Autophagy for Heart Health: How to Protect Your Heart from Sugar Damage
Published on Jan 31, 2025
Optimal health starts with maintaining healthy cells. For cells to thrive, they need essential nutrients to produce energy, perform their functions, and eliminate waste effectively. One of the body’s most important natural processes for cellular cleansing and renewal is autophagy. This process works like an internal cleanup system, removing damaged components and promoting cell repair. Studies show that autophagy is particularly beneficial for heart health and can be activated by methods like intermittent fasting, which has grown in popularity for its numerous health benefits.
How Autophagy Supports Heart Health
Research reveals that autophagy plays a vital role in maintaining heart function, especially during conditions such as myocardial ischemia (restricted blood flow to the heart), hypertension (high blood pressure), and ischemia reperfusion (restoring blood flow after a period of lack). These conditions cause significant cellular stress, leading to the buildup of damaged proteins and dysfunctional organelles. Autophagy cleans up these cellular “wastes,” helping to protect heart cells from further damage and dysfunction.
Autophagy regulation is essential in ensuring that mammalian cells maintain proper function and avoid cellular damage. Dysregulation of autophagy can lead to several health conditions, including coronary artery disease and neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, starvation-induced autophagy has been studied for its role in promoting survival during nutrient scarcity by breaking down unnecessary or dysfunctional cellular components to provide energy.
Autophagy-related genes (ATG) are key players in this process, encoding proteins that regulate and execute autophagy. Chaperone-mediated autophagy, a more selective form, specifically targets damaged proteins and plays a critical role in heart health by preventing the buildup of toxic protein aggregates.
Understanding Lactic Acidosis
Reducing high carbohydrate intake is essential for avoiding acid waste buildup in the body. When carbohydrates are metabolized, they produce harmful byproducts such as lactate, acetaldehyde, and ethanol. Over time, these toxic byproducts can overwhelm the liver, especially in individuals with a B vitamin deficiency, which impairs the body’s natural detoxification processes. As acid levels rise, a condition known as lactic acidosis can develop, contributing to serious cardiovascular complications.
Lactic acidosis depletes oxygen from the blood, leading to a condition known as hypoxia, where cells and tissues are deprived of oxygen. This lack of oxygen causes the arteries to dilate and blood circulation to slow down. The small capillaries become engorged with toxic, oxygen-poor blood, leaving them unable to deliver nutrients to cells. The result is cell starvation and eventual cell death, creating a dangerous domino effect within the cardiovascular system.
Dr. Royal Lee, a leading figure in holistic nutrition, theorized that toxic blood damages the inner arterial walls. To protect itself, the body begins depositing cholesterol as a barrier against further harm. He emphasized that deficiencies in key nutrients, particularly vitamin C, worsen this damage. When the body lacks sufficient vitamin C, it cannot properly repair small tears and injuries to the arterial walls, increasing the risk of plaque formation and calcium deposits. This cycle of damage, repair, and buildup is a key contributor to atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular conditions.
The Ketogenic Solution
The ketogenic diet is a powerful tool for reducing sugar cravings and promoting heart health by switching the body’s fuel source from carbohydrates to fat. When the body enters ketosis, it burns fat for energy instead of glucose, stabilizing blood sugar levels and lowering cholesterol, triglycerides, and visceral fat—especially around vital organs like the liver and heart. This fat-burning process also helps clear clogged arteries and makes existing fat deposits more fluid, allowing calcium buildup in the arteries to be gradually released.
Calcium buildup, or arterial calcification, is a major risk for heart disease. Supplements like phosphorus and vitamins K2 and D3 help direct calcium away from the arteries and into bones while promoting overall arterial flexibility. Combined with a healthy diet and proper supplementation, these measures can support long-term cardiovascular health.
However, the ketogenic diet is not for everyone. Those with certain conditions, such as kidney or gallbladder issues, should consult a healthcare professional before adopting it. Tailoring the diet to individual needs ensures the safest and most effective results.
