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Understanding the Heart: Surprising Insights into the Evolutionary Origins of Heart Disease―and Why It Matters Paperback – April 7, 2022

by Doctor Stephen Hussey (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 80 ratings
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*2022 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award Finalist for Health

“The most mind-blowing information on heart disease. . . . I consider this to be one of the best books I’ve ever read on cardiovascular health.”―Ben Greenfield, New York Times bestselling author

Heart disease is the number-one killer in the world. Despite ever-advancing medical procedures and more and more powerful pharmaceutical drugs, the rate of heart disease continues to rise.

According to Dr. Stephen Hussey, this is due in part to misunderstandings about how the heart really functions and how to keep it healthy. These misunderstandings result in improper medical approaches and off-target intervention therapies.

As a type 1 diabetic, Dr. Hussey has always known that he was at two to four times greater risk of developing heart disease. As a result, he has dedicated his entire adult life to understanding the heart, to prevent himself from becoming a statistic.

And then his worst nightmare came true. Dr. Hussey suffered a “STEMI,” a blockage in the left anterior descending artery of his heart. STEMIs are typically so fatal that they are known as “widowmakers.” Only 12 percent of those who experience them outside of a hospital setting survive.

Dr. Hussey was among the lucky 12 percent, but faced a difficult decision during his recovery: follow the standard of care laid out for him by the attending cardiologist, or politely decline and apply everything he’d learned about the heart to a recovery protocol that would look massively different than what the doctors were recommending.

In Understanding the Heart, Dr. Hussey shares the information that guided him through the highest-stakes decision of his life, including:

  • A large body of research suggesting that the heart is not the main mover of blood in the body, and what that means for your overall health
  • The evolutionary origins of the nervous system, and how these manifest today in rampant rates of heart disease
  • Deep analysis of the widely accepted idea that saturated fat and cholesterol will clog your arteries
  • The importance of reducing oxidative stress for a heart healthy lifestyle

In Understanding the Heart, Dr. Stephen Hussey lays bare everything he has learned in his deep investigation into the heart, and guides you on a path to prevent disease in the context of a highly diseased modern world in order to enjoy lifelong good health.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Chelsea Green Publishing
  4. Publication date
    April 7, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.25 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1645021300
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1645021308
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

nutrition, nervous system, blood pressure, easy to understand, diet, sleep

nutrition, nervous system, blood pressure, easy to understand, diet, sleep

nutrition, nervous system, blood pressure, easy to understand, diet, sleep

nutrition, nervous system, blood pressure, easy to understand, diet, sleep

nutrition, nervous system, blood pressure, easy to understand, diet, sleep
nutrition, nervous system, blood pressure, easy to understand, diet, sleep

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The most mind-blowing information on heart disease. . . . I consider this to be one of the best books I’ve ever read on cardiovascular health.”―Ben Greenfield, New York Times best-selling author



“Finally, a holistic, evolutionary-rich, and practical approach to understanding heart disease. This book is powerful, informative, and approachable.”―Dr. Bill Schindler, author of Eat Like a Human



“With simple prose, and sprinkled with many entertaining personal stories, Dr. Stephen Hussey reveals the magic in biology and dispels a number of myths about heart disease. You will learn that the heart is a vortex, not a pump, that its preferred fuels are fats and ketone bodies, that the blood flows through the vessels via electromagnetic energy driven by exclusion zone water, and much else. This book will make you think of your heart in a totally new way.”―Stephanie Seneff, PhD, author, Toxic Legacy



