On Sat, 4 Aug 2001, Charles Alban wrote:

> In a message dated 8/3/01 6:07:41 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
> <<  Atherosclerosis may make
>  us more vulnerable, but it is apparently not a key player. >>
>
> Highly interesting...so what defense do we have against "heart attacks"? I
> guess a highly nutritious diet will make us more resistant to stress, if
> that's the cause.

Sure, I think that's part of it.  I mentioned prostaglandin
balance.  One of the series 2 prostaglandins (I forget which) is
the trigger hormone that causes the constriction of arteries (a
frequently necessary response).  If we are chronically making too
much of this prostaglandin, we are chronically in, or closer to,
a vasoconstrictive state.  That would put us at risk of a heart
attack, regardless of atherosclerosis.  Production of series 2
prostaglandins is increased by insulin and by w3 fat deficiency
(and other things).

But a good part of it, in my opinion, is clearly mental.  We put
ourselves into "fight or flight" mode far too often, and then
neither fight nor flee.  We live in our heads, rather than in the
world.  We create stress by our own mental representations.

Todd Moody
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