The Importance of Whole Food Vitamin C
Dr. Darren Schmidt, DC, highlights the need to consume vitamin C from whole food sources to fully benefit from its healing and restorative properties. While synthetic vitamin C supplements, typically in the form of ascorbic acid, can provide some benefit, they lack the complete range of essential cofactors found in nature. These cofactors work together to maximize absorption and efficacy, making whole food vitamin C a superior choice for promoting cardiovascular health. The complete vitamin C complex includes:
Ascorbigen
Bioflavonoid complexes
Rutin
Tyrosine
Organic copper
P factors
K factors
Ascorbic acid
Vitamin C plays a critical role in arterial health because it supports collagen production. Collagen acts as the “glue” that holds the walls of arteries and blood vessels together, keeping them strong and flexible. Without adequate vitamin C, collagen synthesis is impaired, which can lead to weakened artery walls and an increased risk of damage, tearing, and plaque buildup.
However, high insulin levels—caused by diets high in sugar and processed carbohydrates—can block the absorption of this crucial nutrient. When insulin levels remain chronically elevated, as is common in people with insulin resistance, vitamin C cannot effectively enter cells to carry out its repair functions. This makes addressing insulin resistance a key step in unlocking vitamin C’s full potential for repairing damaged arterial walls, reducing inflammation, and improving overall cardiovascular health. Incorporating whole food sources of vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, bell peppers, and leafy greens, along with supplements like Heart Support liquid, can help ensure the body gets the complete vitamin C complex needed to restore and maintain arterial strength.
Heart Support: A Natural Source of Vitamin C
Heart Support liquid contains carefully selected ingredients that provide beneficial nutrients, antioxidants, and compounds to promote heart health:
Cayenne pepper: Known for its active compound capsaicin, cayenne enhances circulation and promotes healthy blood flow. While it contains small amounts of vitamins A, C, and B6, its primary cardiovascular benefits come from capsaicin, potassium, and organic calcium.
Hawthorn berry: Rich in flavonoids, pectin, and antioxidants, hawthorn supports vascular health by strengthening blood vessels and improving circulation. It contains small amounts of vitamin C, making it a valuable addition to any heart-support regimen.
Bilberry: A natural source of powerful antioxidants like quercetin and anthocyanins, bilberry helps reduce inflammation, improve blood flow, and protect blood vessels from damage. It also supports blood sugar regulation, making it beneficial for people managing metabolic conditions. Bilberry contains pectin and small amounts of vitamins A and C, further enhancing its role in cardiovascular health.
These key ingredients work together to support healthy circulation, reduce inflammation, and promote arterial flexibility, offering comprehensive cardiovascular protection.
Tests to Assess Arterial Health
Maintaining optimal heart health involves monitoring key risk factors. Two important diagnostic tests can help assess the buildup of calcium in the arteries and detect early signs of cardiovascular disease:
Coronary Artery Calcium Score: A non-invasive CT scan that measures calcium deposits in the arteries, providing a clear assessment of arterial plaque buildup. A score of 0 indicates minimal risk of heart attack, while higher scores suggest an elevated risk. This test is often recommended for people with a family history of heart disease or those at risk of arterial calcification.
Post-Prandial Insulin Test: This test measures how well the body processes carbohydrates by tracking spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels after meals. Chronically high insulin, linked to insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction, is a major contributor to inflammation, arterial plaque, and increased cardiovascular risk. Monitoring and managing post-meal blood sugar levels is essential for preventing heart disease.
Breaking Free from Sugar Dependence
Reducing sugar dependence is crucial for long-term heart health. Years of high sugar intake trigger survival-mode responses in the body, leading to metabolic stress, inflammation, and depleted nutrient stores. This stress is linked to insulin resistance, weight gain, and cardiovascular issues such as arterial plaque and poor circulation.
Shifting the body’s fuel source from sugar to fat through dietary changes, like adopting low-carb or ketogenic approaches, can help reset the metabolism and restore balance. This shift supports stable energy levels and initiates cellular repair through autophagy—a process that cleans up cellular damage caused by sugar overload.
Autophagy, when properly regulated, can prevent the excessive accumulation of damaged components and inhibit autophagy-related processes that contribute to tumor cell survival in cancer cells. Autophagy also plays a role in programmed cell death, which is crucial in eliminating cells with potential mutations that could lead to cancer. The lysosomal membrane’s integrity is vital during this process, as it ensures the proper breakdown of cellular components.
With the help of Heart Support liquid and a nutrient-dense diet, you can reduce sugar’s harmful effects, promote healthy blood flow, and protect against heart disease.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new health regimen or if you have any questions about your health condition.
