The real cure for atrial fibrillation lies in removing causes, not suppressing symptoms.
The science of Natural Hygiene teaches us that atrial fibrillation (AFib) is not a mysterious heart disease but a sign of systemic enervation and toxemia – the body’s way of signaling that its vital energy has been drained and its inner balance disturbed.
The Nerve Control of the Heart
The heart is not an independent machine that “malfunctions.” It is governed entirely by the nervous system, which acts as the electrical conductor for the body’s orchestra of cells. Every heartbeat is triggered by nerve impulses arising from the sinoatrial (SA) node – a small cluster of specialized nerve fibers often called the body’s natural pacemaker. These impulses are not mechanical sparks; they are expressions of nerve energy, the vital electrical current that powers all physiological function.
Dr. Herbert Shelton explained:
“The body is primarily an organism that works on the amount of electricity it generates and which it has in its reserves. If this supply is depleted or otherwise insufficient to cope with the needs of the body, then body functions become impaired.”
(Life Science Course, Lesson 2 – The Nature and Purpose of Disease)
When this nerve energy is diminished – through fatigue, emotional strain, stimulants, overwork, or toxic food – the fine coordination between the heart’s nerves and muscles becomes erratic. The atria may quiver rather than contract rhythmically, producing what medicine labels fibrillation.
This irregularity does not arise from a “faulty heart” but from a temporarily disordered control system, much like flickering lights when electrical current fluctuates. Restoring the source of current – not replacing the wiring – is the real remedy.
Toxemia and Enervation: The True Roots
Natural Hygiene teaches us that disease begins with enervation, the loss of vital nerve energy. When energy output exceeds recovery, the body can no longer perform all of its eliminative and restorative duties. Waste products accumulate in the blood and tissues, leading to toxemia – the internal pollution that underlies all disease.
Shelton described it this way:
“When toxic substances from whatever source saturate the blood and tissues… then the conditions of toxemia and toxicosis exist.”
AFib is one of the many ways the body expresses this systemic exhaustion. The heart, being highly sensitive to electrical and chemical balance, reveals enervation before other organs show distress.
Why AFib Appears Alongside Heart Failure, Stroke, or Dementia
Wikipedia and conventional medicine note that atrial fibrillation “is associated with increased risk of heart failure, dementia, and stroke.” But from the Natural Hygiene viewpoint, these are not caused by AFib – they are parallel effects of the same underlying systemic degeneration.
The fibrillation does not cause the failure – it warns us of the growing concern. The same toxemic state that irritates and weakens the nerves controlling the heart also irritates and hardens the arteries, congests the brain, and depletes oxygen delivery. AFib is therefore a symptom of declining vitality, not the agent of destruction.
To use Dr. Hereward Carrington’s words:
“So-called disease is… merely a curative effort on the part of Nature; it is the process of cure itself – manifested in a set of symptoms.”
When the heart begins to flutter, Nature is calling attention to the overload – asking us to stop the practices that waste nerve energy and poison the bloodstream. The condition is not a punishment, but a warning.
A Precursor, Not a Peril
Atrial fibrillation is like the body’s early alarm system. It appears when the organism is still vital enough to protest. If the warning is ignored – if stimulants, drugs, worry, and dietary abuses continue – the body will progress to deeper stages of disease: degeneration of heart tissue, circulatory obstruction, and failure of brain and kidney function.
But if the causes are removed – through rest, fasting, and a return to the natural conditions of life – the body restores order. As vitality increases, nerve energy returns, toxic matter is expelled, and the rhythmic harmony of the heart re-establishes itself.
As Shelton taught:
“To ‘cure’ disease, remove the causes of disease. It is the worst kind of folly to attempt to cure disease by ignoring its causes and employing modalities which are in themselves causes of disease.”
Why AFib Can Appear During Fasting
It often surprises people when AFib – or other irregular heart sensations – arises during a fast, precisely when they are “doing everything right.” Yet this, too, is an expression of the same natural laws.
During fasting, the body finally has the rest and freedom from interference it needs to begin deep cleansing. Stored wastes and irritants are drawn out of the tissues and re-enter the bloodstream for elimination. This temporarily increases the toxicity of the circulating fluids, changing the electrical balance and exciting the nerves.
As the body mobilizes these poisons, the heart – being both a pump and an electrical organ – responds to every fluctuation in blood chemistry and nerve tone. A brief period of fluttering, pounding, or irregular rhythm may occur as the organism readjusts to the shifting internal environment.
Shelton observed that during healing crises,
“The body withdraws energy from normal body activities and redirects them to the healing crisis.”
This means less nerve current is available for regular rhythmic control, while more is directed toward elimination. Once the cleansing phase passes, the rhythm returns to normal – stronger and steadier than before.
Far from being dangerous, this is evidence that the body is working with renewed vigor to restore purity and balance. The appropriate response is not fear or medication, but continued rest, trust, and observation. The heart’s irregularity will quiet as the blood becomes cleaner and vitality increases.
True Recovery
The Natural Hygiene path to restoring heart health is the same universal law that restores all health:
- Rest – both mental and physical – to rebuild nerve energy.
- Pure air, water, and sunlight to oxygenate and vitalize.
- A diet of fresh fruits and tender greens, the true food of our species.
- Fasting when appetite is lost, to allow the body to cleanse.
- Freedom from stimulants and sedatives, which rob the nerves of their reserves.
The heart’s flutter, far from being an enemy, is the body’s plea: “Slow down, lighten the load, let me cleanse and restore.”
When we heed that call, the heart does not fail – it heals.
Learn how to heal today, start by returning to the natural human diet
Continue Learning
If this article helped you understand the heart’s healing process, you may also enjoy exploring these related topics:
- Learn more about the purpose of disease, how disease is created, why it is created, and how we can reverse it by returning to feeding our body in alignment with our physiology – read The Nature and Purpose of Disease Series.
- Learn more about returning to a state of health by returning to the foods our body is naturally designed for – read What Is the Natural Human Diet?
- Discover the foundational principle that powers every cell and organ – What Is Nerve Energy?
- Understand the process your body uses to cleanse and rebuild – What Is Detox Really? It’s Probably Not What You Think!
- Learn why healing symptoms often arise during fasting and why fasting is not a “magic cure” but a natural rest phase – Fasting Is Not a Magic Cure
- Explore the deeper science of how disease develops on a cellular level – Disease 101: How We Create Disease (and How We Reverse It)
Have more questions? Want to get answers about your specific health issues or concerns? I offer consultations – learn more about them here: Consultations
Ready to make changes but not sure where to start? Need guidance or accountability? Join our 30-Day Natural Human Diet Support and Education Group – new groups start on the 1st of every month.
Eat fruit and be well, my friends.
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