The Most Mind-Blowing Information On Heart Disease You’ll Ever Hear: Understanding The Heart (Uncommon Insights Into Our Most Commonly Diseased Organ) – Part 2 With Stephen Hussey.

Affiliate Disclosure

heart health
Fitness, Lifestyle, Podcast, Recovery

Listen on:

Welcome to PART 2 of this amazing show about heart health, all based on the book Understanding the Heart: Uncommon Insights into Our Most Commonly Diseased Organ by Stephen Hussey.

As I've mentioned several times before on podcasts this year, I recently read what I consider to be the best book I've ever read on cardiovascular health. Before this point, my top book recommendation would probably have been. Dr. Thomas Cowan's Human Heart, Cosmic Heart, ideally paired with a listen to my own big show on all the different ways to test, analyze, and medically quantify your heart health, which you can listen to in the episode titled “The Best Way To Test How Healthy Your Heart Is: Ben Greenfield Undergoes A Complete Advanced Cardiac Evaluation & Reports The Surprising Results!“.

Anyways, this newest book is called Understanding the Heart: Surprising Insights into the Evolutionary Origins of Heart Disease―and Why It Matters.

The author, Dr. Stephen Hussey, MS, DC, is a chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner. He attained both his Doctorate of Chiropractic and Masters in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States in Portland, Oregon.

Dr. Hussey is a health coach, speaker, and the author of two books on health; The Health Evolution: Why Understanding Evolution is the Key to Vibrant Health, and of course now, Understanding the Heart: Surprising Insights into the Evolutionary Origins of Heart Disease―and Why It Matters. He guides clients from around the world back to health by using ancestral wisdom and the latest research. In his downtime, Dr. Hussey likes to be outdoors, playing sports, reading, writing, and spending time with his wife and their pets.

During our show, you'll learn the fascinating history of heart disease, why the naked mole-rat is important in understanding heart health, where water, infrared light, aspirin, ketones, and other little-known heart health “hacks” fit in, and a BIG surprise towards the end of this two-part podcast series.

During this discussion, you'll discover:

-Why the heart gets the cream of the crop when it comes to our fat…07:40

-What is a Lean Mass Hyper-responder…13:25

  • A Lean Mass Hyper-responder (LMHR) is someone who goes on a very low-carb or carnivore diet and biomarkers get really healthy, but their low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and total cholesterol skyrockets
  • Reasons
    • Prolonged fasting leads to increased LDL
    • The process of making ketones when going on a low-carb diet is similar to what the liver does when making cholesterol; by default, the same pathways are used, it just shifts from making ketones to making cholesterol; more cholesterol production
    • Since there's more cholesterol, the liver shuts off its cholesterol receptors, leaving more LDL lipoproteins in the blood
  • Dave Feldman of Cholesterol Code
  • Tip for lowering cholesterol before health insurance screening
    • Decrease saturated fat intake, increase carbohydrates
  • LMHRs get healthier by increasing triglycerides and LDL, but not so high you're at risk for heart disease

-How statins work and issues with CoQ10…19:30

-Why aspirin may be a bad idea…29:35

-Ouabain and strophanthus…33:10

-How chiropractic therapy can improve heart health…37:25

  • Chiropractic therapy corrects the balance of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)
  • Increases the body's ability to produce more antioxidants
  • Suppresses sympathetic signaling and helps the body to be more metabolically flexible
  • False reports on chiropractic adjustment causing stroke
  • Impossible to get enough force in the artery of the neck to induce a stroke
  • The most common signs of stroke are neck pain and headaches
  • Joint restriction has an effect on vagal nerve tone and ANS
  • Pain signals from the nerve go to the annular fibers around the discs
  • Restricted joints and chemical changes are relayed from joints to spinal tissue causing stimulated sympathetic nervous system
  • Discs don't have blood supply; relies on motion to push fluid in and out
  • If there's no motion, the disc deteriorates, sending constant pain signals to the sympathetic signaling section of the brain
  • Irritation/ inflammation of sympathetic receptors can induce stroke
  • Increase in heart rate variability (HRV) or vagal tone in response to chiropractic therapy
  • Ben's weekly chiropractic session at Valente Chiropractic in Spokane

