2025.04.03

Surviving from the brink of death. Miracles are bound to happen.

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Heart disease is one of the serious health problems in modern society, and it is one of the three major causes of death in Japan. Along with cancer and stroke, it threatens the health and lives of many people. In particular, in recent years, the westernization of dietary habits has progressed, and the intake of meat has been increasing even among the younger generation, which has led to an increase in lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. These diseases, also known as the "quartet of death," affect each other and increase the risk of heart disease.

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The Fight Against Heart Disease: Dr. Esselstein's Challenge and Diet Revolution

The Fight Against Heart Disease: Dr. Esselstein's Challenge and Diet Revolution

The incidence of myocardial infarction in Japan was 7.4 per 100,000 people in 1979, but it has increased rapidly over the past 30 years, and in 2008 it jumped to 27.0, a fourfold increase. This figure speaks to the seriousness of heart disease in modern society. In this context, some doctors have questioned traditional approaches to medicine and have pioneered a new path in the form of diet. His name was Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstein, Jr. While he had an illustrious career as a surgeon, he continued to advocate for the importance of diet in order to restore the fundamental health of his patients.

Success as a surgeon and doubts about modern medicine

After graduating from the prestigious Yale University, Dr. Esselstine studied as a surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic, a hospital specializing in surgery. He then served in the Vietnam War as a medical officer and was awarded the Bronze Star for his heroic actions on the battlefield. After returning home, he returned to the Cleveland Clinic, where he built up a number of achievements as a surgeon at a world-class medical institution. He has held key positions such as staff representative, board member, chair of the Breast Cancer Control Committee, and director of thyroid and parathyroid surgery, and has published more than 100 scientific papers. In 1994 and 1995, he was named one of America's best doctors, a true pinnacle of his career as a surgeon.

Despite his success, Dr. Esselstein began to question his own practice.

"Are patients really getting better after surgery?" and "Is surgery fundamentally changing patients' lives?" He always looked to the future of his patients and questioned their therapeutic effectiveness.

In particular, when I saw the spread of cancer over a wide area at the site of colon cancer and breast cancer surgery, I began to question whether my surgery was contributing to the recovery of patients.

Reflecting on the surgeries he had performed, such as breast cancer removal and mastectomy, he struggled with the conflict of whether he was damaging his patients' appearances and not giving them the chance of recovery.

Cathy

Midori

This experience led Dr. Esselstein to read and research the literature on the diseases he was dealing with.

And we came to the conclusion that the cause of the disease, which often afflicts patients, lies in a diet high in meat and fat, as well as highly refined foods. This discovery was the catalyst for a major change in his view of medicine.

He told the director of the surgery hospital where he worked that he thought that diet could improve heart disease, but he was dismissed, saying, "No one has ever used diet to improve heart disease and proven it."

Challenge to diet and introduction of vegetarianism

Undaunted by the opposition of those around him, Dr. Esselstine stood by his beliefs and began a diet for his patients. He worked on his own treatment for several years in a discreet manner. Patients were encouraged to eat a low-calorie vegetarian diet and the use of cholesterol medications was kept to a minimum. He was personally involved with each patient and treated them with enthusiasm and support. He was compassionate and sometimes strict with his patients, and he was instrumental in keeping them highly motivated to continue with their diet.

Pont

All 18 patients Dr. Esselstein treated had serious heart disease. For many years, I have suffered from various problems related to coronary arteries, such as angina pectoris, patients with failed bypass surgery, and strokes. Among them, there were five patients who were sentenced by a cardiologist to "one year to live." One of the most seriously ill patients was a teacher named Evelyn Oswick, who was 59 years old at the time. She loved sweets and gravies and had suffered two heart attacks. During his second myocardial infarction, he was put in a desperate situation when his doctor told him to "prepare to die."

Therapeutic efficacy and scientific evidence that exceed expectations

Dr. Esselstein followed a vegetarian diet to his patients, which resulted in surprising therapeutic results. Five years later, a contrast examination showed that 11 out of 18 patients had stopped progressing to the disease. In addition, four patients were found to have a surprising result of improving their condition, that is, regression. The patient's bad cholesterol levels dropped dramatically from an average of 246 mg/dl at the start of treatment to an average of 132 mg/dl during treatment, well below the target of 150 mg/dl. The results were so dramatic that they could not be achieved with medication or surgery.

Donbei

Dr. Esselstine also elucidated the biological mechanisms that can help avoid heart disease. We found that endothelial cells, which cover the inner layer of arteriovenos, are the key.

The endothelial cells of healthy blood vessels are the size of eight tennis courts and play a role in protecting the blood vessels. Endothelial cells produce nitric oxide, which keeps blood flowing smoothly, dilates blood vessels, and inhibits plaque production.

In addition, nitric oxide is a powerful factor in reducing inflammation associated with plaque. However, the Western diet destroys endothelial cells and hardens blood vessels.

After the age of 40, the area of endothelial cells decreases to the size of two tennis courts, and the ability to protect blood vessels weakens. However, it has been experimentally proven that by changing to a vegetarian diet, endothelial cells begin to recover.

Shock to the medical community and the "hero of diets"

Dr. Ethelstein published the results of a diet for 18 heart patients. The paper proved that it is possible to reverse heart disease in the most dramatic way in the history of medicine by simply combining a vegetarian diet with minimal cholesterol-lowering drugs. The announcement sent shockwaves through the medical community, and Dr. Esselstine was thrust into the limelight as a "diet hero." It was an event that overturned the common sense of medicine when a doctor who was once at the pinnacle of his career as a surgeon and was respected by many people advocated a diet that did not rely on drugs or surgery on his own.

Dr. Esselstein's success also influenced his colleague, Dr. Crowe. Dr. Crowe developed heart disease in his mid-40s, when he was living a healthy, active life. Even though her cholesterol levels were normal, her coronary arteries were severely damaged and she had a heart attack. However, as a result of practicing the vegetarian diet advocated by Dr. Esselstein, Dr. Crowe restored the coronary arteries to a healthy state after three years.
Dr. Esselstein's patients continued to stay healthy. All 18 patients survived for 12 years. Evelyn Oswick, who was sentenced to one year to live, also lived for 20 years by following a diet. She spoke of Dr. Esselstein's strict but loving guidance, revealing that she was told, "You have to eat or you have to live, you have no choice."
Dr. Esselstein has successfully treated more than 250 heart patients with vegetarian diets. "Heart disease, even if you do suffer from it, can be stopped by switching to a vegetarian diet," he says with conviction.

Summary

Dr. Esellstein's story illustrates the limitations of modern medicine and the possibilities of diet. His work was not just about treating heart disease, it was about changing people's attitudes about health. A healthy diet is essential for preventing disease and extending healthy life expectancy. Dr. Esselstein's words suggest options for us to live a healthy life. This story will teach each of us the importance of taking responsibility for our health and reviewing our eating habits.

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