HealthBeat News

Category: Heart and Circulation

  • Amazing Food Cuts Stroke Risk Up To 50%, Heart Attack Risk Up To 30%

    This Amazing, Cheap, Tasty Food Can Reduce Risks Of Stroke By Up To 50% And Decrease Risk Of Heart Attack By Up To 30% According To Researchers.

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    In a presentation made to the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions on November the 5th, 2012 in Los Angeles, Cuban researchers produced evidence from a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that show that people given 30 grams of milled (ground) flax seed daily experienced a two-fold increase in levels of Alpha Linoleic Acid, and most importantly, a significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

    According to the presentation abstract:

    This FlaxPAD Trial has identified one of the most potent anti-hypertensive effects ever observed by a dietary intervention.

    And researchers further conclude:

    The change in BP would be predicted to result in a ~50% and ~30% decrease in the incidence of strokes and myocardial infarctions, respectively. Dietary flaxseed represents an appealing strategy for treating hypertension in economically disadvantaged populations.

    Wow! Stroke risk cut by 50% and heart attack risk cut by 30% – all by eating a daily serving of ground flax seed. No drugs, no crazy exercise program, just eat yourself healthy – how good does this get?

    So, how does somebody eat 30 grams of ground flax seed a day? Here are some ideas:

    There you have it – a delicious, creamy protein shake for breakfast, a blueberry muffin for a mid-morning snack, and a sandwich with Myatt Bread for lunch – puts you right at the 30 grams a day that the researchers used to obtain their amazing results.

    You can also mix in ground flax seed with any number of other foods and recipes – use it in your hamburgers or meatloaf, mix it in with your morning oatmeal (if you are a high-carb breakfast eater), sprinkle it over your salad, add it to soups or anything else you would like to thicken. Use your imagination – it has a very mild, slightly nutty flavor.

    Remember though, flax seed must be ground for humans to be able to digest it – the seed coating is quite resistant to digestion and if eaten whole it will pass through the gut virtually unchanged.

    Don’t expect this study to get much press here in the US though – since it is not a drug treatment. Countries like Cuba and others with “economically disadvantaged populations” will be taking note though – and you should too!

     

    Reference:

    Delfin Rodriguez, Univ Hosp Holguin, Holguin, Cuba; Wendy Weighell, Andrea Edel, Renee La Vallee, Michel Aliani, St Boniface Hosp, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; Randy Guzman, Grant Pierce, St Boniface Hosp, Winnipeg, MB, Canada . Potent Anti-hypertensive Actions of Dietary Flaxseed in Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease in The Flaxpad Trial. Presented to the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions on November the 5th, 2012 in Los Angeles. http://www.abstractsonline.com/plan/ViewAbstract.aspx?mID=2974&sKey=e7484eba-1fe1-4c5c-b72d-34295c82a749&cKey=86cda7fd-0a3b-440f-b8d6-9a420894bdf0&mKey=%7B14145D5B-F96B-4354-8237-8F0937744BA4%7D

  • Statin Drugs Linked To Cataracts

    Cholesterol: So Vital For So Many Things…

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    A newly published research paper titled “Age-related cataract is associated with type 2 diabetes and statin use” from the School of Optometry at the University of Waterloo in Canada sounds yet another warning about the use of statin drugs to lower cholesterol levels.

    An article in the August 13, 2012 on-line edition of TheHeart.org (a division of WebMD) tells us that researchers have found:

    Statin users are more than 50% likelier to develop age-related cataracts, according to the results of a new study. And type 2 diabetics who use statins are at even greater risk of cataracts, report investigators.

    “The bioplausibility of these results lies in the fact that the crystalline lens membrane requires high cholesterol for proper epithelial cell development and lens transparency,” writes Dr Carolyn Machan (University of Waterloo, ON) and colleagues in the August 2012 issue of Optometry and Vision Science. “Increased cataract formation has been seen in both animals and humans with hereditary cholesterol deficiency, and the risk exists that statins can inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis in the human lens.”

    While this is yet more evidence that statin drugs are a toxic pox perpetrated on modern man by Big Pharma, it is also more evidence that cholesterol is actually our friend and essential to so many vital processes in our bodies that we are foolish to fall for the “lower your cholesterol by any means possible” propaganda that Big Pharma uses to sell their drugs.

