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Product Description

A powerful call for a paradigm shift in heart disease therapy.

Based on the groundbreaking results of a twenty-year nutritional study by Dr. Esselstyn, a preeminent researcher and clinician, this book illustrates that a plant-based, oil-free diet can not only prevent and stop the progression of heart disease but can also reverse its effects. The proof lies in the incredible outcomes for patients who have followed Dr. Esselstyn's program, including a number of patients in his original study who had been told by their cardiologists that they had less than a year to live. Within months of starting the program, Dr. Esselstyn's patients began to improve dramatically, and twenty years later, they remain free of symptoms.

Complete with more than 150 delicious recipes, this book explains the science behind the simple plan that has drastically changed the lives of Dr. Esselstyn's patients forever. It will empower readers to take control of their heart health.

Customer Reviews:

• A BETTER TREATMENT!
  After 60 years of equivical or tempoary treatment methods we finally awaken to reality that our arteries do better on an all plant diet just as one noted in the preflood scriptures !!!!! gpg MD for 60 years!!!!...more info
• Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
  The recipes alone in this book are worth the price of it, especially for those looking for a vegan way of eating and without fat. I have tried many of the recipes and like most of them very much, even the cakes aren't bad considering they have no fat. Dr. Esselstyn's convincing research is well-explained in layman's language in the first portion of the book. Along with the text, there are illustrations backing up Dr. Esselstyn's clinical research on eliminating and/or reversing heart disease by eating a plants-only diet
  
  The only criticism I have is that two of the recipes (at least that's how many I've found so far) have a step in the middle missing and I deduce this happened in the printing of the book, but both recipes seem to have had the step cut off at the bottom of the page. One of them I was able to retrieve from another cookbook by another author, but the other...well, your guess is as good as mine. There seems to be no way to contact the author by email. That would be nice. ...more info
• Excellent Book
  Everything is backed up with facts and the recipes in back are a wonderful addition. Wish I had this book 20 years ago....more info
• Recipes Make Diet Possible
  What makes this book unique is that it contains not only Dr. Esselstyn's sound advice about improving health through a plant-based low-fat diet, but also Ann Esselstyn's delicious recipes- which makes following the diet possible, and even enjoyable. My husband and I, who have never before eaten a particular diet, have followed this diet strictly for over a month and have discovered delicious foods and tastes that had previously been covered with sauces and butter. Rather than a feeling of deprivation, we feel that we are exploring a new world of wonderful foods. We feel great and energetic, and have even dropped some weight as an added bonus. I would recommend this book to all....more info
• A great book!
  I first heard of Dr. Esselstyn while reading "The China Study" by Colin Campbell. I was absolutely floored by the description of Esselstyn's study, concerning the use of nutrition to halt the progression of serious heart disease. In this book you can read all the details of his study. You can learn exactly how to prevent and reverse heart disease easily--just by altering one's diet. I truly believe in the efficacy of this approach, as I've read about it in a number of other recent books.
  
  I first borrowed Esselstyn's book from the library. But the recipes in the second half of the book look so good, I will be buying it from Amazon.com. I also intend to buy some extra copies for some relatives with heart problems....more info
• Excellent.
  Well, I am going to make this 'review' a running blog of sorts.
  
  I will be starting the diet and posting my results via edits here.
  
  My review:
  
  The book is well written and provocative. Enough so that I am going to try it due to my family heart history (I'm 29 almost 30 but have had a 'bad' cholesterol recently of 199).
  
  It gets 4 stars because being that this book was written by a physician, he makes a few unsupported claims... the main one being that no one with a total cholesterol of less than 150 has any heart problems, and therefore you are heart attack proof. There are several BILLION people on the earth. It highly likely that there are several people that have had heart attacks at or below this number, however rare.
  
  Next... Dr Esselstyn's book focuses on a study of about 21 people. He has great results, indeed. But any scientist of any sort, ESPECIALLY A PHYSICIAN should know that this is an insignificant number (take a college level statistics class if you don't believe me). With approx 300 MILLION Americans... 21 is statistically irrelevant. Had his study been of a few hundred, per city, composed of random varying cities across the US, with randomly selected participants, it would have much more validity.
  
  Despite this serious scientific faux pas, which he should have at least addressed, the pictorial results of the progress are amazing, and thus I will be trying this, and probably sticking with it. I would like to see my two daughters grow up and not meet the same fate as both of my grandfathers and two uncles.
  
  Thus, I will be posting my results every 2 months or so here.
  
