There is a new published study that sheds additional light on carbohydrates and heart disease in men and women. At least in Italian men and women. It’s entitled “Dietary Glycemic Load and Index and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in a Large Italian Cohort.” The study was published in the 4/12/2010 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. Dr. Sabina Sieri was the study leader, and she made the following statement: 

“High consumption of carbohydrate from high-glycemic foods, rather than overall quantity of carbohydrate consumed, appears to influence the risk of developing heart disease in women.” 

If you click on the study title you can read the full text but here is a quick overview of this study. 

• Women who ate the most “high-glycemic” carbohydrates had twice the risk of heart disease then those who ate the least. 

• The type of carbohydrate consumed showed no significant differences for cardiovascular disease in men.  

Men are most likely cheering.

Women are most likely cursing.

But before you get too far in your celebration or disgust, we need to take a closer look at this study. Why? Because it is not all good news for men and not all bad news for women.  

Let’s start with the men first because they’re ready to go watch TV, eat some corn chips, and wash it down with a sports drink. This study looked at the effects of Glycemic Load and Glycemic Index on increasing the risk for heart disease.  

Basically, Glycemic Load and Index look at how quickly the food that you eat is converted to sugar to cause spikes in your blood sugar levels. Increased blood sugar levels cause oxidative stress or damage to the endothelial cells that line all of your cardiovascular system. This leads to a host of cardiovascular health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, hardening of the arteries, and erectile dysfunction to name just a few.  

While this study showed no additional increase in risk for cardiovascular disease for men it does not mean that they were not already at risk. Your food choices play a significant role in your overall health and do, in fact, affect your cardiovascular system. As Dr. Sieri points out, 

“It’s a good idea for people to choose foods with a lower glycemic index over higher ones.” 

This was true for women. It wasn’t the total carbohydrates consumed that was a problem for women. It was the type of carbohydrate they consumed that doubled their risk for heart disease. As women have adopted more of a lifestyle, in both eating and work habits, associated with men, they have also seen an increase in cardiovascular disease. An increase that has now allowed heart disease to become an even greater risk to the health of women than breast cancer and all other cancers combined. 

So, the good news for women is to watch the type of carbohydrate that you eat. Choose “good” or “low-glycemic” carbohydrates that do not cause spikes in your blood sugar levels.

To help you better understand the Glycemic Index, please click on the article “A Glycemic Index Chart Can Improve Your Health!” This article will help you better understand this whole issue and how to make better food choices. Food choices that can have a significant impact on reducing your risk for heart disease as well as diabetes and a host of other blood sugar related illnesses that can damage your body.  

Together we can work to save a million lives!

Dan Hammer

Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry and exercise physiology. He used to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicagoland area and has been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years.

The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam. The information contained in this article has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of people worldwide.  Unfortunately, it’s even worse for the African American community.  There are several reasons for this and hopefully this article will help begin the process of changing this sad reality.   To address these reasons I’ve broken this article into three parts:  The Bad News, Several Underlining Causes, and Steps to Decrease Your Risk! 

The Bad News! 

It’s important for you to understand the depth of cardiovascular disease confronting the African American community.  Below is a brief summary of the ailments that directly affect African Americans:  

• Diabetes.  Type 2 diabetes has grown to epidemic proportions in the United States.  People with diabetes have a greater risk for stroke, heart disease and circulatory issues.  Most diabetes-related deaths are due to cardiovascular disease.  Twice as many African Americans will develop diabetes when compared to the Caucasian community. 
• Erectile Dysfunction.  Erectile dysfunction affects 50% of the male population over the age 40 and is even greater in the African American community. 
• Heart Disease.  African American women in the age range of 25-44 have a 2.5 times greater risk of coronary heart disease and African American men have a 1.5 times greater risk than the Caucasian community. 
• High Blood Pressure.  The number one risk factor for stroke is high blood pressure, and 1 out of every 3 African Americans suffers from this ailment.  The American Heart Association estimates that 28% of African American adults and more than 66% of African Americans over the age of 60 have high blood pressure.  
• High Cholesterol Levels.  High blood cholesterol is a significant risk factor for heart disease.  Unfortunately 50% of African American men and 54% of women have too much cholesterol circulating in their blood stream. 
• Sickle Cell Anemia.  It’s estimated that one in 12 African Americans has sickle cell trait and one out of every 400 births have sickle cell anemia. 
• Stroke.  African Americans are twice as likely to die from a stroke as Caucasians.  The rate of having their first stroke is almost doubled that of Caucasians.  One half of all African American women will die from either a stroke or heart disease.  For those with sickle cell anemia, 11% will have experienced a stroke by the age of 20.  