    Now to be fair, the heartwire article author sought out comment from Dr Richard Karas of Tufts University School of Medicine who pooh-poohs the research findings, saying: “It’s a nice paper, an interesting observation, and it isn’t alarmist in that it doesn’t make a blanket recommendation that we should start providing screening for all patients undergoing statin therapy,” … “I think it raises the issue where additional study in perhaps an even larger patient population might be warranted. Also, it raises awareness of the potential for an issue, but on its own this study doesn’t confirm that cataracts are an issue.”

    Does this sound like a statement made by someone with an interest in maintaining the sales figures for statin drugs? It turns out that Karas has received honoraria from Merck and Abbot and research support from Pfizer. One would not want to accuse a respected professional of anything unethical, but it might be expected that he would be supportive of someone who is paying his bills – or as they say “He who pays the piper calls the tunes!”

    There you have it – two sides of an argument. One side warns that statins and lowered cholesterol could raise the risk of developing cataracts, the other side says that we mustn’t worry about such things since all of us will develop cataracts eventually anyway, and keeping cholesterol levels as low as possible outweighs any other risks.

    You decide…

     

    References:

    http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/769077

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22797512?dopt=Abstract

  • Do Eggs Really Cause Blocked Arteries?

    Cholesterol: Found At The Scene Of The Crime – But NOT GUILTY!

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    We have recently seen breathless headlines in the mainstream media proclaiming eggs to be almost as deadly as cigarettes. Dr. Myatt answered an inquiry from one of her patients about this in her recent HealthBeat News article Eggs As Bad As Smoking: Really?.

    This sensational reporting is in response to a recently published research article titled “Egg yolk consumption and carotid plaque” in which the lead researcher goes to great lengths to establish that eating egg yolks can cause some people to have an increase in plaque formation in their arteries. And as we have been told, incessantly and stridently since the 1950’s, cholesterol plaque buildup in our arteries is not a good thing.

    Still, being told that eating egg yolks is “almost as bad as smoking” is pretty serious and I wanted to know more. You see, I was a smoker many, many years ago, and I do enjoy eggs frequently now.

    It turns out that the lead author of this research paper is David Spence – a Canadian researcher, medical doctor, and university professor who teaches neurological science at University of Western Ontario. He is well-known for his work in using ultrasound to measure plaque build-up in carotid arteries (the big arteries of the neck).

    It also seems that this fellow has been on a vitriolic crusade against cholesterol for many years, publishing paper after paper that essentially tell us that:

    • cholesterol is a poison that must be purged from our bodies by whatever means necessary and,
    • if we would only stop eating cholesterol we would live happily ever after, and,
    • the most evil source of cholesterol known to man is surely the lowly egg yolk.
    • Therefor, we must all stop eating egg yolks or our arteries will fill up with cholesterol and we’ll die.

    (I’m summarizing and paraphrasing a little bit here of course, but that’s the gist of his argument.)

    He has published numerous papers and made several videos to support his argument and his bias against cholesterol and eggs is blatantly obvious.

    In a 2010 interview with TheHeart.org (a division of WebMD) Spence lamented that “The public’s attention is beginning to drift away from the anti-cholesterol message that doctors have been preaching for 40 years” and went on to complain that “A widespread misconception has been developing among the Canadian public and among physicians. It is increasingly believed that consumption of dietary cholesterol and egg yolks is harmless.”

    This interview was in regard to his research paper “Dietary cholesterol and egg yolks: Not for patients at risk of vascular disease” that appeared in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology where he goes on to say that an egg has “even more [cholesterol] than some infamous fast-food items such as KFC’s Double Down or Hardee’s Monster Thickburger.”

    Wow – if this is true and if cholesterol is such a poisonous substance I should be able to close my eyes, listen carefully, and just about hear the plaque building up in my carotid arteries…

    Now, while I have never had an ultrasound exam of my carotid arteries done, I do have my cholesterol levels checked regularly – and they are just fine thank you very much, all those eggs notwithstanding.

