BROKEN HEARTS 129Can any sane person dispute these findings? It seems impossible. If
you remember nothing else about this chapter, remember the forty-nine
to zero score; forty-nine coronary events prior to a whole foods, plant-
based diet, and zero events for those patients who adhered to a whole
foods, plant-based diet. Dr. Esselstyn has done what "Big Science" has
been trying to do, without success, for over fifty-five years: he defeated
heart disease.DR. DEAN ORNISH
In the past fifteen years another giant in this field, Dr. Dean Omish, has
been instrumental in bringing diet to the forefront of medical thought.
A graduate of Harvard Medical School, he has been featured prominent-
ly in popular media, succeeded in having his heart disease treatment
plan covered by a number of insurance carriers and written several best-
selling books. If you have heard of the dietlheart disease connection,
chances are that it may well be because of Dr. Omish's work.
His best-known research is the Lifestyle Heart Trial, in which he
treated twenty-eight heart disease patients with lifestyle changes
alone.^46 He put these patients on an experimental treatment plan and
twenty additional patients on the standard treatment plan. He followed
both groups carefully and measured several health indicators, including
artery blockages, cholesterol levels and weight.
Dr. Omish's treatment plan was very different from the standards of
high-tech modern medicine. He put the twenty-eight patients in a hotel
for the first week of treatment and told them what they had to do to take
control of their health. He asked them to eat a low-fat, plant-based diet
for at least a year. Only about 10% of their calories were to come from
fat. They could eat as much food as they wanted, as long as it was on
the acceptable food list, which included fruits, vegetables and grains. As
researchers noted, "No animal products were allowed except egg white
and one cup per day of non-fat milk or yogurt. "46 In addition to diet, the
group was to practice various forms of stress management, including
meditation, breathing exercises and relaxation exercises for at least one
hour per day. The patients were also asked to exercise three hours per
week at levels customized to the severity of their disease. To help the pa-
tients make these lifestyle changes, the group met twice a week for four
hours at a time for mutual support. Dr. Omish and his research group
did not use any drugs, surgery or technology to treat these patients.^46
The experimental patients adhered to pretty much everything that