That’s quite a list of ailments affecting African Americans.  If you look closely at all seven health issues you will see that the common denominator is your cardiovascular system.     

The key for reducing your health risk for these cardiovascular diseases is to make sure your cardiovascular system is as healthy as possible.  This article will provide several steps to address this but before we do you need to understand some of the underlining causes of why cardiovascular disease is so prevalent in the African American community. 

Several Underlining Causes! 

Within your cardiovascular system there is one particular essential amino acid, one critical signaling molecule, one critical cellular structure and one detrimental enzyme that directly impact its overall health.  They are: 

• L-arginine – Key Essential Amino Acid
• Nitric Oxide – Key Signaling Molecule
• Endothelial Cells – Key Cellular Structure
• Arginase – Key Detrimental Enzyme 

The first three keys of L-arginine, nitric oxide and endothelial cells are interrelated so we will examine them as a whole.  The endothelial cells form the interior lining of all your blood vessels.  These cells ultimately determine your cardiovascular health.  One function of these endothelial cells is to take the essential amino acid L-arginine and convert it into the signaling molecule nitric oxide.  Very simply, you couldn’t live without nitric oxide! 

Nitric oxide is the master signaling molecule of the cardiovascular system.  It regulates blood vessel tone and flexibility.  Its production is completely dependent upon the health of your endothelial cells and an adequate supply of the essential amino acid L-arginine.  Here are some of the benefits of nitric oxide: 

• Nitric oxide regulates the muscle tone of blood vessels to have a major impact on controlling blood pressure.  This directly relates to high blood pressure.
• Nitric oxide causes penile erections by dilating blood vessels.  This directly relates to erectile dysfunction.
• Nitric oxide prevents blood platelet cells from grouping together in a clot.  This minimizes blockages in the blood vessels to reduce the risk for heart attacks, strokes and complications from sickle cell anemia.
• Nitric oxide promotes vascular reparative mechanisms and is one of the keys to reversing atherosclerosis.  This helps to reduce the damage caused by high cholesterol levels and assists in preventing the vascular complications of diabetes. 

Nitric oxide is literally involved in all cells to help keep you fit and healthy.  It’s important to understand that this interrelationship between the endothelial cells, L-arginine and nitric oxide production is common for all races.  

What is not common is a genetic polymorphism inherent to the African American population.  This genetic polymorphism causes African Americans to have higher levels of an enzyme called arginase in their blood stream.  Arginase destroys L-arginine which is the main ingredient for creating nitric oxide in the body. 

For the African American community, nitric oxide production is compromised on both sides of the equation!

On the front end, the enzyme arginase destroys L-arginine which interferes with the production of nitric oxide.  On the back end, the health of your endothelial cells determines how much of the remaining L-arginine can be converted to nitric oxide.  Unfortunately, your endothelial cells are damaged by high blood pressure, high sugar levels, high cholesterol, smoking, and oxidative stress.  This damage reduces the production of nitric oxide which compounds the problem and increases the risk for cardiovascular disease. 

Steps to Decrease Your Risk! 

Given the above information there are several important steps to decreasing your risk for cardiovascular disease.      

Step 1 – Monitor your blood pressure.  High blood pressure damages your endothelial cells.  If you do not know what your blood pressure is then you need to go to your doctor’s office, local pharmacy or health clinic and get your blood pressure taken.  If you have high blood pressure, then you need to take steps to bring it back into a normal range.  This is your first and most important step.  It’s so important that the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program was established to exclusively address the issue of high blood pressure on a national level.  For more information on participating barbershops, go to http://www.blackbarbershop.org/ .

Step 2 – Monitor your blood sugar and cholesterol levels.  High sugar and cholesterol levels damage your endothelial cells.  Diet is extremely important for both of these areas.  One simple but highly effective step to stabilize your blood sugar levels and help your body naturally reduce its cholesterol levels is to increase your fiber intake.  Including dry beans or legumes into your diet is a quick and delicious way to increase your fiber intake. In fact studies have shown that consuming dry beans four times or more per week, compared with less than once a week, lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 22 percent. 