  I recommend it :D. ...more info
• Heart Disease
  I think everyone should take responsibility for their own health, but books like this can give us some guidance....more info
• Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
  This is a very strict program for those with serious heart disease but the recipes and ideas are helpful for all families who are striving toward a plant-based diet....more info
• RD'S MADE MISTAKES
  Remember the little heart seal the usda allowed to be placed on food products like margerine.Registered dieticians missed that one.
  I have taught science and nutrition for more than 25 years and the nonconformists like Dr. Esselstyn, Campbell and McDougall have impressed me because their ideas are always based on the BEST available science. This book is truthful and insightful and could possibly save your life.Esselstyn is fearless in his report on heart disease.
  "The way we look at smoking today is how we will view the western diet in the future",the time has arrived to get that message out and this text is a step in the right direction.The only change i might suggest is to allow a few seeds and nuts in the program.Very few....more info
• Important conclusions, with one possible exception
  I agree with the many other writers here that this is an extremely important work, and that something needs to be done about the harmful American diet. Dr. Esselstyn's amazing results on the group whose heart disease he reversed is the sort of data most scientists would kill for. The book is packed with information and data that support his conclusions. Overall, I agree with everything in this book, with one exception.
  
  Dr. Esselstyn has concluded that any kind of oil, whether animal or vegetable, is harmful to the vascular epithelium, and that this is a major contributing factor in atherosclerosis, and in strokes and heart attacks. He also cites a very interesting experiment in which patients ingested olive oil and had their brachial arteries clamped shut for five minutes, after which they failed to open up right away.
  
  Dr. Esselstyn concluded from this that the olive oil temporarily injured the blood vessels, and that this accounts for the brachial artery's inability to open up in timely fashion after the clamp was removed.
  
  However, I have several problems with this. First, the clamp was on for a long time, five minutes. This is a very long time to clamp a major blood vessel all the way shut, and is something that would normally never happen in the real world.
  
  Second, and most important, is the conclusion that the olive oil is the causative factor in the injury. I have a couple of problems with this.
  
  Thirty years ago, when I was working my way through grad school in physiology and anatomy as a spectrophotometric technician running blood chemistries on a Fisher 1040 Programmachem Spectrophotometer, and was a lot younger than I am today, I happened to feel some very fatty blood serum between my fingers, after it had been spun down.
  
  Fortunately, this was before the days of HIV and I had no cuts on my fingers, so nothing bad happened there. However, I'll never forget how sticky the fatty blood serum felt between my fingers. It was practically like glue.
  
  Normally, spun down human serum (with the red blood cells and other solid fractions removed), is a straw gold color. However, after ingesting fat, such as after one of those good ol' American style breakfasts of bacon and eggs and hash browns, it can be milky white or even pink, looking almost like a strawberry milkshake. That milky appearance is all the fat that's going through your arteries, carried in small, microscopic droplets called chylomicrons.
  
  With such sticky blood coursing through your veins after eating any fat or oil, that could be the reason why the brachial artery didn't open and remained "glued" shut, rather than any injury to the vascular epithelium.
  
  Third, the cell membranes, including those of the vascular epithelium, are essentially fatty, lipid membranes themselves. In the case of nerve cells, they're even fattier because of the presence of large amounts of phospholipids that are needed in nerve cells. My question is why would a typical fatty cell membrane be injured by something that is chemically the same, or at least, very similar to itself?
  
  In Dr. Esselstyn's favor, however, is the one case of a man who had severe angina, which went away when he stopped eating olive oil, when he was already doing everything else right diet-wise. But this could simply be due to eliminating the remaining fat from the diet rather than because of any injury to the blood vessels.
  
  All that having been said, I still think this is an extremely important book, and that Dr. Esselstyn's many other conclusions and ideas are correct. And I plan to change my own diet along the lines he suggests as a result.
  
  Finally, I'd like to say that recently I was priviledged to hear Dr. Esselstyn speak and that he is an dynamic, funny, and witty speaker, and that if you ever have the opportunity, you should go and hear him speak yourself. And his wife gave a brief but equally dynamic presentation at the end of his talk with information and tips on how to prepare and cook a plant-based diet....more info
• Great Book for those interested in Diet to prevent heart disease
  Great Book for those interested in Diet to prevent heart disease.
  It inspired me to loose weight. It may help to reverse coronary disease. It is worthy the money!...more info
• Excellent book!
  This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to improve their health. It provides the facts and the photos which show that you can take charge of your own health and DO something about it. Half of the book includes practical recipes that have been perfected by Dr. Esselstyn's wife which can be used to make healthy food taste good. Personally, I don't use black pepper due to its irritating quality but it is easy to omit that from the recipes....more info
• Probably a cure but is it practical?
  In a nutshell this is the doctor's program prescribes. Get your cholesterol under 150. How to do that? Don't eat meat, fish, eggs or any dairy product, nuts and any oil at all even olive oil. What's left? vegetables, legumes, whole grains (no added oil to breads or pasta) and fruit. I'm sure this will work but most people will not be disciplined enough to do this. Forget about eating at restaurants or at a dinner party. One suggestion for this book would be to provide more details about the China study. It is mentioned as a landmark study but not many details were included. I give the book four stars because of the 150 recipes that do not have oils and at least can be included in one's diet frequently. ...more info
• Bait and Switch!
  If i knew this guy is advocating no fish, no meat, no chicken, basically just fruits and vegetables, I would have saved my money....more info
• Does it really work?
  With all of the promises being made regarding health cures it is hard to figure out which ones really work & which are vehicles to remove dollars from your wallet. I am a skeptic about these apparent fad cures & diets because most ultimately fail while an author or guru gets rich.
  
