival.Thisisakeyissuethatcanbetreatedstrategically,andwe’llfurther explorethisconceptthroughoutthenextchapters.

Galectin-3isproducedor expressed indifferenttypesofcells.Inparticular, galectin-3isexpressedinimmunecells,inepithelialcells(theonesthatcoat certaintissuessuchasthoseoftheintestinesandlungs),inendothelialcells(the inner-liningcellsofthebloodvessels),andinsensoryneurons,amongothers.

Weunderstandthatgalectin-3canbebeneficialorharmful,buthowcanone proteinharmandbenefitusatthesametime?Togainabetterinsightintothis paradox—oursurvivalparadox—let’stakeajourneytogetherintothestructure ofthisprotein.

Galectin-3hasachimerastructure,meaningthat different structures from various sources come togethertocreateit(achimericcharacteryoumight befamiliarwithisFrankenstein:hewascreatedfrom manydifferentparts).Whengalectin-3isactivated, itcanbindtoothergalectin-3proteinsandother carbohydratestoformcomplexstructures.Uptofive individual galectin-3 proteins can stick together, creatingfive-sidedstructurescalled pentamers.

Whengalectin-3formspentamers,thesecanattachtoothergalectin-3 pentamers,toothercarbohydrates(sugars),andtocell-surfacereceptors,where thesestructurescanthenmediatecellreactionsandcontroltheinteraction betweenthecellandtheenvironment.Soundscomplicated?Itisabit.Butdon’t worry,we’llbreakitdown.

Oursurvivalprotein,galectin-3,isactivatedwhenweexperienceasudden threat,beitphysical,emotional,mental,orpsychological.It’salsoactivatedin casesofinjury,infection,cancer,orotherillnesses.Whengalectin-3isactivated, itturnsonmultiplepathwaysthatinitiateinflammationandtheprocessof fibrosis,andsuchscartissuebuild-upcanleadtohardeninganddysfunctionof tissuesandorgansystems.Furthermore,itcanalsooverexpressitselfinspecific areasofthebody,forexample,inthejoints,cardiovascularsystem,orthebrain. Andwhatistrulyamazingisthatitcanexertverydifferenteffectsatdifferent sitesbasedonwhatit’sboundto.

GALECTIN-3 EXPRESSION

IN MODERN LIFE

Tobetterunderstandthecomplexityofgalectin-3,let’srelateittothebigger picture:ourmodern-dayexistence.Weliveinaworldwherepeoplecontinue tobecomemoreisolated.Whenpeoplearelessconnectedtoeachotherandto theearth,allbecomeweaker.Weexploitandabuseournaturalresources,and weseetheeffectsofrapidclimatechange.Globalwarmingisaninflammatory processontheplanetarylevel.

Atthehumanlevel,ourinternalandexternalsenseofpeaceisdwindling,and ourattentionspansareridiculouslyshort.Wecannolongerwaitforweeks, days,orevenhourstogiveorreceivearesponse—wecanonlytoleratewaiting formilliseconds,andwefeeltheneedtoreactimmediatelytoeverystimulus.

Mostofuslivehigh-stresslifestylesinundatedwithelectronicandotherforms ofstimulation.Idon’tthinkit’sanexaggerationtosaythatourmodernsociety isinastateofoverwhelm.

Thecontinualbarrageofstimulifromeverydirection,theonslaughtof environmentaltoxins,theongoingmental,physical,andemotionalstresswe’ve grownaccustomedto—thesedisturbancesthrowusintosurvivalmodewhere oursystemsareonconstanthighalert,likeanalarmthatneverturnsoff.

Theresult?Unhealthygalectin-3expression,andwithit,progressivedamage tovitalorgansandsystemsoverthelong-term.This,inturn,fuelsmore galectin-3production,formingaperpetuallyclosedloopsystemthatisproving tobeperhapsthesinglegreatestthreattoourhealthandlongevity.

Theconditionofouralarmsystemanditsresponsetostressorsofdifferent originsdependsupontheconditionofmultipleothersystems.It’sinfluencedby theneurological,circulatory,andmetabolicsystems,aswellasmitochondrial function(ourenergyproductionsystem).Ourdietandlifestyleaffectittoo. Regardlessofthenature,origin,orlocationofthestressor,theresponse— galectin-3—hasanextraordinaryinfluenceonourbody’salertsystemand, subsequently,ourentirespectrumofhealthandlongevity.

Forouralarmsystemtoworkcorrectly,ourinflammatory,immune,and otherbiochemicalresponsesmustbecarefullyregulated.Whenthealarmsystem isworkingwell,itcanresolveslow-comingissueslikecancer,aging,orjoint pain.Itcanalsorampupquicklyandaddressimmediatethreatslikecuts, infections,bruises,emotionalstress,andotherdangers.Thenitcanwinddown

justasrapidlyaftertheproblemhaspassed.

Let’scompareahealthyinflammatoryresponsetoanunhealthyoneby thinkingaboutwhathappenswhenweturnonlights.Turningonasingle switchdoesn’ttakemuchenergy.Inthiscase,“turningononelight”alertsthe bodyofanissue,illuminatingtheneedforrepair.Whenthishappenswithinthe body,it’sanentirelynormal,acuteinflammatoryresponse,andwhenthe problemisgone,thelightturnsoff.

However,thetroublebeginswhenaswitchisturnedonandcan’tbeturned off.It’sasthoughacircuithasmalfunctioned.Whentheswitchstayson,it triggersacascade,causingmultiplelightstoswitchon.Thisisthestartof chronicinflammation,andthebodygoesintocrisismode.Atthatpoint,the bodyhasachoice:resolvetheproblemorkeepturningonmorelights.Ifthe bodychoosestokeepswitchingonlights,thiswilleventuallyleadtoamuch biggercrisis.

Anotherproblemwiththeselightsisthattheycanbeturnedoninisolation, awayfromthebody’sradar,meaningthebodywillbeunawarethattheselights areevenon.Justliketheselights,galectin-3canbeactivatedinanisolated microenvironmentwhereitgraduallycausesdamage.Insomecases,bythetime thedamageisdetected,itmaybetoolatetohealorreverseit.Apersonmay wakeuponedaytodiscover“sudden”kidneyfailure,wheninfact,thedamage occurredslowlyovertime—theywerejustunawareofit.

The Risks of Isolation Formations

Isolationisafundamentalsurvivalstrategy.Itisinitiatedanddrivenbygalectin3.Aswediscussedearlier,galectin-3usesmultiplepentamersboundtoeach otherindifferentwaystocreatelatticeformations(orcoatingsorbiofilms). Theseformationscreatepocketsofisolationaroundareasofdamage,infection, andtoxicbuild-up,amongothers.Withinthesemicroenvironmentscreatedby galectin-3,diseasescandevelopundetectedandremainprotectedfromdrug treatmentsandothertherapeuticagents.

Frequentharmfulvisitorswithinthebody—likebacteria,viruses,fungi, parasites,otherinfectiousagents,andcancercells—haveasimilarisolation strategy.Theycanhijackgalectin-3tocreateashieldaroundthemselves(a latticeformation)sotheyareundetectedbytheimmunesystemandcaneven evadetherapeuticagents.Galectin-3canalsoisolatevariousthreatsthataretoo difficultforthebodytodealwith,suchastoxinsandheavymetals.

Youcanimaginethatonapsychologicallevel,wegothroughasimilar process,buryingemotionsandtraumasthataretoodifficultforustodealwith. Evenifthesetraumasarenotatthesurfaceofourawarenessorconsciousness, theycanstillhaveapsychologicalandphysiologicaleffectonus.Youmight havehadanexperiencewhilegoingthroughadetoxprocesswhereanemotion ormemorysurfacesallofasudden.Wherewasthisemotionallthistime?Itwas likelyburiedinamicroenvironmentthatwasnotaccessibletous.Asweopen orrevealourphysiologicalmicroenvironmentsandreleasetoxins,wecanalso openpsychologicalmicroenvironmentsreleasingburiedemotions.

Evenifanisolatedareaisnotspecificallycreatedinordertohidean infectiousagentorcancercell,themicroenvironmentscreatedbythegalectin-3 latticeformationsarestillwalledofffromourcirculation,andthesealtered environmentscanoftenbecomeveryinflamedandhypoxicduetoalackof oxygen.

Hypoxia also shifts our cellular energy production pathway fromnormal mitochondrialfunctionto anaerobic glycolysis,whichisahighlyinefficientway toproduceenergy;itresultsinthebuildupoflacticacidandotherinflammatory metabolicby-products.Thiscanleadtofurtherhypoxia,whichproduces additionalinflammationandgalectin-3expression,causingthehardeningor dysfunctionoftissues,organs,andbloodvessels.

THE PROS AND CONS OF GALECTIN-3

Despitethepotentialharmitcando,galectin-3servesafewimportantpurposes withinthebody.Ithelpsintranuclearcelldevelopmentandextracellularinjury repairandsurvival.However,whenthebodyisincrisisandthereisan upregulationofgalectin-3production,itcanhavedetrimentalconsequences.

Duetocomplexbiochemicalstructuresandgenetictendencieswithineach person,thereisnostandard,predictableresponsewhenitcomestogalectin-3. Thisproteincanbeatdifferentlevelsindifferentpeopleandtriggerdifferent responses,eveniftheyhavethesamecondition.Forexample,somepeople’s bodiesare“hypervigilant,”alwaysonthealert,andtheyrespondtoastimulusor triggerwithoverinflammation.Otherpeoplemaynothaveagood“survival sense,”andtheylacktheabilitytofightandcreatetheproperinflammation. Instead,theyhaveatendencytoshutdownandendupwithsuppressed immunityoranincreaseinfibrosis.

Furthermore,thereisanadaptiveresponsewithgalectin-3,meaningthe reactionisamplifiedduetopreviousphysical,emotional,orpsychological trauma.Inanadaptiveresponse,oursystemhasbeenconditionedtorespondto specifictriggersinaparticularway.Inotherwords,itrepeatsthepatternsitis accustomedto,allthewaytothelevelofourcellularmemory.

Healing without Consequence

Forourbodiestohealproperly,weoftenneedtoremovethestimulantsthat causetheinflammatoryprocesstoperpetuallycontinue.It’snosecretthataswe getolder,ittakesmoreandmoreefforttodothingsthatoncetooknoeffortat all.Whenweareyoungandagile,ourbodiesaremoreefficientandlesstoxic; theyareflexibleandhaveahighcapacityforchange,growth,andrepair.We canmountarobustinflammatoryresponsetoshutaproblemdownwithout consequence.Likethemetaphorofabirdflyingintheskywithoutleavingany trace,orlikewritingonwater,wecanoftensolveaproblemwithoutleavinga trace.

However,asweage,ourbodieslosethatagility,andwearemoreapttocarry ourissueswithus.Forexample,ifaninjuryoccurstotheskininutero,the woundcanhealwithoutatrace,butasweage,thewoundhealingprocessslows andcausesincreasedscarring.Aswetraveltheroadoflife,ourbodiesdisplay theevidenceofourphysical,emotional,psychological,andspiritualtraumas— theynolongerhealwithease.

Themetaphorsforabirdflyingwithoutleavingatraceandwritingonwater comefromBuddhistphilosophy.Theyservetoillustratethenatureofthoughts andexperiencesasarisingandvanishing—anexampleofimpermanence.Thisis whatinflammationshouldbe:itshouldbeanacuteresponsethatoccursand thendisappears.Itshouldturnoffwithoutatraceandwithoutlingering consequences.Thisiswhathappenswhenwehavearobustimmunesystemand whengalectin-3worksappropriately.Andwhenitdoesn’t,thedamagebegins.

The Solution: Blocking Unhealthy Expression of Galectin-3

I’dliketotakeamomenttoemphasizeacriticalpointandtheprimaryreasonI wrotethisbook:wecanabsolutelyinterruptthiscycleofdestructionandhalt— orevenreverse—thesefundamentaldiseaseprocesses.How?Bydeactivating unhealthygalectin-3.

Whenweblockgalectin-3frombinding,wecanbreakuplatticeformations and reach the isolated pockets and areas of the body, including tumor microenvironments.Abnormaltissuesandcells,eventumorouscancercells,can becomenormalonceagain,which,needlesstosay,hastremendousimplications for our health and longevity. By blocking unhealthy galectin-3, we can dismantle its harmful effects and render it inactive, decreasing unhealthy inflammationintheprocess.Thismakesblockinggalectin-3oneofthemost importanttherapeuticstrategiesfortreatingavastarrayofconditions.

REBECCA’S STORY (CONTINUED)

Let’srevisitRebecca’sstorysinceithelpsillustratehowgalectin-3candirectly influencesurvival,health,anddisease.

WhenRebeccacametoseemein2011,itwasthefirstyearwewereableto testgalectin-3levelsintheblood.Thankstoasimplenewserumassaythatwas recentlyapprovedbytheFDAandisnowreadilyavailable,shewasoneofthe veryfirstpatientsinmypracticetohavegalectin-3levelstested.

Rebecca’sinitiallevelswereskyhigh,andtheby-productsofhersympathetic nervous system response to her crisis were elevated, as well as other proinflammatory,procancerousmarkers.Akeystrategyinhertreatmentplan wastotargetgalectin-3usingvariousprovenmethods.Weusedherlevelsasa markertogaugeherprogressthroughout.

Theresultswereunmistakable:whenRebeccawasdoingwell,hergalectin-3 levelswerelower,andwhenshewasinacrisis,herlevelswerehigher.For Rebecca,thismarkerservedasanimportantindicatorastowhenthecancerwas aggressiveandwhenitwas“quiet.”

Thishelpedusfine-tunehertreatmentsandstayonestepaheadofthecancer. (Note,however,thatduetoitscomplexbiochemistry,galectin-3cancause damageevenatlowlevels.Itisthereforeimportanttoaddressgalectin-3 regardlessofitslevels.MoreinformationcanbefoundinAppendixA.)

Rebeccataughtussomethingveryimportant:sheexemplifiedtheintimate connectionbetweenouremotionsandourhealth.WhenRebecca’sanxiety increased,hercancergotworse.Herpresentationwassopronouncedand immediatethatitwaseasytoseewhenheranxietywasworsening.Butwhen shewasabletorelax,quiettheanxiety,andbemorespacious,hersymptomsgot better. The way Rebecca responded as a person was the way her body responded as well. When her survival crisis decreased, and she became comfortablethinkingaboutlife,death,andimpermanence,itaffectedtheway thecancerfunctioned.Thecancerfeltlessthreatenedanddecreaseditsown survivalresponse.

Doesitsoundnew-ageyandfluffywhenItalkaboutchangesinthebehavior ofcancer?Really,it’snot.I’mreferringtochangesinthelevelsofgrowth factorsthatdrivetheaggressivenessofcancer,factorslikedownstreamproteins thatareregulatedbyoursurvivalprotein,galectin-3.Suchdownstreamproteins areimpactedbysignalingmolecules—whichthemselvesareimpactedbyour emotionalstate.

Rebeccawasabletocalmhersystemthroughregularmeditation,deep breathing,acupuncture,participationinmymeditationandhealingretreatsand workshops,andthroughtheuseofgalectin-3blockers.Thesehelpedtomitigate the initial survival process and significantly reduce the growth and aggressivenessofhercancer.

Rebecca’scancerdidnotcompletelyrespondtochemoandradiation,butit subsidedthroughthesehealingmethods.Herscansbecamenormal,indicating thathercancerhadgoneintoremission.ButRebeccadidmorethanjust incorporatethesehealingmethodsintohertreatment—she alsodeveloped communityandfriendshipswithotherpatientsinourcenter.

Thesefriendscheeredheronthroughoutherjourney,andthestoicdriverwho broughthertoherfirstappointmentwasnolongerneeded,asshebegan participatinginlivelycarpoolstotheclinic.Shewentfrombeinghighlycritical ofnonconventionalapproachesandbitteraboutherdiagnosisandfateto embracingherprocessandwelcominghertreatments.

Rebecca’stransformationsprofoundlyaffectedherphysiologyandallowed hertooutliveherprognosisconsiderably.Oneday,herlaughrangthroughthe clinicfromtheIVroom,remindingmeofthehealingpowerofjoy.Hercancer eventuallyreturned,butevenwithresiduallungcancer,shelivedsevenmore yearswithabetterqualityoflifethanshehadexperiencedindecades.Shesaid, “Isaac,Ifeelalivelikeneverbefore.”Shediedpeacefullyinherhome,ina meditativestate,surroundedbyfriends.Herlifewascelebratedbythemany peoplewhoweredeeplytouchedandinspiredbyherjourney.

CHAPTER EIGHT

HEART AND KIDNEY DISEASES

Theuniquelinkbetweentheheartandkidneyshasbeenrecognizedfor millennia.AnancientHebrewsaying,looselytranslated,states,“Tojudgea personasawhole,examinethekidneysandtheheart.”Fromtheperspectiveof Chinese medicine, the deepest aspect of the body, our core, lies in the connectionbetweentheheartandkidneys.Itisoftenreferredtoasthe“axisof waterandfire,”withwaterrelatingtothekidneysandfirerelatingtotheheart. Inthischapter,wewilldiscussthedeepphysical,energetic,andphilosophical relationshipbetweenthesetwoorgans,andtheimportanceofunderstanding thisrelationshipwhenassessingthepersonasawhole.

First,let’sexaminethisconnectionfromaphysiologicalpointofview, drawingfrombothconventionalandChinesemedicine.Theheartandthe kidneysareonoppositesidesofthecirculatorysystem,representingthebegin‐ningandend,whilecreatingacontinuousflowbetweenthetwo.Theheart startsthecirculationofourclean,arterialblood,andthekidneysarethelast organtoreceivethesameblood.Thekidneysthenfilterthebloodofwaste productsandreturnthebloodbacktotheheart.

Ifsomeonehasproblemswiththekidneys,it’slikelytheywillalsohave problemswiththeheartandviceversa.Thisisespeciallytrueincasesofchronic kidneydisease(CKD).Heartdiseaseisthemostcommoncauseofdeathamong peoplewithkidneydiseasebecausetheybothsharethesameunderlying pathology: thickening and hardening of the artery walls, known as arteriosclerosis. They also share the same causative factors: diabetes, hypertension,andlifestyleissuessuchassmoking,lackofexercise,andthe StandardAmericanDiet(SAD).

Theroleofgalectin-3ininflammationandfibrosisnaturallyimpactsthe functionoftheheartandthekidneys,aswellasmanyofourvitalorgans. Galectin-3hasaninfluenceondegenerativediseasesthatdecreasethenormal functionoftheheart,kidneys,lungs,andliver,resultinginchronicillnessand evendeath. We’lldiscusstheeffectsofgalectin-3onthesefourmajororgans overthenexttwochapters—focusingontheheartandkidneyspresently,andon theliverandlungsinthenextchapter—aswellastherapeuticstrategies.

25

THE HEART

Fromaconventionalmedicalperspective,theheartisanongoingpump.But whenwetakeamoreholisticviewoftheheart,werealizethatit’smuchmore.

Theheartisanawe-inspiringorgan.Inmanyancientmedicalsystems,it’s consideredtobethe“emperor”or“king”ofthebodybecauseitnourishesthe bodyasawhole—it’stheultimategiver.Aswediscussedearlier,theheartis fundamentallydifferentfromanyotherorgan.Therestofthebodyreceives clean,oxygenated,arterialblood,andinreturnexcretesunwantedby-products intothecirculationorthevenoussystem.Theheartisuniquebecauseit’sthe onlyorganthatreceivesdirtyblood.Andnomatterhowdirtythebloodisor whereitcamefrom,theheartwillclearthedirtybloodandprovidecleanblood tothebody.

Assuch,theheartistheultimatetransformativeorgan.Ittakesineverything thatotherorgans,tissues,andcellsdeterminetobewasteproducts,suchas toxinsandcarbondioxide(CO2).Insteadofresistingandfighting,theheart acceptseverythingandtransformsit.

Whiletheheartoffersbloodtothebody,italsonourishesitselfintheprocess throughthecoronaryarteries.Theheartnourishesitselffirst—butonlyonce bloodleavesthehearttotraveltootherareasofthebody,nearandfar.This principleofself-nourishmentisreflectedintheimportanceofgivingloveto ourselvesinordertogivelovetoothers—toloveourselvesaspartofloving others.Theheartistheconductorandcommunicatorthatmakesoursystem whole.Unfortunately,thisorganisdramaticallyaffectedbygalectin-3. When undertheinfluenceofgalectin-3,theheartbecomesrigidlikearock.Itlosesits flexibilityandabilitytopumpblood,itsabilitytogive.