Step 3 – Stop smoking!  Smoking damages your endothelial cells.  This is a nasty habit that is extremely hard to break.  Part of the process is having a motivation greater than the habit.  

If your very life isn’t motivation enough, then maybe for the men your sex life is! 

Your endothelial cells control your nitric oxide production.  Your nitric oxide levels control an erection.  No nitric oxide no sex!  Every puff on your cigarette is destroying your endothelial cells which lowers your nitric oxide level and reduces your chances of having good sex.  

Step 4 – Increase L-arginine intake!  In addition to protecting your endothelial cells, you need to get an adequate intake of the essential amino acid L-arginine which is found in foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, meat, and other protein sources.  Most people take in enough L-arginine to meet basic bodily needs.  However, when your diet is poor and/or your stress level is high, then this essential amino acid will be lacking.  Couple this with the enzyme arginase that destroys L-arginine and the potential risk for cardiovascular disease is increased. 

Step 5 – Use L-citrulline to bypass Arginase!  Your body will convert the amino acid L-citrulline into L-arginine to help maintain its production of nitric oxide.  This process also helps to bypass the arginase enzyme since it has no effect on L-citrulline.  Having a good supply of L-citrulline provides the body with a 24 to 36 hour window in the production of nitric oxide.  This is important for all population groups but it’s critically important for African Americans especially those with sickle cell anemia.  Unfortunately, L-citrulline is not prevalent in most foods we eat.  Thus, supplementation is usually required. 

Step 6 – Consider ProArgi-9 Plus!  There is a clinically proven nutritional supplement called ProArgi-9 Plus which has the ability to bring in the proper balance of L-arginine and L-citrulline.  This product also combines other heart healthy ingredients to significantly improve the health of the endothelial cells and their ability to properly produce nitric oxide.  The most recent validation for this product is the remarkable results obtain for 33 congestive heart failure patients in the High Desert Heart Institute study.  

Conclusion

You have the power to directly improve the health of your endothelial cells to significantly reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease.  And, for those with sickle cell anemia, you can help to reduce your symptoms.  It all centers on helping your endothelial cells function optimally, with an above average supply of L-arginine, and a way to bypass the arginase enzyme so that nitric oxide is properly produced.  Improved production of nitric oxide is critical to helping African Americans decrease their risk for cardiovascular disease!

Together we can work to save a million lives! 

Dan Hammer 

Dan Hammer has a background in biology, chemistry and exercise physiology.  He used to run one of the largest health club operations in the Chicagoland area and has been helping people with their wellness issues for more than 25 years.   

The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam.  The information contain in this article has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

Can the Cure for Hot Flashes be a Cardiovascular Health Issue? 

You may be wondering why a blog on heart disease would contain a post on the cure for hot flashes.  The answer lies in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study.  This study was launched in 1991 and included 161,808 generally healthy postmenopausal women.  It was designed to be a major 15-year research program to address the most common causes of death, disability and poor quality of life in this category of women. 

The clinical trials were designed to test the effects of hormone therapy, diet, and calcium and vitamin D supplements on heart disease, bone health, and breast and colorectal cancer. 

The study was stopped in 2002 because the results of the study strongly suggested that conventional hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms increased the risk for heart disease, cancer, stroke and blood clotting in women.  Three direct health issues that involve the cardiovascular system. 

This caused a surge in women looking for natural remedies for peri menopause and menopausal symptoms.  Remedies that would protect themselves but also help relive symptoms like hot flashes!  This surge created a tremendous amount of confusion which still persists today.  

To help address this issue I’ve two articles you can link to. 

Natural Remedies for Hot Flashes! – This article will address one of the most annoying of all the menopausal symptoms which is hot flashes.  Learning how to effectively use natural remedies for hot flashes can be a Godsend for women who are experiencing this embarrassing and debilitating problem. 

Get Rid of Your Hot Flashes and Night Sweats Once and for All! – This short video and information sheet contains my wife Sherry’s story.  How we addressed one health issue of high blood pressure and in the process also completely eliminate her hot flashes and night sweats.  If this video and information speaks to you, then I would invite you to join our group. 

It’s estimated that 80% of women today experience some type of menopausal symptom resulting from hormonal imbalance.  Depending upon your method of treatment, this could also have a potential affect on your cardiovascular system.  Hopefully, these two articles will help educate you so that when you work with a qualified health professional you can design a program that improves your heart health while providing you with a cure for hot flashes. 

Together we can work to save a million lives! 

Dan Hammer 

The information contained in this blog is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam.  The information contain in this blogging website has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

If you watch any TV then you’re most likely familiar with the Cialis and Viagra commercials targeted toward men with erectile dysfunction.  Nitric Oxide research played a critical role in the development of these two products.  But the importance of Nitric Oxide goes beyond male sexual health since erectile dysfunction now points to an underlining cardiovascular issue. 

For example I went to my doctor for my annual checkup.  He asked me if I was having any erection problems.  I’m not going to reveal my answer but I asked him why he wanted to know.  His answer had nothing to do with poor sexual health.  The reason why he asked that question is because erectile dysfunction (ED) is an early warning sign for diabetes and/or circulatory problems. 

Important Statistics!

It’s estimated that erectile dysfunction affects 50% of the male population over age 40!  According to the Endocrine Society, 10% men in their sixties have a chronic ED problem which increases to 25% of men in their seventies and jumps to 40% of men in their eighties.  When I read these statistics I thought they might be on the high side.  That was until another piece of information came to my attention.

Google lists over 17 million web pages that incorporate the word “Viagra.”  That compares to 3.3 million web pages for the word “aspirin” and 936,000 web pages for the word “Tylenol.”  There are a lot of people (I suspect mainly men) who are looking for information on Viagra and what it can do for them.  If my doctor is correct that ED is an early warning sign for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, then there’s an even more important issue that needs addressing than performance in the bedroom.  More and more research is showing that ED is really a function of poor cardiovascular health.

How Viagra Works!

The development of Viagra is a fascinating study.  It incorporates male physiology, chemistry, and the nervous system all working together to create an erection.  It also provides keys to slowing down the aging process and improving cardiovascular health. 

Since Viagra is designed to help males achieve an erection we need to talk a little anatomy.  In its simplest terms, an erection is the change in position of the male sex organ from a limp position to a firm, hard and upright position.  When you want to move any part of your body you use muscles.  This doesn’t work for the male organ since skeletal muscles are not involved in an erection.  It’s all done by pressure.  More specifically blood pressure.

The male organ contains two cigar-shaped structures called corpora cavernosa that run the length of the organ.  Arteries bring blood into these two structures with veins carrying the blood away from them.  In a non-erect state, the blood flow from the arteries is restricted while the veins are open to drain the blood away.  When a man becomes aroused, the arterial blood vessels open up so that pressurized blood can enter the corpora cavernosa.  The veins leaving the male organ are constricted.  This action traps the pressurized blood allowing for the size increase and full erection.

First Clue to ED!

If the arterial blood vessels supplying the male organ do not open properly, it’s almost impossible for a male to have an erection.  This is the leading cause of erectile dysfunction.  Prior to 1983, most doctors thought the problem of poor sexual health was primarily mental not physical.  That was until the 1983 meeting of the American Urological Association in Las Vegas.  At that meeting Dr. Giles Brindley injected his male organ with the drug phentolamine.  The result was an instant erection.  And to prove his point, Dr. Brindley dropped his pants to display his drug-induced erection.  Needless to say not everything done in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas.

Dr. Brindley’s bold presentation showed that an erection was a physiological issue more than a mental issue.  To understand what happened we need to talk about muscles.  Yes, I know I said muscles were not involved.  Technically speaking I’m still going to hold this position.  There are three groups of muscles:

• Skeletal – Skeletal muscles are those muscles that attach to the bones allowing us to move.
• Cardiac – The cardiac muscle powers the heart.
• Smooth – Smooth muscles are found in blood vessels, the intestines and the stomach.  They usually act involuntarily.

Dr. Brindley injected himself with phentolamine.  It’s a drug that relaxes smooth muscle.  Because of the location where he injected himself, the smooth muscles of the arterial blood vessels relaxed allowing the corpora cavernosa to completely fill with pressurized blood.  Instant and uncontrolled erection!

Second Clue to ED!

