Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn shares how plant-based nutrition restores nitric oxide, heals endothelium, and reverses heart disease naturally.

At 90 years old, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn continues to redefine cardiovascular medicine. In this conversation, he explains how heart disease originates in the endothelium, why nitric oxide is the body’s “magic molecule,” and how a whole food, plant-based diet can halt—and even reverse—disease progression. From debunking arginine supplements to sharing patient success stories, he reveals a true blueprint for heart health.

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. is a pioneering surgeon and cardiovascular disease–prevention expert from the Cleveland Clinic. A former Olympic gold medalist rower and U.S. Army surgeon, he has spent decades advancing plant-based nutrition to prevent and reverse heart disease. His landmark clinical research inspired the bestselling book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, making him a leading voice in lifestyle-based heart health. Dr. Esselstyn and his wife, Ann, have followed a whole-food, plant-based diet since 1984 and continue teaching patients how to restore cardiovascular wellness through nutrition.