Home > Heart Health, Interviews, Mental Health > Dr. Stephen Sinatra Interview – Part Two

Dr. Stephen Sinatra Interview – Part Two

June 29, 2012 Written by JP    [Font too small?]

I don’t know about you, but I haven’t come across many doctors that prescribe a daily glass of blended fruits and vegetables as a way of reducing cardiovascular risk. Take a daily aspirin? Sure. Pop a statin medication to lower cholesterol? That’s pretty commonplace. But, placing diet and lifestyle at the forefront of care is a concept that has not yet been warmly embraced in conventional medicine. In order to change this counterproductive paradigm, I believe a minimum of two steps ought to be taken. First, the work of responsible, innovative physicians such as Dr. Sinatra needs to be shared with the unconverted whether family, friends or your health care team. And, perhaps as importantly, patients need to actively seek out and support integrative healers both financially and otherwise. As with most industries, money and public perception drives change.

I’ve adopted and wholeheartedly endorse Dr. Sinatra’s view of comprehensive cardiovascular care. That is to say: a low glycemic, whole food diet + emotional/spiritual/stress management + exercise + nutritional supplementation = the best approach to ensure heart health and overall wellness. It may not be rocket science, but the details are of the utmost importance.

JP – Conscientious health care consumers often wonder how much and what types of exercise are best for promoting cardiovascular health. In general, what quantity and variety of exercise do you recommend?

Dr. Sinatra – When it comes to exercise, it’s all about balance. Couch potatoes and marathon runners can certainly develop heart attacks and sudden death has occurred during many marathons. The best type of exercise is walking and dancing, and clinical studies suggest that ½ hour of walking per day is vitally important in achieving optimum health.

JP – You’ve been a pioneering proponent of CoEnzyme Q10 for many years. Currently, there are two primary forms of CoQ10 available on the market. How does the original CoQ10 (ubiquinone) compare to its reduced form (ubiquinol)?

Dr. Sinatra – An original ubiquinone with excellent bioavailability in my opinion is just as good as ubiquinol. Ubiquinol is marketed by Kaneka which is a Japanese company. I’m a little concerned about the CoQ10 coming out of China, but if it’s ubiquinol, it will be fine but maybe more expensive. A high quality ubiquinone produced by Kaneka is equally as good.

JP – There are numerous supplements that claim to support cardiovascular health in one way or another. What is your opinion about the following: a) beet root juice; b) cocoa extract; c) aged garlic extract; d) krill oil; e) pomegranate juice?

Dr. Sinatra – All of the above are good. Beet root juice can methylate and detoxify. Cocoa extract is a potent antioxidant with flavonoids that support health. Aged garlic and krill oil can certainly lower blood pressure and have favorable effects on lipids. Pomegranate juice supports endothelial function. So, in essence all of the above are fine.

JP – Speaking of supplements, what are your top five favorites for promoting overall cardiovascular wellness?

Dr. Sinatra – Coenzyme Q10, omega-3 essential fatty acids, carnitine (L-carnitine or other forms), magnesium, D-ribose.

Distressful Feelings May Contribute to Cardiovascular Vulnerability

Source: Cleve Clin J Med. 2011 Aug;78 Suppl 1:S13-9. (link)

JP – Some of the nutraceuticals you’ve formulated focus on conditions that are seemingly unrelated to heart disease, including arthritis and diabetes. Are there any connections or similarities between these prevalent diseases?

Dr. Sinatra – Of course there are! Anyone with arthritis, for example, has a greater incidence to develop cardiovascular disease because of the inflammation factor alone. Diabetes, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome are huge predisposing conditions in vascular disease as well. Neutralizing any inflammatory condition will help to prevent cardiovascular associations.

JP – Your holistic approach to heart health takes into consideration emotional and psychological factors. What role do mind-body and spiritual practices play in the comprehensive protocol you advocate?

Dr. Sinatra – My book entitled Heartbreak and Heart Disease is all about the mind/body/spiritual practices in the cardiovascular patient. Heart disease is often placed in a patient’s path to “wake them up” as the body is out of balance physically, mentally and spiritually. For some of my patients, heart disease was a wake-up call and for some it changed their lives for the better. The most spiritually evolved patients often realize that an illness is placed in their path for a reason.

JP – What do you see as the future of integrative care for the cardiovascular system? What’s the best way for proactive patients and physicians to take advantage of the most cutting edge therapies that are on the horizon?

Dr. Sinatra – Integrative cardiology is the best care for the cardiovascular patient. Why? Because it blends the worlds of conventional and alternative medicine together. The most important issues for a cardiovascular patient is to ease suffering, support quality of life and extend life as well. Metabolic cardiology and grounding, my two greatest discoveries in 40 years of practice, especially when combined with conventional methodologies when needed, is the perfect combination for optimizing cardiovascular health.

I sincerely hope you’ve benefited from and enjoyed my two part interview with Dr. Stephen Sinatra. I want to thank Dr. Sinatra for sharing his 40+ years of knowledge and precious time with us. My appreciation also goes out to Leslie Norder of Krupp Kommunications, who kindly facilitated this exchange. In closing, I want to encourage you all to read more about Dr. Sinatra’s current and ongoing projects, which includes advice about improving the “doctor-patient health partnership“, opportunities to participate in clinical trials and, even, informative recipe videos.

Note: Please check out the “Comments & Updates” section of this blog – at the bottom of the page. You can find the latest research about this topic there!


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Posted in Heart Health, Interviews, Mental Health

6 Comments & Updates to “Dr. Stephen Sinatra Interview – Part Two”

  1. Iggy Dalrymple Says:

    Kaneka QH Ubiquinol is produced at their plant in Pasadena, TX.

  2. geos1991 Says:

    hello Jp,
    very educational interview.I think i learned a lot from this thread.
    Since the proffessor talked about the importance of coq 10 i want to share a confusion i have about peperine which is said to greatly enhance copq 10’s bioavailability.Do u know if peperine from black pepper is equal to bioperine from supplements and if is possible for someone to take the optimal amount of this nutrient via eating black pepper on its own or the absorption is too poor?Same goes for capsaicin from chilli peppers.All that marketing from supplement companies made me confused..THX!!

  3. JP Says:

    Hi Iggy,

    I don’t know exactly how they divide up their production. But, I know they manufacturer at least some of their CoQ10 in Japan as well. Kaneka is a giant in the CoQ10 game.

    Be well!

    JP

  4. JP Says:

    Thank you, Geos.

    Piperine (trade name: Bioperine) has been shown to enhance CoQ10 absorption. While black pepper *may* also affect the absorption of drugs and supplements, the extent of this proposed action isn’t well established. A few reasons why:

    1) Piperine levels will vary in black pepper samples. One bottle of black pepper may be rich in piperine and another may not be. Also, piperine may degrade during the typical processing of black pepper – grinding, storing, etc.

    2) There are other components in black pepper which aren’t present in purified piperine. How these other substances (fiber, nutrients, phytochemicals, etc.) influence the activity of piperine isn’t understood.

    http://www.jnutbio.com/article/S0955-2863%2899%2900074-1/abstract

    http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1517/17425255.2011.570332

    I hope this helps to clarify the issue a bit!

    Be well!

    JP

  5. geos Says:

    oh, that solves it then for the time being.Thank you JP, sharp and quick as always ^^

  6. piscean% Says:

    Very informative…thanks to both

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