Physiology of the Heart

Tomoreclearlyunderstandtheeffectsofthesurvivalresponseontheheart,let’s quicklyinvestigateitsphysiology.Thehearthastwocirculatorypathwaysthat flowatthesametime:the systemic circuit andthepulmonarycircuit.Inthe systemiccircuit,thebloodleavestheheart,circulatesthroughoutthebody,and returnstotheheart.Thesystemiccircuitbringsclean,oxygen-richarterial bloodandnourishmentfromthehearttotheorgansandtissuesandreturns dirty,deoxygenatedvenousbloodbackfromtheorgansandtissuestotheheart.

Inthe pulmonary circuit,deoxygenatedbloodtravelsfromthehearttothe lungs.ThelungsthenreleaseCO2andothervolatiletoxinsthroughexhalation andabsorboxygenthroughinhalation.Intheprocess,“dirty”deoxygenated bloodfromthesystemiccircuitistransformedinto“clean”oxygenatedblood. Theoxygen-richbloodthenreturnstotheheart,readyforthehearttoshareit withthewholebody.

Everybeatoftheheartisproducedbyabiochemicalreactionbetween calciumandmagnesium,withcalciumcausingcontractionandmagnesium causingrelaxation.Thestrengthandrateofheartcontractionsareaffectedby theautonomicnervoussystem,whichdetermineshowstrongandfasttheheart contracts.Overthecourseofanaveragelifetime,theheartwillbeat2.5billion times.27

Sincetheheart’sjobistoofferbloodallthetime,italsohasabackup, automated,self-regulatorysystemthatisindependentoftheautonomicnervous system.Knownastheintracardiacnervoussystem,thisneuralnetworkis sometimesreferredtoasthe“littlebrain”withintheheart.Throughthis intracardiacnervoussystem,theheartproducesitsownneurotransmittersand sends more information to the brain than any other organ. In fact, the intracardiacnervoussystemhasbeenfoundtohavebothshort-termandlongtermmemoryfunctions. Thissuggeststhatthewaytheheart“feels”canaffect ourentirebodyandexperience.Theheart-brainconnectionisanamazing intricate system with so much yet to be discovered. Remarkably, some individualshaveevennoticedachangeinbehaviororpersonalityfollowinga hearttransplant.

Nowthatweunderstandhowtheheartworks,let’stakealookathowthese functionscanbedisruptedbygalectin-3.

Weoftenhearthatheartdiseaseisresponsibleforoneinfourdeathsinthe UnitedStates.Butwhat is heartdisease?Thisphrasereferstoanumberof conditionsspecificallyaffectingtheheart,includingcoronaryarterydisease, myocardialinfarction(heartattack),arrhythmia(abnormalheartrhythms),and heartfailure,tonameafew. Cardiovascular disease,bycontrast,encompasses conditionsoftheheartandofthecirculatorysystemandbloodvessels.

Galectin-3canadverselyaffecttheentirerangeofcardiovascularandheart diseases,anditplaysaveryspecificandespeciallytroublingrolewhenitcomes toheartfailure.Healthycardiactissuehasalowbaselineexpressionofgalectin3,butduringacardiacinjury,galectin-3increasesrapidly,andthecardiactissue shiftstoaspecific,fibrosis-drivenrepaircalled cardiac remodeling:thetissue undergoesstructuralchangesinresponsetotheinjury,andit’sconvertedinto nonfunctionalscartissue.It’srendereduseless.

Heart Conditions and Galectin-3

TestingforCardiacFibrosis

Howcanwebeawareofthefibroticprocessbeforeit’stoolate?We can test for different markers that point to a state of chronic inflammationandfibrosis.Theinformationbelowisabittechnical,yes. Butmostdoctorswon’trunallofthesetests,soIfindithelpfultoshare thisinformationwithmypatientssotheycanadvocateforthemselves.

Testscanberunforgalectin-3,CRP(C-reactiveprotein,an indicatorofsystemicinflammation),ferritin(abloodproteincontaining ironthatcanindicateinflammation),fibrinogenactivity(anindicatorof inflammationandfibrosis),ESR(erythrocytesedimentationrate,witha faster rate indicating inflammation), TGF-β (transforming growth factor beta; a multifunctional cytokine/signaling protein that can indicatefibroticprocesses),andlipidperoxidation,(aninflammatory marker),amongothers.

Wecanalsotestcardiac-specificfibroticmarkers,suchaspeptide BNP (B-type natriuretic peptide), and NT-proBNP (N-terminalproBNP).

Ifyouareconcernedaboutyourheartfunctionorareexperiencing shortnessofbreathuponexertion,youcanaskyourdoctorifit’s possibletorunthesetests,sotheycanruleoutheartfailure.

Oncehospitalizedbecauseofheartfailure,abouthalfofpatientsdiewithin fiveyears.Andthemoreelevatedthelevelsofgalectin-3,theworsethe outcome.Togiveyouasenseofhowgalectin-3canimpactdeathratesin individualswithheartfailure,wecanlooktoalargestudythatexaminedtheallcausemortalityofoverfivehundredheart-failurepatientsoveraperiodofone year.All-causemortalityisoneofthemostimportantendpointsofanystudy.It talliesallthedeathsinapopulationbeingstudied,whethertheyareattributedto heartattacks,stroke,cardiacrhythmdisturbances,orotherconditions.The researchersexaminedthelevelsofgalectin-3intheblood.

Ifgalectin-3levelswereunder17.8nanogramspermilliliter(ng/ml),12.5 percent(oneineight)patientsdiedwithinoneyear.Andifgalectin-3levels wereover25.6ng/ml,37percent(morethanonethird)ofthepatientsdied withinayear.Theone-yearrateofdeathtripled!

TypesofHeartFailure

Left-Sided Heart Failure—Thisisthemostcommontypeofheart failure.Theleftventricle,locatedinthebottomleftsideofyourheart,is supposedtopumpoxygen-richbloodtotherestofyourbody.Inleftsidedheartfailure,bloodbacksupintoyourlungsinsteadofthebody, causingshortnessofbreathandabuild-upoffluidinyourlungs.

Right-Sided Heart Failure—Thistypeofheartfailureoccurswhen therightventriclecan’tperformitsjobandistypicallytriggeredby left-sidedheartfailure.Theaccumulationofbloodinthelungscaused byleft-sidedheartfailureforcestherightventricletoworkharder, whichcausestherightsidetobecomestressedandfail.Right-sided heartfailurecanalsoresultfromotherconditions,suchaslungdisease, andcanleadtofluidbackupandswellinginthelegs,feet,and abdomen.

Diastolic Heart Failure—Thistypeofheartfailureoccurswhenthe heartmusclebecomesstifferthannormalduetoheartdisease.Theheart musclecontractsnormally,buttheventriclesdonotexpandastheyfill withblood,leadingtoalackofbloodflowtotherestoftheorgansin yourbody.Diastolicheartfailureismorecommoninwomenthanin men.