-Best practices for maintaining heart health…44:30

-Why Stephen refers to Western medicine as “two-faced medicine”…46:35

  • January 2021, Stephen had a massive heart attack—100% blockage of the left anterior descending artery
    • Only 12% of people survive if it happens outside the hospital setting
    • Not a stenosis or plaque buildup but a spontaneous clot that formed
  • The information in his book Understanding the Heart is critical for people to have because of his experience
  • Stephen's opinion of what happened to him
    • Type 1 diabetic for over 25 years; half of those years the condition was not well controlled; more likely to have insulin resistance and imbalanced ANS
    • 2020: high stress; uncontrolled stress can cause clotting factors
  • The whole point of the book is to draw attention away from cholesterol in heart health and focus more on insulin resistance and the ANS
  • Studies show IV magnesium sulfate is just as effective as blood thinners in preventing clots
  • Conflict between doctors' recommendations and Stephen's scientific knowledge on heart health
  • The recommendations that we get for heart disease are not working
  • Hospital recommended what equated to a processed food diet and decreased salt intake
  • Ketosis was great for his recovery
  • Heart function back up to 55% already despite refusal to take most medications
  • What Stephen used to recover:

-And much more…

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources from this episode:

– Dr. Stephen Hussey:

– Podcasts And Articles:

– Books:

– Gear And Supplements:

– Other Resources:

Episode sponsors:

Paleo Valley Organ Complex: Contains not one but three organs from healthy, grass-fed, pasture-raised cows so you are getting a more diverse array of nutrients. Receive a 10% discount off your order when you use discount code BENGREENFIELD10.

Kion Memorial Day Sale: My personal playground for new supplement formulations, Kion blends ancestral wisdom with modern science. Use code MEMORIALDAY to save 15% sitewide and 25% off subscriptions and bundles.

Butcher Box: Delivers healthy 100% grass-fed and finished beef, free-range organic chicken, and heritage breed pork directly to your door on a monthly basis. All their products are humanely raised and NEVER given antibiotics or hormones. 

ChiliSleep: ChiliSleep makes both the chiliPAD and OOLER, innovative options that fit over the top of your mattress and use water to control the temperature of your bed and help lower your core body temperature to trigger deep, relaxing sleep.

Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Dr. Stephen Hussey or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

Ask Ben a Podcast Question

16 thoughts on “The Most Mind-Blowing Information On Heart Disease You’ll Ever Hear: Understanding The Heart (Uncommon Insights Into Our Most Commonly Diseased Organ) – Part 2 With Stephen Hussey.

  1. Raymond Marceau says:

    Hi Stephen…..on the hunt for a copy of ur book referenced here “Understanding the Heart” however Amazon says no longer available. Am I able to purchase a copy directly from you?

    Thanks for the great info!

    Ray

  2. Talia says:

    What is the best form of magnesium for the heart (specifically for someone in their 60’s)? Thank you!!

    1. Stephen Hussey says:

      I don’t know that there is a “best form for the heart”, but I take Magnesium L-threonate.

  3. Tommy reaves says:

    Does your book speak more on what to do? I know you and Ben spoke on some of the things to do;sauna, magnesium etc. but does the book go into more detail? Also was you doing these things before the heart attack?

    1. Stephen Hussey says:

      Yes, it gives plenty of strategies on what to do and how to find out what may be best for you. I was doing some of the things I talk about but unfortunately had gotten away from many others and due to the stress I was under was also having trouble with blood sugars in the months leading up to the heart attack.

  4. Jerome says:

    LDL particle size matter or no?

    1. Stephen Hussey says:

      I don’t think it is as relevant as some people think, but it all depends on the state of someone’s health and how healthy their 4th phase water in the arteries are. Just my opinion.