The second clue to ED centers on the body’s ability to control blood flow.  Without some type of control there would be an even amount of blood flow to most of the body.  This might be OK if we’re vegetables and inactive but we aren’t.  We are constantly on the go so the body has designed a mechanism to help divert blood flow to the areas that need it the most.  Think of your circulatory system as an elaborate design of pipes with valves.  These valves can control both the blood flow as well as divert blood to the areas that need it the most.

This is going to get a bit technical but the control mechanism incorporates the following steps:

1. The brain sends a signal to a particular never fiber.  The nerve fiber ends in a NANC nerve cell located in the artery near the point where blood flow needs to be changed.  This NANC nerve cell creates nitric oxide which is also a dangerous free radical.
2. The NANC nerve cell releases nitric oxide into the blood and surrounding cells.
3. The nitric oxide acts as a signaling molecule to stimulate an enzyme called guanylate cyclase.  This enzyme keeps the nitric oxide from causing free radical damage by using it with GTP to produce a chemical called cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP).
4. cGMP tell the smooth muscles of the arterial blood vessel to relax.  This allows increased blood flow.
5. There is another enzyme called phosphodiesterase (PDE) that deactivates the cGMP by turning it back into GTP.
6. When the cGMP is deactivated, the smooth muscle returns to its original constricted state.

Confused?  Think of a cycle.  Guanylate cyclase turns GTP into cGMP causing smooth muscles to relax.  PDE turns cGMP into GTP causing the smooth muscles to return back to their constricted state.  Nitric oxide turns this cycle on from a nerve impulse generated in the brain.

cGMP is produced as long as the brain is sending signals that initiate the production of nitric oxide.  Nitric oxide is produced as long as there is an adequate supply of the essential amino acid L-arginine and no damage to the surrounding endothelial cells.

Third clue to ED!

The most common reason men suffer from erectile dysfunction is lack of nitric oxide in the blood vessels of the corpora cavernosa.  When a man is aroused his brain does its job by sending the proper signal to the nerves located in his male organ.  The nerves produce nitric oxide.  But the amount of cGMP produced is not enough to maintain an erection since nitric oxide production is limited by damaged endothelial cells and lack of the essential amino acid L-arginine. 

The way Viagra solves this sexual health problem is pretty ingenious.  To increase blood flow to the male organ you have three options:

1. Increase the amount of nitric oxide produced in the arterial blood vessels.
2. Increase the amount of cGMP produced in response to the nitric oxide.
3. Eliminate the PDE that converts cGMP back to GTP so that cGMP builds up.  This causes the smooth muscles of the arterial blood vessels to properly relax and fill with blood.

Viagra uses option 3 to achieve an erection.  Why PDE?  Because there are 11 different kinds of PDE with only one type of PDE found in the male organ.  That type is called PDE5.  Talk about creative design.  All Pfizer had to do was find a chemical that would selectively block PDE5 and nothing else.  This chemical is sildenafil citrate.  Here’s how it works: 

1. A male takes Viagra.
2. The sildenafil citrate is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried throughout the body.
3. The sildenafil citrate attaches to the PDE5 enzyme in the male’s organ to disable it.
4. The male is sexually aroused and the man’s brain does its job.  A signal is sent to the nerve cell in the male’s organ which produces nitric oxide.
5. The nitric oxide turns on the cycle creating cGMP to relax the smooth muscles of the arterial blood vessels.
6. Since the PDE5 is disabled the cGMP doesn’t break down but builds up allowing the arterial blood vessels to fully dilate.
7. The man achieves a full erection.

Great stuff when it works perfectly but there are a few minor problems.

Side Effects of Viagra!

Almost every drug made by man has side effects and Viagra is no exception.  Viagra blocks PDE5 but can also affect PDE6 which is used by the cone cells in the retina.  This can affect color vision.  For some it changes the way they perceive green and blue colors.  For others they see the world with a bluish tinge for several hours.  Because of this pilots cannot take Viagra within 12 hours of a flight.

The other two main side effects are headaches and flushing.  The blocking of the PDE5 can spill over to other areas of the body causing vasodilatation.  This raises the risk for stroke and heart attack.  Because of this Viagra is a prescription drug rather than an over-the-counter drug.  Additionally, you need to be careful not to combine Viagra with nitric oxide producing drugs like nitrates.  Always consult a qualified physician before taking any product like Viagra.  For more information on Viagra I would refer you to an excellent article by Marshal Brain entitled “How Viagra Works.”

