| The Nutritarian Diet Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States today and yet over ninety percent of heart disease could be prevented with lifestyle changes. Recent research has again shown that for most, heart disease does not need to be a disease that compromises quality of life. The good news is that for many, the effects of early heart disease can be reversed through lifestyle changes without expensive medications or invasive surgery that could ultimately become ineffective. Vegetables Have High Nutrient Value The impact of heart disease to our society is remarkable. In the United States, more people die of heart disease than all cancers combined. The total lifetime cost to treat a person with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) can easily be a million dollars. In recent years the total national cost has been estimated to be in the range of $300 billion to $400 billion. In contrast, the cost of lifestyle changes is remarkably little. Regrettably, the National healthcare debate rarely addresses the root causes of rising health care cost. These claims by researchers are not new. Evidence supporting the advantages of lifestyle change over medications and procedures grows year by year. Most encouraging is the replication of experiments that have resulted in amazingly similar positive findings. In a previous newsletter I shared with you the remarkable results from "The Esselstyn Heart Healthy Diet." Today, I will share a summary of findings from Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book, “The End of Heart Disease.” Dr. Fuhrman’s book summarizes his twenty-five years of clinical experience treating heart disease in which most patients recovered without resorting to procedures like angioplasty or bypass surgery. Dr. Fuhrman’s sobering reminder is that patients that avoid lifestyle changes usually worsen and die of heart disease despite the finest medical interventions. While Dr. Fuhrman is clearly a proponent of lifestyle change, his focus in “The End of Heart Disease” is primarily on a dietary approach called the Nutritarian Diet. Although the book is 430 pages long, it’s well written, easily understandable and grounded in scientific research. For your effort, you can look forward to numerous case studies and over 100 pages of menu plans and recipes for delicious heart-healthy meals and snacks. While Dr. Fuhrman’s plan to radically lower the risk of heart disease without dependence on medication and surgery show amazing promise, there are conditions that will not respond. What Dr. Fuhruman’s clinical research findings offers for most patients is: • Lower and normalized blood pressure • Lower and normalized LDL cholesterol • Lower weight and body fat • Resolution of type 2 diabetes • Improved immunity • Reduced risk of cancer • Greater vigor and quality of life as you age To gain these results Dr. Fuhruman focuses on a novel way of choosing foods based on their nutrient to calorie ratio. The essence of this approach is based on an objective of including more foods with naturally occurring nutrients. As an aid in selecting the best foods he provides a ranking of common foods with his Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI.) The foods with the highest ANDI score are typically vegetables that provide high nutrition per calorie. Foods like collard greens, watercress, kale, mustard greens and spinach are highly recommended. Food like sodas, apple pie, corn chips and white rice have low nutrition per calorie and are not recommended. In general, meats are relatively low in nutrients per calorie and while allowable on the diet are not recommended for the best results. Additional foods with a high ANDI score are shown in the list below. Compared with most foods, the high ANDI score for kale, collard greens and mustard greens put them in the class of “Super Foods”. In contrast, foods like kidney beans, green peas and cherries rank lower but certainly qualify as nutritious on the ANDI scale. For ANDI scores of more common foods click here. While the micronutrient emphasis of the ANDI score is a helpful guide it is only a guide to low calorie foods high in factors like vitamins, minerals, fibers, and phytochemicals. While these noncaloric nutrients are vitally important for good health we still need carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. The key concept of Dr. Fuhrman’s Nutritarian Diet is to eat more but not exclusively those foods that have a relatively high proportion of nutrients (noncaloric food factors) to calories. While the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) approach to selecting foods is helpful guide it would be a mistake to eat only foods from the highest ranking. Dr. Fuhrman’s advice will not be the last word about nutrition and heart disease. Rather, Dr. Fuhrman’s findings extend and support what many others have discovered. In his favor, Dr. Fuhrman’s advice is science based and very close to the consensus of experts that have published peer reviewed results. Now a spoiler alert, the Nutritarian Diet requires vegetables, fruits, salads, eating little meat and a serious reduction of high glycemic foods (sugar, refined grains, etc.) For many these will require a gradual adaptation to new foods and for some may take months for taste buds to adjust. After your taste buds readjust, most should expect to be pleasantly surprised at the wonderful taste they have been missing. Before launching into the Nutritarian Diet, I recommend reading Dr. Fuhrman’s book, “The End of Heart Disease” for its motivational and educational value. The book is available from the local public library. If you have been looking for motivation, it’s a good place to start. Nancy Neighbors, MD Huntsville, Alabama |