"My Heartbeat Became Rock Steady"
Supporting the parasympathetic nervous system is one of the most important components of any comprehensive heart-attack prevention program, and strophanthus-seed extract (and its active ingredient, ouabain) is one of the most reliable ways to support the parasympathetic nervous system.
The parasympathetic nervous system is the counterbalance to the sympathetic nervous system, which, when overactive, is the source of much of our chronic disease and disability. One simple model to describe the workings of these two components of our autonomic nervous system is that the sympathetic nervous system activates the fight-or-flight response, while the parasympathetic nervous system tells us to rest and digest.
In “Human Heart, Cosmic Heart,” I describe that heart-rate variability testing shows that the vast majority of people who have heart attacks have a long-term suppression of their parasympathetic nervous systems. This suppression creates lack of blood flow to the tissues and promotes the shifting of the metabolism of the heart into a mode called glycolysis (also called fermentation), which, in contrast to the normal respiration, causes lactic acid to build up in the heart. This lactic acid build-up in the heart is the final cause of the cramps (angina) and then necrosis (breakdown) of the heart tissue.
The medical literature clearly shows that ouabain acts to support the parasympathetic nervous system. One of the mechanisms by which it does this is by supporting and maintaining the production of the primary neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is acetylcholine. In the following case, one can see the dramatic effect of strophanthus-seed extracts on the parasympathetic nervous system.
In the patient’s own words:
"I was recently diagnosed with moderate pulmonary hypertension with the cause yet to be determined. For over twenty years I would routinely awake at night to pee every 2 hours. The last couple years my heartbeat was erratic, especially in the evening before sleep and during some phases of sleep.
Only a week ago I started dosing myself with strophanthus and immediately my nighttime peeing habit decreased to every 3 hours, then in a couple more days it reduced to twice a night, and within a week I’m waking from sleep only once a night.
My heartbeat also immediately became rock steady both during day and night.
I’m amazed at how much better my sleep is and how easy it was to stabilize the heartbeat.
Thank you for your diligence in bringing strophanthus to America."
This is just one of many examples of how supporting the parasympathetic nervous system with strophanthus-seed extracts can result in a dramatic improvement in the quality of life for the patient.