Botanical medicine for atherosclerosis.
Articles Structure :
2. Manifestations of atherosclerosis.
3. Standards for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
5. What herbs are used and why?
Atherosclerosis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease characterized by the appearance in the walls of the arteries of the foci of lipid infiltration and proliferation of connective tissue with the formation of fibrous plaques that narrow the lumen of the vessel and violate the physiological functions of the affected arteries, which leads to organ and General circulatory disorders.
Considered to be the root cause of atherosclerosis, excess cholesterol in food. However, cholesterol is an essential component of cell membranes, myelin nerve membranes, it affects serotonin transmission in the brain, is necessary for the synthesis of steroid hormones and vitamin D and so on. Cholesterol deficiency in women of childbearing age can lead to infertility.
Half of the people who are hospitalized in America with cardiovascular disease have normal cholesterol levels – and half of the people with elevated cholesterol have a normal heart.
If the diet contains a lot of meat, sugar and foods,it adversely affects the cell membranes (they are damaged). Their bodies release corticosteroids For recovery, allowing them to transport additional cholesterol to where it is needed.
Homocysteine theory of atherosclerosis is becoming increasingly important.
Homocysteine is a toxic intermediate of methionine amino acid metabolism. Under the influence of folic acid and vitamin B12 homocysteine converted back to methionine, and under the influence of vitamin B6 in cystathionine. Thus, these vitamins ensure that homocysteine does not accumulate too much. Otherwise, homocysteine causes damage to the inner wall of the arteries. This contributes to the development of atherosclerosis.
Important! The lack of natural vitamins B12 B6 and folic acid plays an important role in the progression of atherosclerosis.
From the point of view of homocysteine theory cholesterol is considered as a useful substance, not the culprit.
2. Manifestations of atherosclerosis.
The process of atherosclerotic changes begins at an early age. The stage of the fat strip can be already in adolescence.
The occurrence of symptoms depends on the location and degree of damage to the vascular wall.
The defeat of the coronary arteries accompanies the clinical picture of coronary artery disease.
Damage to the arteries of the brain – headaches, tinnitus, decreased mental abilities, stroke, transient ischemic attacks.
Lose pocetnastrana – resistant high blood pressure.
The defeat of arteries of lower extremities paresthesias, trophic disorders, the appearance of intermittent claudication.
3. Standards for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
The standard classical treatment of premediatated includes(inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-COA reductase (HMG-COA reductase).
Interestingly, the 1st generation of statins are substances derived from fungi. For example, mevastatin was isolated from the mold Penicilliumcitrinumakira Endo in the 1970s.
Lovastatin is also found naturally in the fruit bodies of oyster mushrooms.
Simvastatin is obtained synthetically from продуктаферментацииAspergillusterreus.
The search for new drugs almost always begins with the study of plant metabolites or fungi. However, attempts to isolate one active substance for use on a single indication do not always lead to success.
Side effects of statins: flatulence, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain; headaches, dizziness; muscle cramps, myalgia, myositis; changes in liver function tests; fatigue, sleep disorders, taste disorders, itching of the skin; teratogenic effect.
4. Why herbal medicine and naturopathy complements and improves the standard scheme of pharmacotherapy?
As a rule, atherosclerosis at the stage of clinical symptoms, is not the only disease in many patients, and is combined with other comorbidities. Therefore, the question arises about the simultaneous appointment of many drugs at once. Against this background, the importance of herbal medicine increases significantly, since only this method allows long-term and safe impact on a wide range of pathological conditions.
Naturopathic approaches are based on starting treatment with the most natural herbal remedies, which are more physiological for the body and do not make gross changes in the metabolic reactions of the body. According to homocysteine theory, a study of homocysteine by the international Commission for the prevention of cardiovascular disease is recommended:
1. It is necessary to determine the level of homocysteine in patients with atherosclerosis or with a high risk of its development.
2. Patients with homocysteine levels< 12 mol/l should increase folic acid intake (better in the form of l-methylfolate as more bioavailable).
3. Patients with homocysteine levels> 12 mol/l should take: 400-800 mg folic acid, 2-4 mg vitamin B6, 400 mg vitamin B12 daily.
Nicotinic acid and its derivatives.
In doses of 5-3,0 g per day nicotinic acid has a pronounced lipid-lowering effect:
• reduced triglyceride (TG) and very low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels by 20-40%
• reduction of total cholesterol (HS) and low-density lipoprotein LDL (by 10-70%).
• long-term use leads to a decrease in the incidence of myocardial infarction (by 27%) and a significant reduction in mortality of patients with atherosclerosis.
• It was found that inhibits lipolysis of adipose tissue and, accordingly, reduces the mobilization of free fatty acids and their flow to the liver, where the synthesis of TG and VLDL.
As a result, the production of TG and VLDL is significantly reduced, and the higher the initial level of TG, the greater the degree of their reduction.
The role of magnesium.
Magnesium ions regulate the balance of fractions of high and low density lipoproteins, triglycerides. Long-term magnesium deficiency in the body reduces antioxidant protection and in the conditions of atherogenic diet is involved in the mechanisms of early development of atherosclerosis. Since magnesium is a calcium antagonist, calcium concentration increases in case of lack of magnesium ions. Violation of calcium-magnesium balance in the human body in the direction of increasing the calcium content contributes to the calcification of blood vessels.
Appointment coenzyme q-10.
5. What herbs are used and why?
The direction of herbal medicine for atherosclerosis:
1.Herbs that help reduce cholesterol.
Sterols and steroidal saponins in the composition of many plants inhibit the absorption of cholesterol (creeping anchors, swampy sushenitsa, hemoptysis, common istod).
Trace elements, vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids contribute to the removal of cholesterol.
The effectiveness of spices in relation to lipid profile is confirmed in scientific works.
Garlic is one of the best means to reduce cholesterol. The proof of this statement is high and is reflected in the meta-analysis of riedketal. (2013). However, the question of the form of the use of spices in the untreated form is limited to their irritating effect and is limited to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (gallstone disease, pancreatitis).
2. Vegetable angioprotektory, antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants.
Plants with these properties contribute to the improvement of trophism of the vascular wall (Rue, marigolds, gryzhnik naked, loosestrife loosestrife, mariannick comb, sand carnation, honeysuckle, Kermek, rank marsh, betony, nettle).
3. Improve metabolic functions of the liver
Plant hepatoprotectors and Choleretic (immortelle, dymyanka, volodushka, calendula, milk Thistle). Metabolic reactions in the liver play a greater role in cholesterol metabolism than its intake from food.
4. Herbs with anti-inflammatory properties
Their effects can reduce the progression of the atherosclerotic process (Boswellia, turmeric, McLure, ginger, eucalyptus essential oil).
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