A Natural Alternative to Viagra!

I’m not discounting the benefits of Viagra, Cialis and Levitra to help men with erectile dysfunction.  All three, when properly used under the guidance of a qualified physician, have been able to change poor sexual health into good sexual health.  But understand that these drugs are treating a symptom more than the underlining problem.

The underlining problem is the insufficient production of nitric oxide to help start and maintain proper vasodilatation.  The creation of nitric oxide occurs in the endothelial cells that line the blood vessels.  When the endothelial cells are damaged by high blood pressure, high sugar levels, cholesterol, and smoking this decreases nitric oxide production.  That’s why my physician asked me if I was experiencing any erectile problems.  It’s a warning sign for other potential health concerns that could affect your overall wellness and cardiovascular health.

The main nutrient for the creation of nitric oxide is an essential amino acid call L-arginine.  Without going into detail, L-arginine has both a good side and a dark side depending upon how it is brought into your body.  Please see the page “Endothelial Cells” for more details.  

The key to addressing erectile dysfunction is to make sure you’re addressing your cardiovascular system.  Maintain normal blood sugar levels, keep your blood pressure in a normal range, keep your cholesterol under 200 and stop smoking.  By combining this with an adequate intake of L-arginine, many males have found that they don’t need to spend money on Viagra-like products to help them with their sexual health issues. 

One product that I recommend is ProArgi-9 Plus from Synergy WorldWide.  This product has been clinically shown to improve your cardiovascular system, properly bring L-arginine into your body, naturally produce adequate supplies of nitric oxide, and do it without side effects. 

Men, if you want to improve your sexual health then you need to improve your cardiovascular system.  Properly caring for your endothelial cells, so that they can properly produce nitric oxide will solve most erectile dysfunction issues and help to protect you from cardiovascular disease.

Together we can work to save a million lives!

Dan Hammer

The information contained in this blog is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam.  The information contain in this blogging website has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

This is an update on the groundbreaking heart disease study that occurred at the High Desert Heart Institute located in Victorville, California.  The participants were patients who were in the Congestive Heart Failure Unit.  Each participant was “at the maximum of pharmacological and medical management.”  Although the results have not yet been published, the following 18 minute interview with Dan SwinDell is remarkable.  In it he talks about how this groundbreaking study came about, how medically challenged the participants were, the exact protocol used for taking ProArgi-9 Plus, and some general trending statements about the results of the study.

Click Here to Listen to Dan SwinDell Provide Further Details About This Groundbreaking Heart Disease Study at the High Desert Heart Institute!

I found it extremely interesting that Dr. Siva Arunasalam, the Founder and Director of the High Desert Heart Institute, is now using a ProArgi-9 Plus protocol in treating patients at the institute.  As new information is released about this study, I will make sure that the readers of this blog will get the full details.

If you’re interested in how effective this clinical study was then listen to Angelo Cici’s testimony and how this clinical study saved his life!

Together we can save a million lives!

Dan Hammer

The information contained in this blog is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam.  The information contain in this blogging website has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

Heart disease can take many different forms.  For Liz Cassitas, a mom and cardiac care nurse, is took the form of bradycardia.  Bradycardia is a slow heart rate usually defined as less than 60 beats per minute.  A heart rate less than 60 beats per minute is not unusual for highly trained athletes but it is unusual for normal adults. 

Liz had an extremely low heart rate and was put into the cardiac care unit at the same hospital at which she works.  Although it was recommended that she have a pacemaker put in to regulate her heart beat, Liz refused.  After being released from the hospital a neighbor of hers recommended a product called ProArgi-9 Plus.  This is the product that is at the heart of the groundbreaking study just recently completed at the High Desert Heart Institute.

The following 14 minute interview is Liz Cassitas sharing her testimony and how the ProArgi-9 Plus helped to address several health issues:

Click Here to Listen as Liz Cassitas Shares Her Emotional Testimony!

Liz’s testimony is a powerful story of what can happen when the endothelial cells are properly nourished so that they can produce Nitric Oxide which is the master signaling molecule of the cardiovascular system.  If you watched the American Health Journal’s feature on Dr. Louis Ignarro he points out that when you improve the blood flow to your organs, thru proper Nitric Oxide production, they respond favorably. 