  I have heart disease and things were going well after my bypass over 7 years ago. After the surgery I changed to a lowfat diet, exercised more and felt good. Throughout my 20's I was a triathlete and was top condition - training 2 to 3 hours 5-6 days a week and understood, so I thought, the value of exercise and an effective diet.
  
  Thinking I had my heart problem beat (pardon the metaphor) after favorable results from 2 extensive thalium treadmill tests 3 & 5 years ago, I went about eating the great American Diet that included the occasional burgers, sodas and the rest.
  
  I found that I was short of breath during heavy exercise (Jiu Jitsu), I decided to have my heart tested with the elaborate systems in the hospital - thinking that it must be my age of 53 years catching up with me and nothing else. I got the shocking news that my heart condition had gotten 50% worse since I had the same test 3 years before! That was truly bad news...
  
  Being fully depressed but determined to not have my quality of life wither away, I decided to do something about it and not wait for the doctors to give me more meds since surgery was not an option. My doctor said that the only reason he could see for my diminishing condition was an increase in cholesterol in my diet that has started to block other heart vessels.
  
  I stumbled upon this book with this bold title including "reversing" written by a heart surgeon - a heart surgeon indeed!
  
  I read it along with the China Study (if you want a tech book about the western diet, this will blow your mind) and made the dietary change - of course, family members gave me grief for eating a plant based diet.
  
  Four months later my results are as follows: Cholesterol went from 230 to 150. Weight 236 to 202, great for someone who is 6'4". My energy during exercise is 50% better than before my checking 4 months ago. Mental clarity improved significantly and that is the short list.
  
  So, does it really work? Try it and find out.
  
  PS
  One family member & wife who scoffed loudly is now on the diet simply by seeing my results (I had no interest in defending or arguing about my choice because I decided to extend my life). They read the China Study as well and decided to give the fast food industry a miss from their eating habits. Read it and you will think twice about it as well....more info
• Sobering. Well done and well documented.
  This is one of those rare books that is both revolutionary and well substantiated. The author isn't just another crackpot trying to make a name for himself....more info
• Delivers on the title.
  All the research laid bare by the man who conducted it! A fascinating, even exciting, read as you discover "Essy's" progress to finding a rock solid means of preventing and curing heart disease (read ALL degenerative disease). Sure, read "The China Study" and any of John McDougals fine books but be sure to read this one. There's a great bonus too. Half the book is well arranged as recipes and these are worth the purchase price alone - they are great!...more info
• Exciting and promising
  I am very excited by this book. He starts in the first few pages with his program's summary, unlike many books in which you have to read the whole book to know what it says. This is a plant based absolutely vegetarian diet, with virtually no oil..not even "heart healthy" oil such as olive oil. No nuts...ooouuuch, I just love them, especially cashews, and no avocados...but that's OK. I'm SOLD on his ideas. I plan to start this tomorrow. Age 59, feeling 70 a lot of the time, with unhealthy blood fats, I feel my health is declining. I believe Dr. Esselstyn will save my life.
  I thought I ought to have felt well on a mediterranean diet that I follow, but I really don't. So I agree, his diet is not drastic; its the drastically bad American diet which we ought to ridicule.
  He shows before-and-after heart cath. results on patients he's treated with this diet, and the results are tremendous. Yes, we can do this...we should, unless we want to die prematurely. ...more info
• A Hope-filled Heart
  This book offers a mountain of hope and positive ways to take charge of a health problem that has become an epidemic in our country. It is truly uplifting to anyone who has been "down in the dumps" about their family history of heart illnesses. It shows that we are truly in control of our destinies and need not helplessly accept what popular beliefs call "inevitable." It is inspiring and I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in taking ownership of the future health of not just self, but family and friends....more info
• Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn
  Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, is a marvelous and accurate account of how plant based nutrition is able to work with the body for healing of heart disease but other motalities or diseases that would do harm to the body.
  
  Thank you so much Dr. Esselstyn very much.
  