Systolic Heart Failure—Thistypeofheartfailureoccurswhenthe heartisstillabletoexpandbutlosesitsabilitytocontract,likean overstretchedrubberbandthathaslostitsflexibility.Itusuallydevelops whentheheartisweakandenlarged,andismorecommoninmenthan inwomen.

Diastolicandsystolicheartfailurecanoccurontheleftorrightsideof theheart,orboth.Galectin-3playsaleadingroleinheartfailure, especiallyinthediastolictype.Thisculpritproteindirectlyinduces pathologicremodelingoftheheartanddevelopmentofcardiacfibrosis. Ithasalsobeenshowntobeausefulbiomarkerinassessingtheriskfor earlierdeathfromheartfailure.

There’sampleevidenceonthecausativeandprognosticvalueofgalectin-3and theroleitplaysinheartdisease.Assuch,multiplestudieshaveshownthatwhen weadministerMCP,wecanprevent,improve,andoftenreversedifferent cardiovasculardiseases. Theinhibitionofgalectin-3slowstheprogressionof myocardialinflammation,supportscardiacrecoverywithoutcausingfibrosis, andimprovescardiacfunction.

THE KIDNEYS

Nowlet’smovefromthebeginningofourcirculatorysystemtotheendofit. Thekidneysarebean-shapedorgansthatareslightlylargerthanthesizeofafist andlocatedatthebackpartoftheabdomenintheflankarea.Thekidneysserve asourfiltrationandbufferingsystem.Theyremovewasteandextrafluidsfrom thebodyandmaintainahealthybalanceofwater,salt,andminerals.Altogether, thekidneysfilterabout150quartsofbloodonadailybasis,withonlyoneto twoquartsbecomingurine.

Thekidneyshaveasophisticatedsystemforregulatingtheirbloodsupply. Commonmedicalconditionssuchashypertension,diabetes,andarteriosclerosis reducethebloodsupplytothekidneys,causinginsufficientoxygenintheir tissuesandcells.Whenthishappens,ittriggersasurvivalresponse.Inorderto increasetheirbloodsupply,thekidneyssecretespecifichormonesthatincrease bloodpressurethroughoutthebody,causingfurtherdamagetothemselves,the heart,andtherestofthebody.Thisisanotherexampleofthesurvivalparadox, whereanorgan’ssurvivalresponseendsupdamagingitselfandthebodyasa whole.

AccordingtoChinesemedicine,thekidneysprovidereserveenergytoany organinthebodythatisdepletedandlowinenergy.Thestrengthofthe kidneyscanalsodetermineourinherentcapacity,whichnaturallyrelatestoour genetics.TheconceptofgeneticsinChinesemedicine,ourinherentpotential, isdescribedbytheChineseterm jing,commonlytranslatedas“essence.”The kidneysarethestorehouseofourjing,andChinesemedicineusesdifferent therapeuticmethods,suchasacupuncture,herbs,qigong,andTaiChito nourishandmaintainthejing.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is perhaps the most overlooked medical condition,affectingabout14percentofthepopulationand38percentofthe adultpopulationovertheageofsixty-five.Itcanbecausedbyimpairedblood flow,autoimmuneprocesses,infections,chemicalinsults,sideeffectsfrom differentmedications,andothercauses.

DiabetesistheleadingcauseofCKDandkidneyfailure,alongwith hypertensionandarterioscleroticdisease.MostCKDdevelopsgradually,and peoplecangomanyyearswithoutsymptomsbeforeit’sdiscovered.

TherearefourstagesofCKD.Eachstagereflectsthelevelofdecreaseinthe volumeofbloodthatthekidneyscanfilterinoneminute,alsoknownasthe estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).CKDisdiagnosedwhenabnormalities ofkidneyfunctionarepresentformorethanthreemonths.Toooften,itgoes unnoticeduntilitisquiteadvanced.

Accordingtoconventionalmedicine,thereisnocureforCKD,andthereis noestablishedtreatmenttostoptheprocessfromoccurring.Currenttreatments attempttoslowthedeteriorationbycontrollingcontributingfactorslikehigh bloodpressure,highbloodglucoselevels,andautoimmuneprocesses,andby eliminatingpharmaceuticalsandchemicalsthatdamageourkidneys.However, I have witnessed remarkable reversals of CKD with the integration of innovativetreatmentstrategies.

Diagnosing Chronic Kidney Disease

Theclassicindicationofreducedkidneyfunctionisanelevationin creatinine (thewasteproductproducedbymusclesfromthebreakdownofthecompound creatine).Thekidneysremovecreatininefromthebody,andtheyfilteralmostall ofitfromthebloodandreleaseitintotheurine.Whenkidneyfunction decreases,creatinineisnotclearedquicklyenough,anditslevelscanriseinthe blood.

Althoughcreatininebloodlevelispartoftheroutinechemistrybloodtest,a mildincreaseincreatininecanoftenbeoverlookedbyhealthcarepractitioners. Thisisbecausethekidneyhasreservefiltrationcapacity,soitcanstillfunctionif thereisasmallamountofdamage.Thismeansthekidneyscancontinueto eliminatecreatinineintheearlystagesofkidneydamage.

Therefore,bythetimecreatininelevelsstarttorise,therecanalreadybe significantdamagetothekidneys.

Abetterdiagnosticmeasureforearlydeteriorationinkidneyfunctionisthe eGFR,andeGFRisroutinelyaddedtobasicchemistrybloodtests.When kidneydamagebegins,theeGFRwilldecreaseaccordingly.Thisdecreasecan beobservedlongbeforechangesincreatininelevelsoccurandcanbeahelpful barometerindiagnosingearlystagekidneydamage.

Galectin-3 in Kidney Disease

Everyyear,kidneydiseasekillsmorepeoplethanbreastandprostatecancer combined.AfricanAmerican,Hispanic,AmericanIndian,andAlaskaNative individualsaremorelikelytodevelopkidneydisease,andtheprevalenceis increasinggloballyduetotheagingofourpopulation. Ifapersonreachesa pointwherethekidneyslosetheirabilitytofiltertheblood,they’reconsidered tobein“end-stagerenaldisease.”Thisiswhendialysisoratransplantis required.RegardlessofthereasonforCKD,thedamagingcascadestartswith inflammationandisfollowedbyfibrosis.

Wheninutero,galectin-3isimportantforpromoting nephrogenesis insidethe kidneycell,ornormaldevelopmentofthefiltrationsystem.Afterall,normal developmentispartofoursurvivalmechanism.Butafterbirthandthroughout ourlife,galectin-3playsaverydifferentrole—itdrivesinflammationand fibrosis,withmuchfasterkidneydeterioration.Therefore,higherlevelsof galectin-3 result in increased morbidity and mortality in CKD patients, includinginpatientswithend-stagerenaldiseaseandthoseundergoingdialysis treatment.

RegardlessofthecauseoftheCKD,thedamagingmechanismandprocess alwaysinvolvesinflammationandfibrosis.Andasyouknowbynow,bothare drivenbygalectin-3.Thegoodnewsis,ifwecatchtheissuewhileit’sstillin theinflammatoryphase, we can stop the inflammation and the fibrotic process,and thekidneycanregenerate.

CATHY’S STORY

Cathywasaveryhealth-consciouspatient.Shetookcareofherself,butina routinemedicaltest,herdoctordiscoveredthathereGFRwas65.Thismeant shehadstage2CKD.

Overthenexttwotothreeyears,Cathy’skidneyfunctionslowlydeteriorated. HereGFRdroppedtoabout55,classifyingherwithstage3CKD.Atthispoint, shecametoseeme,andsheunderwentasingletherapeuticapheresistreatment combinedwithaprotocoloffifteengramsofMCPdaily.Threemonthslater, hereGFRhadincreasedto86!Anotherthreemonthslater,werepeatedthe bloodtest,anditrevealedacompleterecoveryofkidneyfunctionwithanormal eGFRof96.

I’veseenthistypeofturnaroundwithpatientsinmymedicalpracticewho’ve haddeteriorationinkidneyfunctionduetoCKD.Whentheinflammationis addressed,it’spossibletoreverseitcompletely,andpatientscanimproveevenin advancedstagesofthedisease.Imaginewhatthiscouldmeanforthemillionsof peoplewithCKD!

THE INFLUENCE OF BLOOD PRESSURE IN BOTH ORGANS

Ifaperson’sbloodpressureistoohigh,ithitsthewallsofthebloodvesselsand causesongoingdamage.Thebodynaturallyattemptstorepairthedamage caused by this injury through mounting an inflammatory response. This inflammation-drivenresponsecausesathickeningofthearteries,aswellasa narrowingofthearteries,knownasarteriosclerosis.Intheheart,thiseventually leadstocoronaryarterydisease,whichcanresultinaheartattack.

Atthetissuelevel,itwillcauseinflammationandfibrosis,tissueremodeling,and tissuedysfunctioninboththeheartandkidneys.

Nowadays,therearemuchstricterguidelinesthaninthepastwhenitcomes tooptimalbloodpressurecontrol.Someencourageloweringthestandard recommendedbloodpressuretounder120over80.Fromaholisticperspective, weviewbloodpressureabitdifferently.Weaskourselveswhydifferentpeople functionwithdifferentbloodpressurelevels.Ourbloodpressureisthepressure neededtosustainoursystem,allowingustosurvive.Theamountofpressure neededinthesystemforapersontocarrytheirresponsibilitiesinlifewillvary fromindividualtoindividual.

Forexample,certainpeoplehavelittleresponsibility,eitherbynatureorby choice,andtheydon’tholdontothingsorfeelunderpressure—itiseasyfor themtoletgo.Suchindividualswillthriveatalowerbloodpressure.Othersdo alotofthings,havemultipleresponsibilities,andholdontightlytotheir commitments.Theseindividualsneedmorenourishmentandsupport—they needmore“pressure”—tokeeptheirsystemgoing,andtheadditionalrequired bloodsupplyoftenmanifestsashigherbloodpressure.Suchindividualsdon’tdo wellwhentheirbloodpressuredecreasestolevelsbelow120over80.They won’tfeelliketheyhaveenoughenergyintheirsystem.However,thiscanbe damagingovertime.Fortheseindividuals,changingtheirlifestyleandhabitsis keytoimprovingtheirbloodpressureandhealth.

I’mnotsharingthisinformationonlyasananecdotebutasawaytogiveyou abroaderunderstandingofthesignificanceofbloodpressure.InChinese medicine,thosewithexpertiseinpulsediagnosescanidentifyindividualswith highbloodpressurepatterns,eveniftheirbloodpressuremeasurementappears tobenormal.Theseindividualscandevelopthecomplicationsofhighblood pressureovertheyears,includingheartdisease,evenwhiletheirmeasurements remainwithintheacceptablerange.

Asanadditionalinsightforhealthcarepractitioners,weshouldpayspecial attentiontothosewhohavehadlowbloodpressurethroughouttheirlivesand one day show up with normal blood pressure. This indicates they are experiencinghighbloodpressurecomparedtotheirbaseline.

CARING FOR THE HEART AND KIDNEYS

Asstatedearlier,we’rediscussingboththeheartandkidneysinthischapter becausethereisauniqueconnectionbetweenthesetwoorgans.Becausethe heartandkidneysworkinconsorttokeepthebodyhealthy,ifthereisa probleminoneoftheseorgans,therewilloftenbeanissueintheother.This alsomeansthatwhenyouendeavortoprotectone,youalsohelpprotectthem both.

We’vementionedthatpatientswithCKDoftendiefromheartdiseaseand that galectin-3 provides us with an important link to understanding the relationshipbetweentheheartandkidneys.Theirconnectionwasclearly demonstratedinarecentstudypublishedinoneoftheAmericanHeart Association’speer-reviewedjournals. Thislandmarkpublicationincludedboth ananimalstudyaswellasextensivehumanclinicaldata.

Intheanimalstudy,thebloodsupplytothekidneysofmicewasshutdown forabrieftime.Thelackofbloodsupplyresultedinacutekidneyinjury(AKI), whichcausedaspikeofgalectin-3inthebloodofthemice.Thegalectin-3 traveledtotheirheartsandcausedcardiacremodelingandheartdamage. However,whenthesameinterruptionofbloodsupplywasperformedonthe legsandnotthekidneys,therewasnonegativeeffectontheheart—the interruption of blood supply had to occur in the kidneys in order to have an effect on the heart.

Furthermore,whenthesameexperimentwasconductedonaspecifickindof micethatcouldnotproducegalectin-3,therewasnodamagetotheheart— withoutgalectin-3,theincreaseininflammatorycompoundsthatcausedamage totheheartwasprevented.However,whentheexperimentwasconductedon theoriginalmicethatdemonstratedheartdamage,thedamagewasprevented withtheadministrationofMCP.

Butthestudydoesn’tendthere.Theresearchersthentookthemicethat couldn’tproducegalectin-3andgavethemgalectin-3-producingbonemarrow. Whenbloodsupplytotheirkidneyswasinterrupted,thedamagesignalfrom thekidneystraveledtothebonemarrowandstimulatedimmunecellsthat excretedgalectin-3,whichthentraveledtotheheartandcausedheartdamage.

Inthehumanstudy,thesameresearchersstudied1,110patientsin23 differentICUsinvariouscountrieswhowereundergoingcoronarybypass surgery.Priortosurgery,theycheckedgalectin-3levelsinthepatients’blood. Theresearchersfoundthatthelevelofgalectin-3intheblood before surgery predictedapatient’slikelihoodofAKIafterthesurgery,aswellaslong-term kidneyandcardiacdamage.Thisstudyvividlydemonstratedtheunderlying connection between these two organs and how this connection can be influencedbygalectin-3.

Withthisphysiologicalconnectioninmind,Iwanttousethissectionto presentamultifacetedapproach—includingtests,exerciseanddietregimens, andsupplementsandherbs—thatcanbeusedtosupportamedicalprogram.No matteryourcurrentstateofhealthorthedetailedprotocolyoumaybe followingforaspecificdisease,supportingtheheartandkidneysisparamount forhealthandwell-being.Thesekeysupportsystemscanbeadaptedforvarious conditions.

Lipid Inspection

Both the heart and kidneys are affected by elevated oxidized lipids and cholesterol.Inordertooptimallyaddressthisriskfactor,weneedanaccurate assessmentofourlipidandcholesterolstatus.Doctorsgenerallychecklipidsand cholesterollevelsofpatients,buttheyoftendon’tanalyzethe quality ofthe lipids.Apatientcanhavenormallipidandcholesterollevels,butthedamaging subgroupsoflipidscanbeskyhighandviceversa.

Forexample,whenaspecificlipoproteincalled lipoprotein (a)(abbreviated LP(a)), is elevated, the risk for heart disease, strokes, and liver cancer dramaticallyincreases.ThetendencyforelevatedLP(a)isusuallygenetic,anda patientcanhaveextremelyelevatedLP(a)whileretainingcompletelynormal cholesterollevels.Whenthisisthecase,controllinglipidsandregulating mitochondrial function becomes important. Intermittent fasting can help regulatetheenergy-generationmechanismsthatcauseabnormalmitochondrial function.

Circulation and Reduction of Stress

Supportinghealthycirculationisakeyelementintreatingtheheartand kidneys,andregularexerciseiscriticalforsupportinghealthycirculation.There aremanyformsofexerciseandphysicalactivitythatareofbenefit,andboth aerobicandweight-bearingexerciseareimportant,especiallyasweage.

Irecommendwalkingasthebestformofexercise,butwehavetowalkfast enoughtoraiseourpulseandbreakintoagoodsweattosufficientlystimulate ourcirculation.Intermittentjoggingisalsogood,asitservestodevelopour aerobiccapacity.Theintermittentchangebetweenwalkingandjoggingallows ustoincreaseourmitochondrialfunctionwhilegivingthebodytimeto recover.Thishelpspreventthebuildupofoxidativestress.

Wewanttoexerciseforthesakeofourhealthandwell-being.Exercisein itselfmakesahugecontributiontoourhealth,andthemeritandbenefitof exerciseisnotfoundincompetitionoroverexertionbutinthesimplefactthat weareexercising.Fortwenty,thirty,orfortyminutes,allyoureallyhavetodo isputonefootinfrontoftheother,takeanotherturnonthepedals,orswim anotherlap.Thishelpsestablishhealthycirculation,reducestress,andbuild resilience.

Stresscanalsobereducedthroughyoga,TaiChi,qigong,andotherrelaxing andmeditativepractices.Stressreductionisoftheutmostimportancebecause wedon’twanttoproduceinflammatorycytokinesthatcandamagetheheart andkidneys.

Ourheartandkidneyfunctioncanalsobesupportedbyotherbehavioral factors,suchasfosteringkindness,sharingwithothers,balancingourpersonal drive,andfindingcontentmentinoureverydaylives. Wewilldiscussthesein greaterdetailinChapter16.

Diet for the Kidneys

Wealsoneedtoavoidcertainfoodsandmedications,especiallywhenitcomes tothekidneys.Ifourkidneysarenotfunctioningwell,somemedicinesthat shouldbeclearedbythekidneyscanaccumulateinthebodyandcausedamage indifferentorgans,includingthekidneysthemselves.

Forfood,weneedtoconsumeproteinthatiseasilydigested,eitherinthe formofvegetarianproteinorhigh-qualityfish.Ioftenrecommendthatmy patientsavoidredmeatbecauseit’shardtodigestandcontainsoxidizedlipids andheat-damagedproteins,whichcanharmthebody.Inbothheartandkidney disease,it’salsoimportanttoregulatesurgesofinsulin.Inprinciple,weshould follow a low-glycemic, anti-inflammatory diet and possibly incorporate intermittentfasting.

MCP Treatment

Forheartandkidneyhealth,theuseofMCPiscrucial—itcanbothprotectthe heartandkidneysandimprovetheirfunction.Irecommendtakingfifteen gramsperday,dividedintotwotothreedoses.

IfyouhaveadvancedCKDwithaneGFRunder30,youcanstartwithan initialdoseof10gramsperday,or5gramsperdayifyoureGFRisunder15, while monitoring your potassium. This monitoring is important because patientswithseverekidneydamagehavealimitedabilitytoexcretepotassium. TheMCPthatIrecommendisbufferedwithpotassiumandsodiumina4:1 ratio,similartotheratioinvegetablesandfruits,andyouwanttomakesure thatthepotassiumdoesn’taccumulateinyourbody.Patientswithoutadvanced CKDcantaketherecommended15gramsperday,dividedintotwotothree doses.

Supplements and Botanicals for Kidney and Cardiovascular Health

Differentbotanicalsandsupplementscanhelptheheartandkidneys,lowerand regulate damaging metabolites, and optimize health. One remarkable preparationisaTibetan-basedherbalformulathathasbeenfeaturedindozens ofpublishedpapers,includingmultipleclinicaltrialsforcardiovascularand circulatory support, called Padma Basic. Other botanicals that support circulation are hawthorn, Salvia miltiorrhiza (dan shen), and turmeric (curcumin). Nattokinase and lumbrokinase (enzymes produced through fermentation)arealsoofgreatimportance,asaretocotrienols(compoundsin thevitaminEfamily).Medicinalmushrooms,especially Cordyceps sinensis and Ganoderma lucidum (reishi)areofgreatimportanceaswell,asis,ofcourse, MCP.

Otherkeyareastoaddressinthisprograminclude:

Inflammation Reduction—This can be achieved by using honokiol,quercetin,curcumin,Boswellia,andbromelain.

Antioxidant Support—This includes well-balanced mineral supplementationwithsufficientzinc.Bewareofironoverload,as thiscanbedamagingtothecirculation.

Energy Support—Adaptogenicherbs(herbsthathelpthebody functionbetterwhenunderstressandexertion)supporthealthy circulationandenergyproduction,andthereforewillalsoprovide cardiovascular support. Examples are astragalus, ginseng, eleutherococcus,ashwagandha,andothers.

Mitochondrial support—Therearedifferentnutrientsandco‐factorsthatprovideenergysupportattheintracellularlevel. Theseincludethiamine(B1),alpha-lipoicacid,B2 ,B6 ,carnitine andacetyl-L-carnitine,CoenzymeQ10,NAD+,andothers.

Moredetailedinformationandguidelinesareincludedinthe“Cardiovascular andKidneyDisease”sectionofAppendixD.

ROBERT’S STORY

Robertwasafifty-five-year-oldaccountantwhowasreferredbyacolleaguefor therapeuticapheresis.Robertstartedhavinghypertensionasateenagerfor unexplainedgeneticreasons.Overtheyears,hedevelopedsignificantperipheral vasculardiseaseandheartfailure.Then,fourtofiveyearsago,afteranincidence ofkidneystones,hewasdiagnosedwithmoderatestage-3CKD.Robert underwent multiple integrative and complementary treatments, including differentstemcelltherapies,butunfortunately,hewasnotimproving.