It’s what Liz experienced.  Her heart rate returned to normal, her bowel movements returned to normal, her cholesterol levels returned to normal, her arthritis become a non-issue, and she lost 28 pounds.  Not only was Liz able to get off many of her medications but she saw a huge savings in her pocketbook.  It positively changed her life and her health.  As I always caution, if you decide to become proactive with your health by implementing natural supplements, then work with a qualified medical professional.

Together we can work to save a million lives! 

Dan Hammer

The information contained in this blog is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam.  The information contain in this blogging website has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.

Preventing and Reversing Cardiovascular Disease thru Nitric Oxide!

In 1998 Dr. Louis Ignarro shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine with two other American scientists for the discovery of Nitric Oxide and how it is the master signaling molecule for the cardiovascular system.  Dr. Ignarro has over 30 years of research in Nitric Oxide.  He firmly believes that Nitric Oxide can both prevent as well as reverse cardiovascular disease. 

How important is preventing and reversing cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both the United States and the world.  Over 60 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease.  Heart disease is 12 times more deadly to women than breast cancer.  As you can see by these statistics preventing and reversing cardiovascular disease could make a huge impact on life expectancies especially if it was your own life.

The American Health Journal produced a 30 minute feature on Dr. Ignarro and his work with Nitric Oxide.  This feature can be found on YouTube.  Whoever posted this feature divided it into 3 parts and misspelled Dr. Ignarro’s name (Ignarrao instead of Ignarro).  I wanted to bring all three parts into one blog post.    

The information is excellent.  In Dr. Ignarro’s own words he will tell you how Nitric Oxide and the amino acid L-Arginine can prevent and reverse heart disease naturally to age proof your cardiovascular system.    

Part 1 – Please be patient with the first 45 seconds since it contains a promo for Western University and the lead in to the American Health Journal.  As Dr. Ignarro is introduced, he takes us back to when he received the Nobel Prize in Medicine.  After he shares his feelings about this high honor Dr. Ignarro talks about Nitric Oxide.  How it lowers blood pressure, prevents strokes and heart attacks, improves blood flow to the organs, acts as a vasodilator, protects against coronary artery disease, lowers bad cholesterol levels, and is the body’s natural way to protect against heart disease.  This video abruptly ends and is picked up in Part 2.  Total time is 8:58.

Part 2 – Dr. Ignarro’s completes his discussion about how the body uses the essential amino acid L-arginine to product Nitric Oxide.  How a deficiency in Nitric Oxide is really a deficiency in L-arginine.  Then Dr. Andrew Myers is introduced and he discusses how the endothelial cells regulate the production of Nitric Oxide.  Dr. Ignarro returns to discuss all the different benefits of Nitric Oxide such as keeping the blood vessels healthy, preventing blood clots, maintaining blood pressure, maintaining the normal balance between HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol), and the necessity of Nitric Oxide for the prevention of erectile dysfunction.  The segment that I found most interesting was how Nitric Oxide facilitates memory and learning.  Dr. Ignarro even discusses how Nitric Oxide can restore memory and help in Alzheimer’s disease.  Total time is 9:06.

Part 3 – For some reason the sound is a bit off in this segment so please don’t let it distract you.  Dr. Ignarro discusses the importance of diet and vitamins especially the antioxidants found in garlic and green tea.  He talks about the importance of exercise and how exercise has been shown to boost or stimulate Nitric Oxide production.  And, he concludes by talking about his book NO More Heart Disease and how he tried to communicate the science of Nitric Oxide at a level everyone could understand and apply.  Total time is 8:50.

Dr. Ignarro’s Passion!

As you can see and hear from these three videos Dr. Ignarro passionately believes that Nitric Oxide can prevent and reverse heart disease.  He firmly believes that Nitric Oxide is the body’s natural way to protect against cardiovascular disease and without side effects.  Dr. Ignarro and I both share a common goal.  That goal is to educate as many people as possible on the health benefits of an effective L-arginine/Nitric Oxide protocol so that they can work with their physician to help prevent and/or reverse heart disease.

Together we can work to save a million lives!

Dan Hammer

The information contained in this blog is for general information purposes only and never as a substitute for professional medical advice or medical exam.  The information contain in this blogging website has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a qualified medical doctor.