  ...more info
• Not finished reading
  This is pretty heavy stuff for an old lady but it seems so well documented and so far it makes a lot of sense. Do I really need to get this extreme when my physical exams show no evidence of heart disease? Does the fact that 3 of my 6 siblings have had open heart surgery mean that I DO need to? I'm vegetarian and mostly vegan but might do well to incorporate even more into my lifestyle. For a person who already KNOWS they have heart problems, it seems like it would be an absolute MUST to follow this to the letter. The evidence for benefits is very strong. I was diagnosed as Type II Diabetic 4 months ago and if I had been as careful as this book recommends, I might NOT be. I'm glad I bought the book even though I'm just 2 weeks away from 80! ...more info
• Outstanding
  Below is an e-mail I sent to the author's son, Rip who authored the Engine 2 Diet. Both books were instrumental in my getting healthier.
  
  Rip
  
  I want to thank you ...and your father...for getting this information out there in a format that really clicked for me. Here's my story. The abbreviated version.
  
  Two years ago, at age 46, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I'd always been athletic (not your level) but I became very sedentary as a result of the surgeries, radiation and drugs. The good news is that I'm tumor free and the overall prognosis is good. However, there was permanent collateral damage which has left me essentially disabled - all sorts of balance issues. Also, I had gained about 35 pounds which was a lot on my frame My blood pressure and cholesterol were getting to be of concern also. There's a family history of high blood pressure, stroke, Alzheimer's and cancer so the barrel I was looking down was getting a bit scary.
  
  Around the beginning of 2009 I decided I was going to control what I could control with regard to my health. That meant exercise and diet changes. The exercise came easy. I always enjoyed it and a friend is a personal trainer. I enlisted his help and got going in January. I've never been one to count calories and diet. Frankly, I never really had to and the idea of dieting was not appetizing to me. Then, I saw your interview on the Today Show and I wanted to know more. I got your book and your Father's. I read them both fairly quick and decided this approach was for me. The science behind it, your father's research, patient care and the E2 presentation of it really clicked for me. The net for me was that a heart healthy diet was also a brain healthy diet and I wanted both a healthy heart and brain.
  
  I started eating the E2 way at the beginning of March. I've lost a total of 30 pounds since the beginning of the year; 20 pounds and several inches around the waist since adopting a plant based diet. My cholesterol was 221 at the start and I'm sorry to say I can't get a good reading because the blood pressure meds screw it up. My goal is to get off the meds - I think exercise and diet will get me there. Other benefits I've noticed in combination with the exercise is that I just feel better and stronger. Another feeling I can't describe other than to say I just feel clean - probably from getting so many more vitamins from my diet as well as ridding toxins from my system.
  
  So, here's the take away. You've really marketed the cholesterol lowering benefits of a plant based diet and I applaud you and all your subjects for your success and for creating a buzz around this. Diets come and go though. So if and when the "diet" buzz starts to quiet, know that you've all contributed much more. You've managed to package the science, the diet, the lifestyle change in a way that really clicked for me personally at a time when I really needed it. You guys (and gals) save lives. Well, I'm thinking you probably saved another one.
  ...more info
• 4 months and what a difference
  I was convinced enough by Dr. Esselstyn's book and "The China Study" to completely change my diet 5 months ago. Since then I've lost 30lbs even though I eat all the time, my cholesterol numbers improved significantly and are now far below Dr. Esselstyn's recommended levels of 150 total, and 80 ldl, and my blood pressure is back to normal after three years on blood pressure medicine. I seem to require less sleep, and I feel great. Time will only tell whether this helps me avoid an early MI like my father, but I'm betting on this and see no reason to stray. It's not all that hard to follow if you just make up your mind to do it. For me, the change in my numbers, weight, and blood pressure in just 5 months is all the proof I need to stick with this for life....more info
• EASEY READ AND VERY ENCOURAGING
  DR. ESSYLSTIEN GIVES THE ANSWEAR TO THE ELIMINATION OF
  WIDESPREAD HEART DISEASE EPIDEMIC THAT THE INDUSTRIALISED
  WORLD HAS BEEN AND IS CONTINUING TO SUFFER FROM. THE NEW
  QUESTION NOW, IS WILL SOCIETY EMBRACE THE LIFESTYLE REQUIRED TO ELIMINATE THIS SCOURGE FROM THE PLANET OR
  CONTINUE TO GORGE DAILEY ON THE RICH FOODS THAT ARE SLOWLY
  BUT SURELY SHORTENING THEIR LIVES?...more info
• Stayin' healthy
  Dr. Esselstyn in right on the mark. Not only the coronary ateries but also the small ateries in the brain stay clear. It only makes perfectly good sense. Two-thirds of the book is on helpful recipes....more info
• Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
  This book put me on a new path to curing my heart disease. It is extreme in what it requires: vegan diet AND no use of oils. This was the hardest thing for me because I LOVE nuts, olive oil and butter. I had previously been a ovo-lacto vegetarian so the step to vegan was not as challenging as it would be for meat/fish eaters. The fantastic thing, however, is that this is actually a way to take personal responsibility for making improvements in my heart health. I am also on a small dose of lipitor, which Dr. Esselstyn also recommends. My hope is to get off this drug totally after things have stabilized. A short time after starting this eating routine, I had blood work done and my cholesterol has gone from 320 total to 160. Not bad after just 5 weeks of effort!
  I bought a bunch of the cook books recommended at the back of Dr. Esselstyn's book and these are very helpful....more info
• A very helpful book if you have any kind of heart problems.
  Very helpful book. If you have heart problems, this book focus on your diet. Highly recommended. Get ready to move towards a vegetarian diet....more info
• An informative read
  Wonderfully put for those of us who are not scientists. Very easy read and plenty of recipes to begin a lifetime of change. ...more info
• Probably accurate but very difficult to follow
  After searching for books on reversing cardiovascular disease I came across this one. He makes an excellent case for reversing heart disease and provides before & after angiogram pictures as well. I have no argument with the science. I also have a bone to pick with experts that don't like this doctor because he is not a heart specialist. Since when do all things correct have to come from only specialists? This guy treats patients that cardiologists have given up on when their invasive treatements fail. Angioplasty & bypass only relieve symptoms & do not cure the disease. My father found that out! After seeing what he was like after bypass surgery perhaps we need to do nearly anything to avoid that like the plague.
  
