Forks Over Knives Page #4

What happens is that over time,

a fatty substance in the

bloodstream called cholesterol

builds up in the

coronary arteries,

restricting the blood

flow to the heart.

This can ultimately

cause several problems,

from severe chest

pain, called angina,

to heart attacks.

Cholesterol is a

natural substance

produced by all animals,

including humans,

and it's an essential component

of our cells' walls.

But when we consume

dietary cholesterol,

which is only found

in animal foods

like meat, eggs, and

dairy products,

it tends to stay in

the bloodstream.

This so-called plaque

is what collects

on the inside of

our blood vessels

and is the major cause of

coronary artery disease.

In the late 1960s, a colleague

of Dr. Esselstyn's

at the Cleveland Clinic

made a major breakthrough

in the treatment

of this condition.

In fact, Esselstyn

shared space with him

in the clinic's

surgical locker room.

His name was Dr. Rene Favaloro.

Rene really sparkled

in the operating room.

And in 1967, he did

this first bypass graft

at the clinic...

coronary artery bypass graft.

This revolutionary new procedure

was accomplished by removing a

vein from the patient's leg,

then stitching it on the heart's

blocked coronary artery

to allow the blood to flow

around, or bypass, the blockage.

Today, over 500,000 Americans

go under the knife annually

for heart bypass surgery.

Costing around $100,000 apiece,

these operations alone

constitute a staggering total

of nearly $50 billion.

Joey Aucoin lives

in Tampa, Florida,

where he owns and operates

a landscaping company.

I tell everybody...

the joke with everybody with me is:

I don't eat to live,

I live to eat.

And I... my whole life, I

ate whatever I wanted.

In 2004, doctors discovered

Joey had a dangerously high

cholesterol level of 320

and a hazardous blood

sugar level of 480.

This not only made him

a type 2 diabetic,

but a prime candidate for a

heart attack and a stroke.

This is my daily pill regiment.

Um, I got two pills I

take for my diabetes.

Then I got one for cholesterol,

one for high blood pressure,

and then I take Byetta, which

is an injectable medicine,

every morning before breakfast

and every night before dinner.

And that's what I've been doing

for almost four years now.

And I know it makes me tired,

and I just...

I just don't feel normal.

I only sleep four

hours a night or so.

I just hate takin' 'em.

In the mid 1960s,

Dr. Campbell was in

the Philippines,

trying to get more protein

to millions of

malnourished children.

To keep costs down,

he and his colleagues decided not

to use animal-based protein.

The program was beginning

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