    So I wondered, how can this be? After all, those fast food items that we mentioned earlier have been called “heart attack on a plate” and if an egg has more of this bad stuff cholesterol than that…

    It turns out that maybe cholesterol isn’t as bad as we are being told. Sure, having big blobs of cholesterol plugging up one’s arteries is not a good thing, but it looks like simply eating foods that contain cholesterol isn’t what makes that happen, and there is plenty of research to back that up.

    Still, Dr. Spence addresses that small inconvenience, saying:

    Epidemiological studies of egg consumption that failed to show a link between eggs and cardiovascular disease in healthy people were not powered to show an effect in healthy people …

    So, if I’m reading that statement correctly, the good doctor feels that if only the studies had been “powered” differently they might have come up with results that made him happier? Is “powered” another way of saying “massage the numbers” or “cook the books”?

    This particular researcher talks a lot like someone who works for Big Pharma – making research and studies say what he wants or needs them to… surely it couldn’t be… nah…

    But wait – a disclaimer at the bottom of the 2010 heart.org HeartWire article where he complains about the amounts of cholesterol in eggs has the following to say:

    Spence and coauthor Dr Jean Davignon (Institut de recherches cliniques de Montreal, QC) report honoraria and speaking fees from several manufacturers of lipid-lowering drugs. Davignon has received support for an annual symposium from Pfizer Canada, and his research has been funded by Pfizer Canada, AstraZeneca Canada, and Merck Frosst Canada.

    Hmmm… so maybe his intentions aren’t so pure and academic and altruistic after all… maybe being anti-cholesterol, and promoting the notion that cholesterol must be reduced by whatever means necessary (like drugs?) actually pays pretty well…

    All-righty then, what other information is there out there about cholesterol, and eggs, and blocked arteries?

    It turns out there is plenty – and a lot of that is not going to make the good Doctor Spence happy.

    Dr William Castelli (the director of the Framingham study) said:

    “In Framingham, Massachusetts, the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower people’s serum cholesterol…we found that the people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturated fat, ate the most calories weighed the least and were the most physically active.”
    Source: Castelli, William, “Concerning the Possibility of a Nut. . .” Archives of Internal Medicine, Jul 1992, 152:(7):1371-1372

    And Ancel Keys, a famous researcher who spent decades working to vilify animal fats and cholesterol is said to have made the following statement at the University of Minnesota in 1997:

    “There’s no connection whatsoever between cholesterol in food and cholesterol in the blood, and we’ve known that all along. Cholesterol in the diet doesn’t matter at all unless you happen to be a chicken or a rabbit.”

    This, from the man who invented the military K-ration, popularized the Mediterranean Diet, and achieved academic and medical acclaim for his work on the Starvation Studies and the Seven Countries Study.

    In another study, from Kansas State University titled “Egg phosphatidylcholine decreases the lymphatic absorption of cholesterol in rats” and published in 2001 finds that a chemical present in egg yolk actually reduces the absorption of cholesterol.

    The researcher states:

    “If these findings prove to be applicable in humans, they may explain the fact that, although egg yolk contains high levels of cholesterol (260 mg), consuming one or two eggs per day does not increase blood cholesterol levels and CVD risk. Egg yolk contains high levels of phosphatidylcholine (1.3g), which might significantly lower the intestinal uptake of egg cholesterol in humans as well.”

    Then there is this study: “Regular egg consumption does not increase the risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases.” done in 2007 by the Epidemiological and Outcomes Research Division, Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosciences, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey:

    “Consumption of greater than 6 eggs per week (average of 1 egg or greater per day) does not increase the risk of stroke and ischemic stroke. The increased risk of coronary artery disease associated with higher egg consumption among diabetics warrants further investigations.”

    To be fair, the researchers found that there might be increased risk in diabetics. We’ll look more at why this might be in a little bit.

    Let’s look at just one last rat study – though there are plenty more out there. “An egg-enriched diet attenuates plasma lipids and mediates cholesterolmetabolism of high-cholesterol fed rats” was done by the College of Food Science and Technology at Huazhong Agricultural University in China and concludes:

    “…rats fed an egg-enriched diet had lower plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, hepatic triglyceride, and cholesterol concentrations, and greater plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, …than those fed a plain cholesterol diet”

    And one last human study titled “Effects of eggs on plasma lipoproteins in healthy populations” from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at The University of Connecticut in which the author concludes:

    “…dietary recommendations aimed at restricting egg consumption should be taken with caution and not include all individuals. We need to acknowledge that diverse healthy populations experience no risk in developing coronary heart disease by increasing their intake of cholesterol but in contrast, they may have multiple beneficial effects by the inclusion of eggs in their regular diet.”

    Now, you’ll remember that I said, when I briefly discussed the study “Regular egg consumption does not increase the risk of stroke and cardiovascular diseases.” that we would look more at why diabetics might be at higher risk. It turns out that carbohydrates – not fats – might be the real villain in all this atherogenic, artery blocking epidemic.

    Consider this research article from Austria: “The atherogenic potential of dietary carbohydrate”

    The author Dr. Wolfgang Kopp concludes:

    “High-carbohydrate diets, particularly in the form of high-glycemic index carbohydrate, have the ability to directly induce atherosclerosis. Based on anthropologic facts, the reason for these dietary-induced, insulin-mediated, atherogenic metabolic perturbations are suggested to be an insufficient adaptation to starch and sugars during human evolution. Restriction of insulinogenic food (starch and sugars) may help to prevent the development of atherosclerosis, one of the most common and costliest human diseases.”

    Dr. Kopp is telling us that we are really not very well equipped to digest carbohydrates – our ancestors were better suited to eat fats and proteins.

    Certainly our distant ancestors must have taken great delight in finding a honeybee tree, or fruits in season, or a starchy tuber that they managed to pull from the ground, but they were far more likely to stay alive foraging for birds eggs or bunnies or fish or lizards or whatever other concentrated fat and protein source they could find. It was not until the historically quite recent advent of organized agriculture that starches, breads and other concentrated carbohydrates began to replace ancient man’s high fat, high protein diet, and it should come as no surprise that many of our “diseases of modern civilization” – obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer – began to appear at about that same time.

    So, my recommendation? Go get yourself your favorite “Heart Attack Burger.” Toss away the bun and the fries and enjoy. Lose the oatmeal and pancakes at breakfast – have yourself some ham and eggs. For supper, a nice, thick, juicy steak – hold the baked potato and dinner rolls though – swap them for broccoli with butter and a crispy green salad.

    At the Wellness Club we believe that fats and proteins are not the problem, they are the solution.

    The true villain in our epidemic of diseases of modern civilization is our excessive reliance on carbohydrates as a food source.

    Carbohydrates cause inflammation – especially within our arteries. Our bodies try to heal that inflammation and damage to the inner surface of the arteries (the endothelium) by producing a fibrin/calcium/cholesterol patch, much the same way your skin responds to damage by producing a protective scab. That scab when it is in your artery is called an atherosclerotic plaque and yes, over time it can build up an cause blockage, or break free and cause stroke. And yes, these plaques contain cholesterol.

    But does cholesterol cause atherosclerosis? NO! It is there because it is trying to protect the artery from inflammation.

    It’s at the scene of the crime – but NOT GUILTY!

    Go eat an egg for heaven’s sake!

     

    References:

    Castelli quote – http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/summary/152/7/1371

    Ancel Keys info – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancel_Keys

    Eggs lower cholesterol absorption – http://www.theheart.org/article/280769.do

    Eggs lower cholesterol absorption – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11533279?dopt=Abstract

    Eggs don’t increase risk – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17179903?dopt=Abstract

    Egg-enriched diet reduces cholesterol – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22234516

    Eggs are beneficial – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21776466

    Atherogenic potential of carbohydrate – http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16540158

    Eggs reduce inflammation caused by carbohydrates – http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/5/1/6/

  • Eggs As Bad As Smoking: Really?

    Sensational Headline Says Eating Eggs Is “Almost” As Dangerous As Smoking. So, What’s The Truth?

     

    Dr. Myatt answers patient questions – with a forward by Nurse Mark

     

    It seems that a Canadian researcher and professor at the University of Western Ontario by the name of Dr. John David Spence is once again enjoying a few minutes basking in the glow of media attention. In a press release titled “Research finds egg yolks almost as bad as smoking” which discusses a research article by Spence and co-researchers Jenkins and Davignon titled “Egg yolk consumption and carotid plaque” the doctor continues his long-standing crusade against cholesterol, eggs, and egg yolks in particular with a retrospective study that asked participants to remember how many eggs they ate and how many cigarettes they smoked in past years.