  While the science is very compelling, and I believe it is right, the diet itself is extremly hard to follow unless you really love eating beans & vegetables, some fruit, and grains (no white bread or white pasta). The basis of his recommendations are no dairy at all, no meat, no fish, no eggs (not even egg whites), no cheese, no oil of any kind, no high-fat vegetable sources like nuts & avocado. Pretty sparce eating to me.
  
  The author says that eating any oil at all, whether in animal or vegetable form, affects the arteries in a negative way & in at least one patient contributed to his angina. That statement ups the ante and leads you to believe that oil is not just undesireable but extremely dangerous. I find that eating out is nearly impossible as just about all food not prepared on your own is cooked in oil or has oil as part of the food....refried beans, soup, bread, crackers, tortillas, etc. Wanna eat out? You are pretty limited to steamed vegetables & some fruit, maybe rice (no sauces unless they are totally fat-free, and who can know if the marinara sauce has soybean oil in it?). Thinking that eating salad will solve your problems? Naw, not unless you like to eat it naked or carry around your own homemade dressing. Commercial fat-free salad dressing is NOT fat-free, and ANY vegetable oil at all is not allowed.
  
  Sticking to this diet has been a huge struggle, but I've only been on the diet for 14 days. The hardest part is finding prepared foods, like bread, that have no fat at all in them. So far I've only found one manufacturer and the loaf costs $4.00. Can't even find tortillas that meet that criteria, and you really have to pay attention to labels. Fats go under other names like glycerin, mono & diglicerides, lethecin.
  
  Do I sound frustrated? Yeah, I am. Most of the positive reviews I've read are written by folks with blocked arteries who welcome anything to keep them out of surgery, and having had a parent who had quadruple bypass surgery I totally get that. My dad's mother died of a heart attack, and so did her father. So, despite my frustration I'm going to adhere to this diet because I am convinced the author is right & I hope to avoid the fate of my relatives.
  
  I have cooked many of the recipies in the book and did not like the majority of them. I don't like vegetables very much, and therein is my struggle. Try them anyway........
  
  Do I like the book? Yes, it's very thorough. Do I like the diet it recommends? Nope, but I'm going to do it anyway. ...more info
• Good For Diabetics Too!
  To address the reviewer below, plant-based nutrition works for diabetics too! The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle: Lifestyle Center of America's Complete Program to Stop Diabetes, Restore Health,and Build Natural Vitality. And if you're concerned about prostate cancer, you have yet another reason to go plant-based.Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer, Second Edition
  
  According to Dr. Esselstyn, it takes about three or four weeks, and possibly a little cholesterol-lowering medication, to essentially "heartattackproof" yourself. Along with fruits, vegetables and whole grains, beans are a critical element for this way of dealing with heart disease. Beans provide a good source of arginine, the raw material needed to make nitric oxide, a gas produced by the endothelial cells that line our cardiovascular systems. Nitric oxide keeps arteries flexible, and everything in the blood flowing smoothly. To use Dr. Esselstyn's analogy, flowing like teflon, instead of like velcro.
  
  My father, grandfather, and great grandfather, all died young from heart attacks, my father being the youngest at 42. For most of my life, I didn't put that much stock in nutrition. ( Although I had a mother who did! ) Until my runnning took a bit of a hit in my mid-forties, I thought being fit was much more important than what I ate. I no longer think that way!
  
  I would encourage anyone who's on the fence about this, to attend one of Dr. Esselstyn's speaking engagements. If that's not possible, order the 2005 Vegsource DVD's. I was so impressed with his presentation from 2005, that in 2006 I spent three days on a bus to meet him ( and others ) in person, in California.
  
