Dr Mathias Rath reveals his pioneering work on the vital function of nutrients and antioxidants.

Dr Mathias Rath, in his book Why Animals Do Not Get Heart Attacks..People Do. Reveals his pioneering work on the vital function of nutrients and antioxidants, particularly vitamin C with other vitamins and minerals, in the prevention of heart attacks, stroke and atherosclerosis (thickening of arteries) .

Dr Mathias claims that animals do not get heart attacks because they produce large amounts of vitamin C in their liver.

Dr Mathias discovered that vitamin C, vitamin E and betacarotene, among other nutrients, are some of nature's strongest antioxidants and can protect the heart and arteries from degenerating or getting clogged up with cholesterol plaques.

Apparently, bears do not get any vitamin nutrition during hibernation and their innate vitamin C production diminished .Their arteries get thickened.

But in spring, their vitamin supply increases dramatically through their diet and their body's natural vitamin production and the fatty deposits their arterial walls, gradually reverse.

Dr Mathias has carried out several clinical trials on a scientifically-based nutritional supplement programme.

In one study of 55 patients with various degrees of coronary artery disease (Journal Of Applied Nutrition 1996),he made a striking discovery that in patients with coronary artery disease, the deposits in the arteries grew by an average of 44 per cent without his vitamin programme (the arteries were tested by scanning).

In patients who took a combination of vitamin C and other B complex vitamins, minerals, trace elements and special amino acids, he found the thickening of arteries slowed down.

Another observation made by Dr Rath that the optimum supply of the amino acids lysine and proline and vitamin C, together help build strong collagen tissue to regenerate the connective tissue in the arterial walls, thus naturally healing the cardiovascular disease.

Free radicals, which are produced by pollution, smoking and unhealthy diet, cause disease and ageing. Antioxidants, such as vitamin C, betacarotene and lycopenes,remove these dangerous free radicals from the body, and are plentiful in fresh fruits and vegetables.

By eating a healthy diet rich in natural vitamins, or taking supplements like Dr Rath's vitamin programme, and living healthy lifestyle, we could arrest heart disease altogether.