The Natural Way to a Healthy Heart: A Layman's Guide to Preventing and Treating Cardiovascular Disease

Holt (The Soy Revolution) provides an overview of heart disease, focusing on the problems related to high cholesterol and the various available treatments. Citing medical studies, Holt stresses the need to lower cholesterol as part of a comprehensive program to alleviate other causes of heart problems, including obesity and diabetes. While he clearly advocates therapies that utilize natural remedies, he doesn't proselytize; in fact, he is quick to cite other ""experts"" including Dean Ornish and Larry Dossey. The book is organized by subject (vitamins and supplements; weight control; emotional and spiritual health), which makes it easier for readers to digest the information, and those unfamiliar with medical terminology will find the chapter explaining cholesterol especially helpful. The chapters on lifestyle and nutrition are also useful. (More controversial is the weight-control chapter in which Holt criticizes many popular diets.) The second half of the book discusses the many natural remedies, including soy, fish oils and supplements. While readers should consult with their own physicians before abandoning current treatments in favor of Holt's approach, the book provides an instructive overview of the many different therapies available to treat heart disease. (Dec.)