  While things were running a little behind in 2006, cutting his presentation a bit short, near the end Dr. Esselstyn had a man he'd met in a taxi at this conference join him on stage. His testimonial added an interesting "alternative perspective" that the reviewer below seemed to think was missing from the book. ( Also, I think the 2006 DVD's capture Dr. Joel Fuhrman at his best. )Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss
  
  The review below also mentions how much of the book is recipes. Ann Esselstyn's large volume of very original recipes serve to emphasize the broad range of food choices available for defeating heart disease.
  
  If you do have the opportunity to hear Caldwell Esselstyn speak, and to pose a question, ask about niacin instead of Lipitor. At least one other reviewer brought that up, and I'm sure Dr. Esselstyn is always looking for ways to tweak his lectures. ...more info
• Ignore this book at your own peril
  This book has become the most important component in my struggle with CHD. Since reading this book and employing the dietary recommendations my health has improved dramatically. When diagnosed with substantially blocked coronary arteries I was given only one option - heart bypass surgery. Dr Esselstyn has not only provided an alternative, he also seems to have provided a pathway to a cure! I recommend this book as essential reading to anybody seeking to avoid serious illness or in the process of treating life threatening circulatory disease ...more info
• Wish I had this information 50 years ago !!!!!
  Dr, Esselstyn's book is a must read for all. Most doctors (a generalization), for some reason, forget the food aspect connection to heart disease or they just ignore it because they think most people cannot follow the food change lifestyle. After surgery or other types of heart treatment they just hand you a book about a "Low Fat Diet" and that's about it. my 63 year old husband has had a triple byepass, a stint, and still has angina with activity.
  
  We have been on Esselstyn regimene for a month and have not seen a change in his pain but hope too soon. By the way he is going in for another stint next month. My whole family has been adherring to the doctors recommendations as well. I hope to see a change in his pain level soon (before the stint). Good luck and start eating right and prevent heart disease before it starts. I wish me and my whole family had would have !!!!...more info
• Reverse Heart Disease
  I can say that there are many good proven views in "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease".
  
  However, I do not want to become a vegetarian. Many of the wonderful diet books available adhere to a very strict diet. Since I do not have heart disease, I will try to restrict my diet to more chicken, fish and vegetables.
  
  Thanks,...more info
• Prevent
  Almost hard to believe that what many of us have assumed is good for us, may in fact be very harmful. Such as nuts - who could have thought? Very educational, but wonder if his diet does apply to those who have no heart disease? Seems some nuts and even a little oil in very moderate amounts should not be harmful. More research is needed to verify that. After all, the patients on which his research is based all had been given a death sentence....more info
• this really works!!!
  This is a great book for people with very high cholesterol or have heart disease. It is not an easy diet to start, but once you get used to it, it becomes much easier. Going out to eat is a challenge, but can be done. ...more info
• Dr. Esselstyn....Hope that you read this....
  Hello,
  
  I have a question about this book. I was recently diagnosed with brachycardia(June 12 got my pacemaker) and would like to know if any of his patients were like me?
  
  I am overweight, have CFS which they now tell me is a blood disorder, and of course the brachycardia.
  
  My cholesterol(total is around 223).
  
  I want to help myself so that I won't have to depend on this pacemaker for the rest of my life.
  
  Any info would be of great help to me.
  
  God Bless,
  Sandra J....more info
• A BETTER TREATMENT!
  After 60 years of equivical or tempoary treatment methods we finally awaken to reality that our arteries do better on an all plant diet just as one noted in the preflood scriptures !!!!! gpg MD for 60 years!!!!...more info
• Heart Disease Is Strong Motivation
  I had my first heart attack at 43. One stent was placed in my LAD. I had a second heart attack last year at 48, two more stents. I was very lucky, yet again. I thought I was being good on my nutriton and exercise plan. It was not enough. Dr Esselstyn helps to explain why in this book. He gets right to the point and tells you why you need to follow his plan if you have heart disease. Some of the reviewers complain that the book is half recipies. I don't understand this at all. You will need them to make the transition to this lifestyle.
  
  Is this plan difficult to stick with? Yes, at first, then you start to feel normal again and full of life. You feel the best you have felt in years! Your weight normalizes and your cholesterol drops like a rock. You become heart attack proof and you believe it. It's a much better feeling than the bloat not to mention the guilt after a big steak. No contest! I never want to lay on that operating table again thinking about what my family will do without me. Trust me, it's a very bad feeling.
  I have taken back control, and now, you can too. Follow this plan to the letter and it will work for you too.
  
  I have chosen life. ...more info
• Proven
  OK, I have high cholestrol. Raw food hasn't really helped. I found this book years ago, but am just recently gotten around to reading it. If you read this book from the begining you will have enough info to give it a try. Within 2 months my cholestrol dropped 75 points. I went to the doctor to have the blood work and he was amazed. He thought the meds had worked really well. I told him I didn't take them. He was impressed. Dropping oil from my diet is so hard for me. But, it is worth the effort. I am eating about 70% raw currently. His wife has amazing dressings in this book. ...more info
• Saved my life!!
  After reading and applying the diet and lifestyle changes in this book my chest pain has reduced to near zero, my total cholesterol went from 339 to 119,my weight dropped 21lbs, and my cardiologist has become a believer! All in less than 12 weeks. There is similarity in the diet here to what Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. John McDougall recommend and with similar great results. They are all onto the true answer to heart disease, diabetes, various cancers, etc. The book takes us on a personal level, to the lives and medical histories of the patients in the study and is much more than a clinical analysis. A great read and very inspiring. The recipes were a great touch and a perfect way to wrap up the book. Buy the book and be prepared to not put the book down till the last page. A great read....more info
• A Truly Great Book
  I know Dr. Esselstyn. He is a man of integrity. His book is true. His report is honest. A plant-based diet can protect you from cardiac disease. Buy the book, follow his advice. ...more info
• WOW --must read
  This book is amazing and I think everyone should read it especially if heart disease runs in your family. This is stuff that a cardiologist won't tell you. The book gives the hard facts. I was a big fan of the Mediterranean Diet and now this has changed my outlook on diet. Who would think olive oil and salmon is not good for you. I believe this book can reverse heart disease and save many lives.
  I hope this book get some national attention so many more people learn about the benefits.
  ...more info
• Beyond Expectation
  We purchased this book after my wife started to have heart spasms. We were told there was nothing that could be done for her, that she would have to live with it and be on medication the rest of her life. After three weeks on this diet she no longer takes medication and has more energy than she did before her problems. If you have heart disease read this book and do the diet, you'll be glad you did....more info
• Outstanding - my cholesterol dropped 30% in 5 months
  I bought this book a few days after Tim Russert's death and my 1 year old daughter's birthday. With a cholesterol number in the 280's and with heart disease in the family, I was pretty much resigned to my eventual fate. What could I do? This book explains that and has helped me understand the science of CVD. Now I am in control of whether I will fall victim to CVD - my cholesterol is down 30% and I have lost 30 pounds in 5 months. To top it off, I feel great. I've wanted to go running for the first time in ages. The advice in this book is life-changing. For those that think it is too strict - it's not, especially when the alternative is surgery or death. As Dr. Esselystn points out, sudden death is the first sign of heart disease for 30% of people. For me, there is no going back. Thank you Dr. Esselstyn....more info
• Imagine If Tim Russert had Read Esselstyn
  It so happens that I was reading Chapter 5, "Moderation Kills", in PREVENT AND REVERSE HEART DISEASE by Esselstyn when I learned of the recent, untimely death of TV news host, Tim Russert, In this chapter, Esselstyn explains why the standard 'moderate' cardiac regiman as prescribed for Russert often is associated with sudden death - and why such death is preventable.
  
  I was drawn to the monograph because, at age 74 and free of cardiac symptoms, a plaque was demonstrated in a major coronary artery when I had a Coronary Artery Calcium Score/GE determined. My score of 460 was abnormally high -- and compares with the abnormal score of 210 received by Tim Russert in 1998 at age 48: [...]
  Now, based on the wealth of clinical and epidemiologic evidence nicely presented and using the practical notes to food sources offered on pages 289 to 299, my wife and I are choosing to embark on the Esselstyn diet.
  
  BTW, a strict low fat diet was not among the options suggested by my cardiologist and I doubt if the choice were ever offered by the medical profession to Tim Russert.
  
  Roswell Eldridge, MD
  ...more info
• ETERNAL LIFE OR ETERNAL TORTURE?
  While the possibility of reversing all the damage done to your vascular system over time is quite exciting, the diet is so rigorous that even if it doesn't actually make you live longer, it will seem like it, LOL. No denying that the average American's diet is not healthy, but Dr. Esselstyn's diet allows only vegetables, fruits, and grains, period, with no deviations allowed, ever.
  
  One serious flaw in the book is that everything is written through Dr. Esselstyn's perspective. There is not one anecdotal account written by one of his patients providing testimony of how this diet has improved their life. And, there is the issue noted by others that over half of the book is recipes. He also does not address how diabetics should use his diet. Although it may be argued that you will lose so much weight and correct bad body chemistry so that type II diabetes will no longer be an issue, but the fruit and grains are carbs.
  
  So, with Americans' penchant for quirky diets, why isn't this sweeping the land? For me, I may be in denial, but I don't think I'm sick enough, yet, to do this. It's almost as though Dr. Esselstyn touts this as such a miracle cure that one can start on it the day the need for a coronary bypass is identified and not have to proceed with the surgery....more info
• Worth trying
  I learned about Dr. Esselstyn's work from another book (China Study). I don't know how truly affective his advice is but it sounds indeed reasonable. I have to just put it in practice and see the results. In any case the recipes are good, the meals tasty, and I find this book worth having, indeed. Another title that I highly recommend is Cure the Incurable. ...more info
• The land of Esselstyn... where the living is easy!
  My cousin turned me on the Esselstyn lifestyle. Her husband, who has suffered from genetically high cholesterol, had seen many male family members die before their time due to heart disease. When vegetarianism and then veganism didn't solve his problem, they went hardcore into the Esselstyn lifestyle.
  
  In 5 short months, my cousin (average size 12 American female) lost almost 30 pounds, much of it by foregoing the core of their vegan diet: olive oil, nuts, avocados, etc. Her husband also lost weight; better yet, his high cholesterol finally responded and is now in the excellent range.
  
  My cousin then recommended the Esselstyn book to me, as my husband's cholesterol has stubbornly remained above 200, and he, too, has a history of heart disease in his immediate family. Though we believed we were already eating a healthy diet, several hours of reading through Esselstyn's findings soon proved we were wrong. We made a pact to try the diet for just 1 month and evaluate where we stood.
  
  Well, 1 short month convinced us that this is the way to eat for life! We've now been following the program for 37 days, and the changes are already obvious. My husband has lost about 12 pounds and 3" in his waistline. He feels "lighter" and less bloated, and is "completely satisfied" (his words) by the wide variety of natural and delicious foods we eat.
  
  As for me, I have lost about 9 pounds and a total of 12"; I will soon need new jeans! My mid-afternoon cravings are miraculously gone. And no one was more surprised than I to discover that we do not miss eating the staples of our previous diet, such as grilled salmon, eggs, olive oil, fat-free dairy products, dark chocolate, and an occasional 96% Laura's Lean sirloinburger. Another side benefit is that we are spending less at the grocery store!
  
  If you're on the fence about this one, do what we did... try it for just 1 month (but be sure to give it 100%) and then make your decision. ...more info
• Wow. I am AMAZED.
  I have heart disease and was very distraught of the glooming forecast of future bypass surgery. I bought the book, read it, read up on the Dr. Esselstyn on the internet, and watched him on YouTube. The way he presented himself, both in the book and during the interviews, truly impressed me with his honesty and deep rooted yearning to help people with America's number 1 problem. Dr. Essestyn's background as a surgeon for one of America's top hospital also impressed me. I truly believed that he wrote his findings to help people.
  
  The diet itself was easy to adopt. I had reservations at first because I am a meat eater. I love my steaks and my burgers. The thought of eating nothing of veggies scared me at first, but I told myself what have I got to lose. I now have heart disease and none of the Cardiologist's Vodoo seems to make me feel any better. I was hating life.
  
  Though it may sound corny to you, but I actually felt better, a lot better and full of energy. I started noticing the difference on the fourth day of being on this diet. I am amazed at the how I was feeling. My chest pain decreased in occurrences. I smile more. I laugh more. I move around at faster pace. Wow.
  
  The book is short and straight to the point. It offers insights and is packed with evidence to prove his points. He made a point in his research to make his program simple so his patients can follow. I think he did the same with the book. Half of the book was written and presented by his wife Ann on how to prepare food and includes 150 recipes for everyday meals.
  
  I am not a vegan by choice but by necessity and so far it has help me. Give it a try....more info
• Caldwell Esselstyn
  This is the best heart book ever written period. I have about 50 health books. Ornish's book made me think about it, Esselstyn's book made me do it. All other health and heart books are just noise, they will just confuse you. This one is the best in many ways. In many ways the study is more powerful, and the book is more powerful than the Ornish books by far, though I think Ornish is admirable. This book really should be read along with The China Study, as the two authors refer to one another and their work in the two books. The China Study goes more in depth about the science and rational behind what Esselstyn is suggesting. The China Study is also an outstanding book. Congradulations to Mr Esselstyn, he is by far the best thing going at the Cleveland Clinc, this from one of its angioplasty patients. The only addition I would make to his analysis, is once you are able to, you need to add reasonable exercise, it is essential. But I understand his reasons for sort of omitting it. I suggest Mr Esselstyn write a Reversing Heart Disease Part 2, or "Advanced" there I am sure he would suggest strongly about exercise, as seen with himself and his own family. And I am sure he also has a lot to update us on. Great book, a must for anyone with heart disease....more info
• prevent & Reverse Heart Disease
  
  I was so impressed by reading the first single copy of Caldwell B. Esselstyn's book that I bought 4 more copies to give away. It is a book that should be read by the general population for in this country (Australia)for over 48,000 people die each year from heart attacks that could largely be avoided....more info
• prevent and reverse heart disease author caldwell esselstyn
  the best author on the subject ever. this is a book every living person should read and adhere to. ...more info