When people ask me if one can die of a broken heart, my answer is a resounding yes. Spouses die weeks or months apart of each other.

Premature babies whose parents leave them in the incubator without so much as a tender touch die faster than those whose moms and dads cuddle them. On the other hand, they grow faster if someone touches them lovingly. Breastfed babies are healthier, not only due to mother’s milk. They flourish under a mother’s loving touch. Touching and/or hugging releases feel-good hormones called endorphins that strengthen our immune system.

I’ve seen lonely senior citizens deteriorate in a nursing home. That’s why I prefer home care over health facilities for the elderly. Our seniors need someone to talk to, someone to touch them lovingly and care for them. Nursing homes sometimes lack that crucial personal touch that can fire up a person’s immune system. But some caregivers who have grown so attached to their wards have also been known to fall sick after the latter pass away.

As an integrative medicine practitioner, I know that the mind and body are so connected; 90 percent of illnesses is caused by stress. Many heart attacks occur at 8 a.m. on a Monday. The first day of the work week sees many people beating the clock to get to the office on time.

The adrenals spike and release stress hormones that could trigger a heart attack.

Constantly-elevated stress hormones not only cause deadly high blood pressure. They can lead to peptic ulcer and a host of other illnesses.

We have a lot to deal with. Stress is everywhere. Mobile phones and computers cause electromagnetic stress. Spiritual stress can make one go down with a bang. Financial stress comes when times are hard. Emotional stress occurs right after a fight with a co-worker, the loss of a loved one, etc. The list goes on and on.

Traditional doctors look at treating symptoms of stress and illnesses. We look at the biochemical reasons. That’s why we not only advise dietary supplements in our clinic. We have a wellness program that addresses stress reduction.

Take heart attack. It could be a warning sign that the patient lacks the male hormone testosterone. Lack of the female hormone estrogen, especially in menopausal women can cause heart disease, dementia, osteoporosis and others.

Lack of the mineral magnesium can also cause heart attack. Sure, you can solve that by taking leafy green vegetables. But if the soil is depleted, as it often is these days, no thanks to erosion, you need a Plan B.

High blood pressure, a killer disease, can also stem from a nutrition deficiency. So even if the cause of stress is gone, high blood pressure stays, simply because you sorely need a certain nutrient to help your body fight the disease.

You can ask your doctor about nutrition even if he doesn’t bring it up. It might nip your illness in the bud or at least lessen its intensity. You can also check out detoxification therapies, natural hormone replacement and other forms of treatment that don’t involve drugs. It’s non-conventional medicine, but it’s worth a try. Besides, you don’t want to die of a broken heart, do you?

(The author is an internist and has been practicing integrative medicine in the US for 16 years. He is medical director of R3 Medica Health Institute located at Suite 718, AIC-Burgundy Empire Tower, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, with tel. nos. 570-1787, 585-6420 and 0917-544 6228.)