Whenhearrivedattheclinic,hecouldbarelywalkthetenyardsfromhiscar tothefrontdoor—hehadtoleanonafamilymemberforsupportandwas breathingheavilybythetimeheenteredthebuilding.IwelcomedRobertashe walkedin,quicklysathimdownintherecliningchairinmyoffice,and broughttheoxygen-generatortohim.Hishealthwasobviouslymuchworse thanwhatIhadbeentold.Hisashengraycolor,profuseperspiration,and shortnessofbreathwereindicativeofhissevereheartfailureandwerequite worrisome.

Robertwasdeterioratingrapidly.Accordingtohislatestbloodwork,his eGFRwascloseto15ml/minute—hewasonthevergeofrequiringdialysis,and hisheartfailurewassevere.Knowingthathewasoutofoptions,Ihadtodecide whetheritwassafeforhimtoundergoapheresis,specificallyLDLapheresis—a specifickindoftherapeuticapheresisdesignedforpatientswithheartdisease, geneticallyelevatedcholesterol,andelevatedLP(a)—whichhewouldn’tbeable togetanywhereelse.

Givenhiscondition,itwouldrequireconsideratemodificationstothenormal protocol.IfItreatedhim,Ineededtodoitwithgreatcare.Ontheotherhand, ifIdidn’ttreathim,hisdeathwouldbeimminent.

Ihadfaceddecisionslikethismanytimesbefore—Ihadtodrawonall available medical information and combine it with whatever insight and intuitionIhad.WhenIlookedatRobert’scase,someofhisinflammatory markers were significantly elevated. While his lipid profile wasn’t highly elevated,hisLP(a)wasmorethantwotimeshigherthanthenormalrange. Unfortunately,hiselevatedLP(a)(thesinglemostimportantfactorforbothhis heartandarteriosclerosis-drivenkidneydisease)hadbeenoverlookedformore thanthirtyyears.BothLP(a)andtheelevatedinflammatorymarkerscouldbe dramaticallyreducedbyapheresis.Igotmyanswer!

Robertunderwenttwoapheresistreatments,twodaysapart.Whenthefirst treatmentwasconcluded,IknewthatRobertwasgoingtogethislifeback.By theendofthesecondtreatment,helookedlikeadifferentperson.Hewasno longerindistress,hecouldwalkonhisown,andhiscolorwasbetter.

Afternotbeingabletoworkforayear,Robertreturnedtoworkwithintwo tothreeweeksaftertheapheresis.Hehadhisenergyback,wassleepingbetter, his blood pressure had stabilized, and his kidney function improved significantly.Hehadcomebacktolife!

OUR ACCESS TO LIFE

TheheartandkidneysarethefirstorgansandorgansystemsIhavediscussedin Part2ofthebookbecausetheyareourbasicaccesstolife.Withinour physiology,theheartrepresentsthenourishmentofthebodythroughtheblood thatreacheseverycellinthebody.Thekidneytakesthatsameblood,filtersit out,andthroughtheurine,excretesitoutofthebody.

Assuch,theyrepresentbothendsofourcirculation,whichnourisheseverycell inthebody.Thisiswhykidneyandheartdiseasearesuchbigcontributorsto morbidityandmortality.Andofcourse,thisisalsowhyunderstandingand takingcareofourkidneyandhearthealthissofundamentaltoourwell-being andlongevity.Theheartandkidneysareourbeginningandend.Whenwe careforthemproperly,weextendandenhancewhatexistsbetweenour beginningandourend:ourlifeitself.

SURVIVAL PARADOX APPENDIXES

THERAPEUTIC GUIDELINES

CARDIOVASCULAR AND KIDNEY DISEASE

Cardiovasculardiseasecantakemanyforms—fromhighbloodpressureand elevatedoxidizedcholesterollipoprotein(a)tocoronaryarterydisease,heart failure,cardiomyopathy,andothers.Nevertheless,corestrategiestoaddress cardiovascularhealthremainconsistent.Therapeuticgoalsincludereducing inflammation, boosting circulation, supporting heart function, improving oxygenation,andreducingoxidativestress.Inadditiontodietandexercise, targetednutrientsandbotanicalscanoffercriticalsupport.

Sincetheheartandkidneysarecloselyconnected,similarstrategiesare importantforaddressingkidneyhealthandsupportingoptimalrenalfunction. Withchronickidneydisease,regardlessoftheetiology,reducinginflammatory andfibroticprocessesisessential.

Supplements and Formulas

Primary Support

ModifiedCitrusPectin:7.5grams,2times/day.

ForadvancedkidneydiseasewithanEGFRunder20,reduceto5grams,2 times/day;andforEGFRunder15,reduceto5grams/day.

Circulation Support

TibetanHerbalPadmaFormula

Curcumin

Salvia miltiorrhizae (danshen)

Nattokinase

Lumbrokinase

Tocotrienols

Medicinalmushrooms

Anti-Inflammatory Support

Honokiol

Quercetin

Curcumin

TibetanHerbalPadmaFormula

Boswellia

Bromelain

Antioxidant Support

Well-balancedmineralsupplementationwithsufficientzinc.Bewareofiron overload,asitcanbedamagingtothecirculation.

TibetanHerbalPadmaFormula

Mitochondrial and Energy Support

Adaptogenicherbswillalsosupporthealthycirculationandcardiovascular support:astragalus,ginseng,eleutherococcus,ashwagandha,andothers

Medicinalmushrooms:especially Cordyceps sinensis, Ganoderma lucidum, oystermushrooms

Alpha-lipoicacid

VitaminsB1,B2,andB6

Carnitineandacetyl-L-carnitine

Co-EnzymeQ-10

NAD+(nicotinamideadeninedinucleotide)

Detoxification Cofactors

Sulfuredaminoacidstosupporttheglutathionepathways

Diet

Low Glycemic Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Sugardrivesinflammation,akeyfactorincardiovascularandkidneydisease.A dietthat’slowinsugar(includingnaturalformsofsugar)andlowinfoodsthat spikeglucoseandinsuliniscriticaltoreduceinflammatorycascadesandsupport healthycirculationandheartfunction.(TheGlycemicIndexChartinAppendix Cgivesexamplesofnumericvaluesforfoodsbasedonhowmuchtheyraise bloodglucose.Thelowerthenumber,thebetter.)

Low Protein Diet

Excessiveproteinintake,particularlyanimalprotein,canbehardonthekidneys duetotheamountofwasteproductsproducedbyproteinmetabolism.When thekidneysarecompromised,thebodydoesn’tprocessthesewasteby-products properly,andtheycanbuildup,causingfurtherdamage.Forthosewithkidney issues,emphasizingeasilydigestiblefoods,plantproteins,andasmallamountof high-qualityanimalprotein,suchasfish,isimportant.Pesticidesingeneral,and glyphosateinparticular,cancausekidneydamage.Eatingorganicfoodsand usingasupplementsuchasGlyphoCleanseisveryimportantinsupporting kidneyhealth.