  5. Trent Teegarden says:

    All showing Aspirin Does not in fact cause GI bleeds and shows actual protection
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5113… https://academic.oup.com/annonc/article/26/2/441/… https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25732717

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/11595418/
    “All NSAIDs tested, except ASA [aspirin], caused hemorrhagic lesions in the small intestine…ASA did not provoke any damage…and prevented the occurrence of intestinal lesions induced by indomethacin, in a dose-related manner.” (Takeuchi K, et al., 2001)

    1. Stephen Hussey says:

      Sure, but that first study you posted also say this: “The substantive risk for prophylactic aspirin is therefore cerebral haemorrhage which can be fatal or severely disabling, with an estimated risk of one death and one disabling stroke for every 1,000 people taking aspirin for ten years”.

      Plus, there is plenty of evidence that long term aspirin can contribute to kidney failure. My main point in the book was to illustrate that aspirin has not been shown to be beneficial for primary prevention of MI and that their are possible downsides to long term use. I want to encourage people to make lifestyle changes not just take a pill.

      1. Trent Teegarden says:

        my point is we tend to find research that fits our beliefs, however there is research that directly supports aspirin use in kidney disease, heart disease and diabetes. So now we have conflicting studies! so now what?
        (the bleeding issue aspirin presents is resolved by taking K2)
        https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11533494/
        https://www.jci.org/articles/view/11559
        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC150979/
        https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027263869690565X
        https://www.jacc.org/doi/full/10.1016/j.jacc.2010.02.068
        Conclusions:Aspirin therapy produces greater absolute reduction in major cardiovascular events and mortality in hypertensive patients with CKD than with normal kidney function. An increased risk of major bleeding appears to be outweighed by the substantial benefits.

        https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02895113
        As diabetes is perhaps the most common chronic disease in the world and many diabetes sufferers have kidney disease, which is considered irreversible. However, as this clinical trial states (and as Peat said as well), the kidney damage seems to be due to inflammation stemming from PUFA metabolism through the COX enzyme and thus COX inhibitors like aspirin may stop the progression of kidney disease. The trial just started so it is too early to say if it would work but the theoretical background is solid and backs up what Peat has been saying.

        1. Stephen Hussey says:

          I see all your points, and I have seen many people reverse kidney disease through lifestyle change and have spoken with many practitioners who see they see it happen all the time in their practice. Yes, diabetes is a super common disease, and in the vast majority of cases it is totally reversible. Yes, PUFA’s are terrible things, but why would I take aspirin to cover up the effects of PUFA’s when I could just stop eating PUFA’s? The body is amazing and stopping the insults (diabetes, PUFA’s) will allow it to recover in many cases.

          I am one who wants to promote lifestyle change because that is how we are going to change the system, improve healthcare, and move away from the pharmaceutical approach to “health”. I am not saying that no one should ever take aspirin, but it is not the recommendation I would emphasize even if studies have shown it could be helpful. There is risk to any pharmaceutical and the effects someone would see with lifestyle change will be so much more beneficial than influencing any one biochemical pathway with a drug.

          1. Trent says:

            This whole discussion is not about lifestyle!
            Your preaching to the choir about lifestyle change. I’m simply saying Aspirin is not bad and if someone chooses to take it short term, their is plenty of research, evidence, clinical trials that support this.
            You did not show both sides of the story with aspirin. You simply showed the bad studies and made a recommendation off that.

  6. Eric Bernardo says:

    Hello Ben,

    I took the “Longevity Blueprint” Program 2 years back and didn’t finish it because I was rushed to the hospital for angioplasty procedure due to arteriosclerosis and got a stent to boot. I’m now 64, and have 2 more arteries with 50% blockage. Taking Statins like Dr. Stephen. I wanted to continue that Longevity Program but because of what happened to me do you think it will be wise to just follow what you’ve eluded to do Doug McGuff exercise protocols.

    1. Stephen Hussey says:

      Hi Eric,
      Just to clarify, I am not, and have never, taken a statin. The only thing I have taken is the blood thinner due to the stent.

    1. Stephen Hussey says:

      That’s an interesting article. I was aware of some of that info, but definitely not all of it. However, I didn’t see any mention or explanation of the increased kidney damage aspect of long term aspirin, which is a concern for me as a type 1 with already increased risk. Overall though, I would much rather control all the things he says aspirin can help with in other ways besides taking aspirin, just my preference.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *