Did you know that heart disease is our #1 killer? Yet, you can prevent and reverse heart disease by saving your Endothelial Cells.

“The truth is that cardiovascular disease needn’t ever exist. It’s absolutely a toothless paper tiger. But if it does exist, it needn’t ever progress, as long as you are willing to change completely to an oil-free plant-based diet” ~ Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn

The basic understanding we all need to accept is that with every meal of oil, dairy or meat we eat, within minutes, there is damage & injury to the “life jackets” of our vascular health–which is the single layer of endothelial cells that line all of our blood vessels. The endothelial cells produce the “magical gas” called nitric oxide which keeps our blood vessels relaxed, prevents our white blood cells & platelets from becoming sticky and prevents the growth of plaque–the dreaded “hardening of the arteries”.

And what can you eat to ensure that your endothelial cells will have the raw materials to produce this healing nitric oxide? Like beans & leafy greens. Load up on kale, collard, chard, bok choy & beans and you will be well on your way to healing the lining of your blood vessels.

On the positive side–as soon as we stop eating these damaging foods–the endothelial cells have the capacity for restoration. Switching to a whole food, plant-based diet trumps every other lifestyle modification you can make. It trumps exercise and it trumps stress management. Both are important–but diet is the trump card.

Switching to a plant-based diet even trumps the genetics card. As Esselstyn says, “Genetics only loads the gun–it’s diet that pulls the trigger.”

Reference: Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., from book: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease

Watch this short video on the Endothelial cells from The Plantrician Project: