PArteriosclerosis Is One Of The Most Common Diseases Of The Blood Vessels. It Refers To Abr Thickening Of The Walls Of The Arteries Due To The Presence Of Calcium Or Lime. It Has Become Abr Common Ailment In Modern Times, Accounting For Much Of The Disability And High Death Ratebr Among Older People.br Arteriosclerosis Is Usually Preceded By Artherosclerosis, A Kind Of Degeneration Or Softening Ofbr The Inner Lining Of The Blood Vessels Walls. The Most Risky Places For Such Degeneration Are Thebr Coronary Vessels Of The Heart And The Arteries Leading To The Brain. Arteriosclerosis Results In Thebr Loss Of Elasticity Of The Blood Vessels, With A Narrowing Of The Smaller Arteries, Which Interferesbr With The Free Circulation Of The Blood. These Changes May Gradually Extend To Capillaries Andbr Veins.br Arteriosclerosis Is More Frequent In Men Than Women, Especially In The Younger Age-group. It Hasbr Been Estimated That 40 Per Cent Of All Men Over 40 Years Have A Significant Degree Of Obstructionbr Of Their Coronary Arteries And This Can Lead To Heart Attack At Any Time.br Symptomsbr The Symptoms Of Arteriosclerosis Vary With Arteries Involved. Signs Of Inadequate Blood Supplybr Generally Appear First In The Legs. There May Be Numbness And Coldness In The Feet And Crampsbr And Pains In The Legs Even After Light Exercise. If The Coronary Arteries Are Involved, The Patientbr May Have Sharp Pains, Characteristic Of Angina Pectoris. When Arteries Leading To The Brain Arebr Involved, The Vessel May Burst,causing Haemorrhage In The Brain Tissues. A Cerebral Vascularbr Stroke, With Partial Or Complete Paralysis Of One Side Of The Body May Result, If There Is Blockagebr With A Blood Clot. It May Also Lead To Loss Of Memory And A Confused State Of Mind In Elderlybr People. If Arteries Leading To The Kidneys Are Involved, The Patient May Suffer From High Bloodbr Pressure And Kidney Disorders.br Causesbr The Most Important Cause Of Arteriosclerosis Is Excessive Intake Of White Sugar, Refined Foodsbr And High Fat Diet, Rich In Cholesterol. A Sedentary Life And Excesses Of All Kinds Are The Majorbr Contributing Causes. Hardening Of The Arteries May Also Be Caused By Other Diseases Such Asbr High Blood Pressure, Obesity, Diabetes, Rheumatism, Bright's Disease, Malaria, Syphillis.br Emotional Stress Also Plays An Important Part, And Heart Attacks Are More Common During Thebr Periods Of Mental And Emotional Disturbances, Particularly In Those Engaged In Sedentarybr Occupations. Heredity Also Plays Its Role And This Disease Runs In Families.br Treatmentbr If The Causes Of Arteriosclerosis Are Known, Remedial Action Should Be Taken Promptly To Removebr Them. To Begin With The Patient Should Resort To A Short Juice Fast For Five To Seven Days. Allbr Available Fresh, Raw Vegetables And Fruit Juices In Season May Be Taken. Grape-fruit Juice,br Pineapple Juice, Lemon Juice And Juices Of Green Vegetables Are Especially Beneficial. A Warmbr Water Enema Should Be Used Daily To Cleanse The Bowels During The Period Of Fasting.br After The Juice Fast, The Patient Should Take Optimum Diet Made Up From Three Basic Food Groups,br Namely (i) Seeds, Nuts And Grains, (ii) Vegetables And, (iii) Fruits, With Emphasis On Raw Foods.br Plenty Of Raw And Sprouted Seeds And Nuts Should Be Used. Cold Pressed Vegetable Oils,br Particularly Safflower Oil, Flax Seed Oil And Olive Oil Should Be Used Regularly.br Further, Shorter Fasts On Juices May Be Undertaken At Intervals Of Three Months Or So, Dependingbr On The Progress Being Made.br The Patient Should Take Several Small Meals Instead Of A Few Large Ones. He Should Avoid Allbr Hydrogenated Fats And An Excess Of Saturated Fats, Such As Butter, Cream, Ghee And Animal Fat.br He Should Also Avoid Meat, Salt And All Refined And Processed Foods, Condiments, Sauces, Br Pickles , Strong Tea, Coffee, White Sugar, White Flour And All Products Made From Them. Foodsbr Cooked In Aluminum And Copper Utensils Should Not Be Taken As Toxic Metals Entering The Bodybr Are Known To Be Deposited On The Walls Of The Aorta And The Arteries. Smoking, If Habitual, Shouldbr Be Given Up As Smoking Constricts The Arteries And Aggravates The Condition.br Recent Investigations Have Shown That Garlic And Onions Have A Preventive Effect On Thebr Development Of Arteriosclerosis. Vitamin C Has Also Proved Beneficial As It Helps In Thebr Conversion Of Cholesterol Into Bile Acids.br One Of The Most Effective Home Remedies For Arteriosclerosis Is The Lemon Peel. It Is Believed Tobr Be One Of The Richest Known Sources Of Vitamin P. It Strengthens The Entire Arterial System.br Shredded Lemon Peel May Be Added To Soups And Stews, Or Sprinkled Over Salads. To Make Abr Medicine, The Peel Of One Or Two Lemons May Be Cut Up Finely, Covered With Warm Water Andbr Allowed To Stand For About 12 Hours. A Teaspoonful May Be Taken Every Three Hours, Orbr Immediately Before Or After A Meal.br Parsley Is Another Effective Home Remedy For Arteriosclerosis. It Contains Elements Which Help Tobr Maintain The Blood Vessels, Particularly The Capillaries And Arterial System In A Healthy Condition.br It May Be Taken As A Beverage By Stimmering It Gently In The Water For A Few Minutes Andbr Partaking Several Times Daily.br The Beet Juice Has Also Proved Valuable In Arteriosclerosis. It Is An Excellent Solvent For Inorganicbr Calcium Deposit. Juices Of Carrot And Spinach Are Also Beneficial. These Juices Can Be Takenbr Individually Or In Combination. Formula Proportions Found Helpful When Used In Combination Arebr Carrot 300 M.l. And Spinach 200 M.l. To Prepare 500 M.l. Of Juice.br The Patient Should Undertake Plenty Of Outdoor Exercise And Eliminate All Mental Stress Andbr Worries. Prolonged Neutral Immersion Baths At Bed Time On Alternate Days Is Beneficial. This Bathbr Is Administered In A Bath Tub Which Should Be Properly Fitted With Hot And Cold Water Connection.br The Bath-tub Should Be Fitted With Water At A Temperature Ranging From 92 O To 98 O F And Thebr Patient Should Lie In It For An Hour Or So. The Head Should Be Kept Cold With A Cold Compress. P
