I just found two new studies confirming the amazing health benefits of one of my favorite spices. According to these two new studies, this spice can literally save your heart – especially if you take statins to lower your cholesterol.

The two animal studies show that turmeric (a.k.a., curcumin) can prevent heart failure. In one study, curcumin both prevented and reversed heart enlargement both in test tube heart cells and in living mice. Heart enlargement is a step toward heart failure.

In the second study, researchers were able to confirm the first. They examined curcumin’s effects in living animals with two different heart-failure models. One group had hypertensive heart disease and heart disease salt-sensitive rats. The other had surgically induced myocardial infarction in rats. In both groups, curcumin prevented heart failure. It did so by preventing increases in both heart wall thickness and diameter.

When you consider the epidemic of heart failure we’re seeing today, these studies are huge news. This epidemic is sure to grow with the escalating use of heart failure-promoting statins. Another fact about curcumin that I absolutely love – and you will too – is that it’s dirt cheap. It’s available at any grocery store. And all you have to do is add a tablespoon of curry powder to your meals every day and you’ll get plenty. My wife and I use lots of curry.

Have you ever wondered why some people drop dead of a heart attack when they seemed so healthy? Researchers are discovering why this happens. And, not surprisingly, it has to do with the type of food you eat.

A new study followed 12 healthy men. The researchers gave each of them a high-fat meal. Then they did a blood test for endotoxins. Endotoxin is an inflammatory class of compounds that are in your intestinal bacteria. “Endo” means “within” (meaning your gut). And these gut bacteria are highly toxic, thus the name endotoxins.

Then the researchers tested their blood again four hours after eating, and after smoking three cigarettes.

They found that endotoxins increased by 50% after the high-fat meal regardless of whether they had smoked cigarettes or not. High fat also impaired their ability to clear the endotoxins. That means they will hang around longer. This is important information.

A simple high-fat meal increases this toxic chemical in your blood. These chemicals will lead to endothelial damage in your blood vessels. All of these can cause you to die from a heart attack after eating a high fat meal.

This is a powerful reason to avoid the Atkins-type diet. It’s another reason why I believe the 80-10-10 diet is the best overall. That simply means 80% of the calories you eat need to come from the carbohydrates in whole fruits and vegetables; 10% of your calories come from fat; and 10% from protein. Now you have a strong biochemical reason to reduce your fat intake.

There are a lot of diets on the market. But the 80-10-10 is the only one that works for everyone I know who uses it. I came upon the 80-10-10 diet promoted by Doug Graham, DC several years ago and found it to be the best approach for my patients. If you’re interested in buying Dr. Graham’s “80-10-10″ book, you can order it by calling 800-728-2288.

Yours for better health and medical freedom,
Robert Jay Rowen, MD

Second Opinion Health Alerts are a complimentary
e-mail service from the Second Opinion health
newsletter written by Robert J. Rowen, MD.

Ref: “A high-fat meal induces low-grade endotoxemia: evidence of a novel mechanism of postprandial inflammation,” Erridge C, Webb DJ, et al, Am J Clin Nutr, 2007; 86(5): 1286-1292.