With replies from Charlie and Chuck, maybe this ought to be my last posting
on this topic for a while.
At the outset, I do not believe that, as Nathan put it, what Drs Prendergast
and Esselstyn are disseminating, is snake oil.
Far from it. This is all serious, science and evidence-based, information
which can be used simply by anybody to prevent / minimise premature death
from athersclerosis and considerable human suffering where athersclerosis
has maimed but not yet killed outright.
The messages from Drs Esselstyn and Prendergast contain very similar
material, but each arrived at where they are by different routes.
I believe that each of these men is energised by the ulterior motive of
alleviating and avoiding where possible, human suffering through
athersclerosis in its various forms, and have chosen two vehicles to make
the basis of their findings available to us all.
Charlie confirmed what I thought all along, having read Esselstyn's book and
attentively listened to and watch Prendergast's short videos.
This is that myocardial infarction (hope I have the spelling correct), often
the
phase of heart disease before death ensues, is caused by the rupture of a
lump of plaque on the inside of an artery. The causes the body to create a
blood CLOTt on the spot in an effort to self-heal. While this technique works
fine on ruptured skin, inside an artery it often is fatal because the clot is
likely to break off under hydraulic pressure, and shift to a spot where it
totally
blocks blood flow to vital organs such as heart muscle and the brain.
That L-argenine creates nitric oxide gas in artery walls is established without
question, and if it is supplied in sufficient quantity, through the supply of N
O
it enables the body to PREVENT the development of plaques
(atherosclerosis), and where athersclerosis is already present, enables the
body to SAFELY REMOVE it.
It seems to me that much of the monitoring of blood make-up is rendered
irrelevant as soon as L-argenine and nitric oxide step in and control
athersclerosis. Correct me if my understanding is wrong, but it seems to me
that if there is no athersclerosis, in most cases there can be no heart
disease through blocked arteries, and no strokes through blocked arteries.
I believe it is that simple.
How did these two doctors arrive at the place of information dissemination
that each now is at?
Prendergast first, because in some ways his story is more powerful.
He is an MD who is a practicing endocrinologist who also advises/ cares for
hundreds of diabetics. Diabetics typically have a high rate of heart disease.
At about the age of 37 years Prendergast submitted to a CAT scan to
investigate some vague abdominal pain. Subsequently, the technician said
to him " Hey, you've got other problems here - you have developed
atherosclerosis to the degree I'd expect to see in an 80-year-old"
This caught the immediate attention of Prendergast. His own (MD) father
had had a heart attack at the age of 43 which made him quit working and he
died a few short years later as a result of it. Prendergast reckoned he did not
want to follow these particular footsteps ...
He was so fortunate as to be working close to medical researchers studying
L-argenine, NO etc, and he arranged to spend a lot of time with them.
As a result of their information, he commenced taking a daily dose of
laboratory grade L-argenine. HE ALSO PRESCRIBED THIS FOR HIS
DIABETIC PATIENTS.
Some 16 years later, Prendergast once again had an abdominal CAT scan.
He had the same technician as he had had 16 years before.
The technician was amazed. Comparing the scan data 16 years apart, he
pointed out that Prendergast's arteries were now TOTALLY CLEAR of
athersclerosis. Prendergast was also amazed, and then went and had a
scan done of his heart arteries. Totally clear of athersclerosis. He had the
arteries of a 17-year-old.
During that 16 year period, whereas formerly his diabetic patients developed
heart disease at such a rate that they kept three heart surgeons in business,
NONE OF THEM developed heart disease. Five thousand (5,000) diabetics
in 16 years totally free of athersclerosis. All as a consequence of taking L-
argenine on a daily basis. BTW, the three heart surgeons moved to other
locations to practice their craft.
The L-arginine /NO researchers also told Prendergast that although L-
argenine worked well, he really should also use L-citrulline. Ingestion of L-
argenine works for ( approx?) 6 hours. L-citrulline lasts for 24 - 36 hours,
with the same beneficial effect as L-argenine.
Prendergast decided that the best way to help potential sufferers of heart
disease was to get alongside the best business of its type he could find and
make a diet supplement incorporating L-argenine, L-citrulline as well as
other anti-oxidants and vitamins. Hence Proargi-9+
This stuff is not patentable. Is there anything wrong with what he did? In my
opinion, not. He has made an important scientific / medical discovery
available to all to alleviate premature death and suffering.
There are few of us in such a position to give effect to such an altruistic
motive and action. He was true to his Hippocratic oath ( assuming he took
one) and has reached out to help thousands of potential heart disease
victims.
Esselstyn, who by the way represented the USA in the Olympic games
(rowing) is an MD who served in the Vietnam war where he performed very
many autopsies on GIs and also their Vietnamese counterparts. He
discovered that these young GIs already had advanced athersclerosis,
whereas the young Vietnamese had none. Esselstyn concluded that living
on a vegetarian diet was responsible for the difference.
He is also well aware of the biochemical pathways in the human body which
involve L-argenine and nitric oxide, and has text and a diagramme in his
book dealing with this.
He ran an experiment over many years involving ( 18?) heart patients who
had been sent home by their heart specialists, to die. Their atherosclerosis
was so bad, and they had been subject to so many surgical interventions,
that no more were possible.
He put them on a strict vegan diet, had frequent ( weekly - monthly) follow-
ups, and with his wife developed interesting menus.
Over 20 years not one of that group has died through athersclerosis,
whereas the control group who decided the diet regime was too tough has
thinned out a bit now through heart disease.
Some of the active experimental group members have had their
athersclerosis actually reverse - in other words, minimise or disappear.
What his experiment has shown is that the natural concentration in the body
of L-argenine is not sufficient to counteract the damage by free radicals (
from meat, fat etc) which leads to atherosclerosis.
Esselstyn has chosen to tell the world about his work though the printed
word, radio programmes, and some videos. Although he must by now have
heard of Prendergast, I'm not aware of them joining forces in any way.
Well, that's about it. The 10 minute video below is worth watching if you
haven't done that
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDqLcblMyIY
Their work is not the stuff of snake oil.
It's excellent science translated into a form to benefit all mankind.
Brian Swale
--
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