NSAIDs block the production of prostaglandins, substances that regulate inflammation but also protect the inner lining of the coronary arteries and maintain salt and water balance in the kidneys. By blocking them, you expose your arteries to inflammation and blood clot formation. Simultaneously, the kidneys retain sodium and water, causing a sudden spike in blood pressure. When combined with blood pressure medications or diuretics, NSAIDs create a life-threatening kidney overload. They are also responsible for serious, silent gastrointestinal bleeding, causing more than 16,500 deaths annually in the United States.
Natural alternatives:
- High absorption curcumin (500 mg twice daily with piperine).
- High quality wild fish oil (2 to 3 grams per day of EPA/DHA).
- Physical therapies (ice, heat, massage, acupuncture).
- For occasional acute pain, low-dose paracetamol is infinitely safer for the heart.
3. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): the silent destroyers of nutrients
PPIs (omeprazole, pantoprazole, esomeprazole) are used by 68% of people over 60 for heartburn. Their long-term use increases the risk of heart attack by 70% in the elderly.