"Exceptionally 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation, making this an ideal and highly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Health/Medicine collections. Informative and iconoclastic."―Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Dr. Stephen Hussey is a board-certified chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner. He has a bachelor’s degree in health and wellness promotion from the University of North Carolina Asheville as well as a doctorate of chiropractic and master’s in human nutrition and functional medicine from the University of Western States. In addition to working as a chiropractor in clinical practice, Dr. Hussey has worked with people all over the world, coaching them back to health; he sees the power of food, lifestyle change, and personal environment modification change lives every day. He can be found on his website, www.resourceyourhealth.com, or on social media @drstephenhussey and is also the author of The Health Evolution: Why Understanding Evolution is the Key to Vibrant Health.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chelsea Green Publishing (April 7, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1645021300
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1645021308
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.25 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 80 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
80 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book if you are looking for a non-conventional approach to the heart
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book was right up my alley. Heart disease runs in my family and the classic western medicine recommendations have failed us. This book dives into the origins of heart disease and discusses the unconventional things you can do to keep your heart healthy. Super pleased with the information this book had as its helping so many people in our family.
2 people found this helpful
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r horstmeyer, dds md
5.0 out of 5 stars Deep dive on a co omegely different way to see CV system
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
Wow! What an interesting read! I read cardiovascular blood flow studies for 35 years and this was mind blowing yet felt right. I always had questions that couldn’t be answered with the traditional pump model of thinking. This made such sense. I love all the side dives of a personal nature too. He is quite the nature guy! Highly recommend it.
2 people found this helpful
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Kathy
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read book
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2023
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Easy to read and understand.
One person found this helpful
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Barbara Wood
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a MUST read for anyone concerned with heart issues.
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great book. There's tons of information in this book. It's a bit on the scientific side so some people may not find it as enlightening as I did. I've had hypertension for years along with triple bypass surgery. I'm tired of doctors trying to shove pills down me without addressing the real problems. This book talks about the how's and why of heart disease and with this information you can be your own health advocate. I highly recommend this book for any heart patient.
6 people found this helpful
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Constance
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent book that will increase your knowledge and widen your perspective regarding heart disease and healthy living in general. It's well worth reading and having on hand as a resource. Dr. Hussey's personal stories are a big plus, and he makes the science underlying his beliefs understandable. Highly recommend!
2 people found this helpful
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A. Myers
5.0 out of 5 stars Cutting edge
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
From someone who reads very widely in the area of heart health, I can say that is one of the very best, complete, and up to date books currently available. Dr. Hussey shares new knowledge in many areas of current research which contradict many medical orthodoxies that have done so much harm in the last several decades. I particularly enjoyed hearing his own stories and travels which illuminated key points. This book deserves a wide audience. It has the highest overall quality of any similar book I have read.
9 people found this helpful
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steve ellis
5.0 out of 5 stars Groundbreaking perspective on the heart and heart disease
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
Stephen is a great writer overall and tells a completely new story about the heart. This book is both a personal journey of his own malfunctioning heart, and an in depth look at what causes heart disease and the untold story of heart biology as well as a program for resolving and ultimately avoiding heart issues. Couldn’t put it down.
6 people found this helpful
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The Creature
3.0 out of 5 stars A Remix of Thomas Cowan
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
Although this book is good, if you’ve read Thomas Cowan’s https://www.amazon.com/Human-Heart-Cosmic-Understand-Cardiovascular-ebook/dp/B01M8LGF97/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1662420478&sr=8-5 much of this is going to sound overwhelmingly familiar. In fact, there is so much overlap that I was often a bit shocked. Many of the main tenets of Understanding the Heart can be found in Cowan’s book (published several years before this) including the claim that the heart is not a pump, the four phases of water, oubain, the dangers of EMF radiation, the benefits of grounding, energized water and Weston Price. At times I wondered why the author bothered when Cowan has already “been there, done that”. The two books even have the same publisher!

Another gripe I have is that the author makes a legitimate complaint that many studies supporting statins, plant diets and high-carb diets are epidemiological, not controlled, yet then goes on to reference dozens of epidemiological studies to support his own case.

All in all, I would have given this book 4 stars but the fact that so much of it is a repetition of Cowan’s book knocks a star off.
18 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Avid Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I got this book
Reviewed in Canada on March 7, 2024
Verified Purchase
There is great competition in this field, but I'm really glad I got this particular book. Nothing like getting the personal story firsthand by a young man who wasn't supposed to get a heart attack - and the subsequent road to full recovery, mostly naturally (minimal use of pharmaceuticals). Starts with an overview of how the human heart evolved, which gives clues on the best lifestyle strategies to maintain it problem-free throughout life. Good book!
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Scott Emmony
5.0 out of 5 stars Holistic Way to View Heart Health
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2023
Verified Purchase
Read this book in a single day due to it being such a simple, yet valuable read. A very holistic, modern way of describing heart health. Such complex ideas broken down into digestible ways. Will be a book I read over & over again. Highly recommend!
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Kate Deagan
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, a must read for general health
Reviewed in Australia on November 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
Thank you for writing this book and rounding up all the research, very worthy read for anyone with concerns about their heart. The current medical system simply doesn't go far enough into understanding how things work, one ill-one pill just doesn't cut it, we must look at the complexity of the whole system.
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Ryan C.
5.0 out of 5 stars great book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
Enjoyed reading a fresh view on cardiovascular heart health. Easy enjoyable read
Well explained and story of the authors frontline experience
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