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A LACK OF PLAQUE
Ayurved describes the late stage of life as vata, which has the characteristics of dryness. So as we get older, the arteries dry out, but at the same time increased bad cholesterol clogs the arteries -- vata (dry) plus kapha (oily) ama (sticky toxins). To keep the channels (shrotas) flexible, elastic, and functional, we have to be careful to keep them lubricated with cholesterol, which the body creates from healthy fats. This is especially true of the carotid arteries. There are two -- one on each side of the head. Ayurved calls them pranavahi shrotas.
Plaque in the carotid arteries could indicate pre-stroke. Unfortunately there are no symptoms of plaque that we can detect ourselves. Pre-stroke might bring some symptoms that could last a few minutes or hours such dizziness, headache, numbness, tingling, confusion, paralysis, or blurred vision. If you ever have any of these symptoms, see a doctor immediately for treatment. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) are sometimes called “mini-strokes" and are warning signs that a stroke might be coming on. If you feel these symptoms coming on you should immediately get to an emergency room. If you arrive early enough, a doctor can administer a medicine that will dissolve clots -- tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). The t-PA will not work if you wait more than three hours after feeling the symptoms come on.
Symptoms of stroke include numbness, muscle weakness, vision problems, difficulty talking, or lightheadedness.
What can modern medicine do for plaque in the carotid arteries? Your doctor can detect blockage with a simple physical examination. He can simply listen with his stethoscope over the artery on the neck. This test is not always accurate, however, because the usual sounds do not always appear. Subsequently the doctor will have to perform other tests. Another test might be magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA). This will allow him to see the arteries in the brain using a machine that uses magnetic fields.
He can also detect blockages in the carotid arteries by measuring artery pulsation in the back of the eye. Another test involves injecting a dye into the bloodstream and then taking X-rays using arteriography and digital subtraction angiography.
He might also use Doppler ultrasound imaging. With this test he can check blood flow using sound waves to measure artery thickness.
In other words, tests, tests, and more tests, which get expensive. Doctors will want you to use blood thinners for the rest of your life, but they are dangerous. In 1992 a new dictum for blood thinners was released stating that they should not be used for more than three months. Unfortunately, doctors still prescribe them for six months or more. This extension of the therapy has no benefits and is likely to cause a hemorrahage or even kill the patient. Ayurved has another approach.
Ayurvedic medicine describes the entire problem of clogging as the result of ama, the sticky substance which is the residue of undigested food. Ama can clog any of the channels in the body from arteries to nerves to portals in the cells.
According to Ayurveda, when ama is present for a long time and not cleansed from the body, a more serious condition occurs -- amavish, which is a more serious type of ama where ama spreads throughout the body and mixes with the tissues and waste products. After mixing with fat tissue, it damages the channels. High blood pressure is caused by clogged, stiff veins in the heart. In ayurved these are called raktavahi shrotas. Atheroschlerosis results from amavish mixing with blood and fat tissue which then damages the channels.
If one eats too much fat -- even good fats -- it clogs the arteries. Even worse is to eat too much bad fat contained in processed or packaged food.
Eating unsuitable types of fat can also clog the arteries. These fats create cholesterol without giving any nourishment to the body. Don’t eat packaged foods because they almost all contain the worst fats -- transfats found in hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Never eat overheated fats or rancid fats. Most vegetable oils are overheated and have no nutritional value. I already mentioned free radicals. Overheated vegetable oils -- oils like corn, safflower, and sunflower oil -- create an overabundance of free radicals which creates bad cholesterol which is oxidized fat. These oils are polyunsaturated, overheated with added chemicals, and create oxidized lipids that cause LDL cholesterol. The other culprits are saturated fats found in some vegetable oils, butter, and meat.
What are the best fats according to Ayurveda? Ghee (clarified butter) and olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is a monounsaturated fat which lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. It is processed naturally and without heat. Extra virgin olive oil is processed in long tradition which maintains the nutrition in the oil. One should also not heat even olive oil to high temperatures while cooking. Instead, use if for salads, baking, or heating spices.
Use ghee if you intend to use high temperatures. Ghee is easily digested, lasts without refrigeration, and contains antioxidants like Vitamins A and E. It also contains essential fatty acids which the body cannot produce on its own.
The Liver
In western medicine, the idea is to increase bile so as to digest the food more completely. This is an incomplete approach compared with ayurved which asserts that the liver must also examine the food we eat and eliminate toxins. The liver will create more bile, examine the food, and eliminate toxins much more efficiently if we balance cholesterol.
For a lesson in the historical view of the Ayurvedic approach to clogged arteries and the cleansing diet traditionally used to help this disorder, see the article on the cleansing diet.
Note: Information provided on this site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. If you have a medical condition, always consult your physician. Consult your physician before making changes in lifestyle and diet. All of the information on this website is provided for educational purposes only.
