Heart Disease Alternative Therapy

Heart is the most important part of the cardiovascular system. Its primary functions are to deliver oxygen and vital nutrition to cells throughout the body and to aid in the removal of cellular waste products. Heart diseases and stroke are among the most common heart and vascular problems that affect most of the people over the world.

Referred as silent killers, these conditions are responsible for 43% of all deaths in the world. The most effective way to treat heart diseases is medication and adopting a healthy life style that is based on balanced diet and adequate exercise.

Along with this, heart disease alternative therapies are used to treat heart diseases and recover from stroke. These heart disease alternative therapies use natural ways to help patients in recovery.

The various alternative therapies available to prevent/cure heart diseases are as follows:

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a Chinese therapy for heart diseases. It offers valuable therapeutic benefits for stroke patients and treats pain or disease by inserting the tips of needles at specific points on the skin. The patients receiving acupuncture therapy are evaluated by three measurement systems: the Motor Assessment Scale for stroke patients, Sunnaas Index of ADL and Nottingham Health Profile.

The patients opting for acupuncture show significantly improved quality of life as compared to other patients. The results of acupuncture therapy indicate that ‘acupuncture gives an additive therapeutic benefit when given to stroke patients during their rehabilitation program’. Acupuncture does not cause any side effects apart from slight dizziness.

Herbal Therapy

Commonly used herbs such as garlic, ginger and even green tea can be very effective medicines and alternative therapy for treating heart disease. Since ancient times, herbs have been used for their healthy and medicinal effects. Nowadays, most of the medicines contain herbs and plant extracts due to the healing powers they possess.

Researchers are now focusing on finding herbs that contain hypolipidemic, anti platelet, anti tumor, or immune-stimulating properties. These herbs are helpful in preventing and treating chronic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. It has been proved that many herbs consist of potent antioxidant compounds that offer protection from chronic diseases, saving millions of lives.

Many of these compounds are known to protect LDL cholesterol from oxidation, inhibit cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes, inhibit lipid peroxidation, or have antiviral or anti tumor activity. The essentials oils and other agents present in these herbs and spices slow down mevalonate synthesis and restrict cholesterol and tumor growth.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

A traditional Chinese herbal preparation known as Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) is known to treat patients suffering from coronary heart diseases. It has shown significant recovery in patients who were administered with this drug for 15 days.
Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) is known to effectively remove the oxygen free radicals from the blood stream thus reducing the lipoperoxide (LPO) injury and regulating the apolipoprotein metabolism in the patients. Thus, it is an effective Chinese alternative therapy for heart diseases.

The Sunshine Remedy

According to latest research, a dose of sunshine can save the heart attack victims. Patients who recover in the sunniest part of intensive care unit are most likely to survive their stroke. Lack of adequate sun light is known to cause depression and melancholy, while on the other hand, sunlight is known to cheer and give a new lease of life to patients.

Sunlight alters the way brain responds to a mood chemical known as serotonin. It is not known why the sun affects heart attack victims but it is effective heart disease alternative therapy for lifting the mood and causing cheerful feelings.

Vegetarianism

According to researchers, vegetarians suffer from significantly lower mortality rate resulting from heart diseases as compared to non-vegetarians. The main reason behind this is the low cholesterol level found in vegetables as compared to meats that contain high animal fat.

For most of the people suffering from heart diseases, it is recommended that they increase their intake of vegetables and cut down fats and meats from their diet. Red meat especially contains lots of fat that can lead to high cholesterol level. High cholesterol level is attributed as the primary risk factor for heart problems.