    It is no surprise that the press worldwide has seized upon this rather dramatic headline and parroted it in sensational article after sensational article, panicking their readers and leading a number of our HealthBeat News readers to write us to ask for the truth.

    One of those who wrote is a university professor, scientist, and doctor who is also a patient of Dr. Myatt. Since his diet is now The Myatt Diet and liberally includes eggs he was concerned that there might be any basis to this research.

    Here is Dr. Myatt’s answer to Dr. Keith:

     

    Let’s look at this “study.” It wasn’t an intervention study, it was a retrospective, “questionnaire” study.

    That means it is in the same category as “The Rooster Crowing Brings the Sun Up.” Please read here to remind yourself how this works. This is an excellent article if I do say so myself.

    Secondly, other variables were not examined. Do egg yolks really cause atherosclerosis in people consuming a low-carb diet? We don’t know if the remainder of diet composition makes a difference because that wasn’t looked at. Even the authors of the paper you cite state, “this hypothesis should be tested in a prospective study with more detailed information about diet, and other possible confounders such as exercise and waist circumference,” meaning other variables can cloud the issue.

    I submit to you that the remainder of the diet makes a HUGE difference as to whether or not egg yolks or other cholesterol-containing foods have a deleterious effect.

    Fats and cholesterol are not problem foods. They only become so when the diet is high in carbs. It is actually the carbs that are inflammatory and atherogenic. (1-4)

    There’s been a lot of wrong things said about fats including saturated fats.

    The “dietary cholesterol causes high cholesterol” debate is in serious question because the data which “support” this position are inconclusive, spotty and with much conflicting evidence. Read “Saturated Fats: Another Big Fat Lie” to learn more.

    Finally, and not least of all, I have been using a low-carb diet with patients for 23 years now, which has given me the opportunity to observe how health changes including cardio risk factors, diabetes and even cancer. These things always get better when the diet is followed correctly. (Some people claim they are following the diet but an examination of a diet diary can reveal that they are cheating enough so as to be “not doing it”.)

    Remember, for any question, you will find published studies on both sides of an issue. There is almost never “black and white” in medicine or in anything else. So one must consider the preponderance of evidence, and how well-done and interpreted the studies are, and if the researchers had any bias, etc. etc. Just because you find one contrary study about eggs does NOT a “smoking gun” make!

    In case you want to see some evidence on the other side of the equation, here are just a few of the many scientific studies which show that low-carb diets –which typically include eggs “ad libitum” — prevent atherosclerosis and high-carb diets promote atherosclerosis. (see references 4-15)

    And with this current defamation of eggs yolk, I must defend their honor. Egg yolks are chock-full of  “super nutrients” including:

    • lutein and zeaxanthin: two carotenoids which help protect the eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration.
    • choline: a B-vitamin-like essential nutrient needed for structural integrity, cell-signaling and acetylcholine synthesis. Choline is a major source of methyl groups which are are required for liver function, cellular replication, and detoxification reactions.
    • lecithin / phosphatidyl choline: needed for cell membrane integrity and intracellular communication
    • essential fatty acids, vitamins A, E, D, and K, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, B12, and panthothenic acid

    Anything else I can clarify for you today? If not, go eat an egg…!!!

    In Health,
    Dr. Myatt

    References

    1.) Torres-Gonzalez M, Shrestha S, Sharman M, Freake HC, Volek JS, Fernandez ML.
    Carbohydrate restriction alters hepatic cholesterol metabolism in guinea pigs fed a hypercholesterolemic diet. J Nutr. 2007 Oct;137(10):2219-23. [Dr. Myatt’s Note: I’m not ordinarily impressed with animal studies but guinea pigs do not produce endogenous vitamin C and neither do humans, making them one of the best experimental animals for human research.]
    2.) Kopp W. The atherogenic potential of dietary carbohydrate.Prev Med. 2006 May;42(5):336-42. Epub 2006 Mar 15.
    3.) Faghihnia N, Tsimikas S, Miller ER, Witztum JL, Krauss RM. Changes in lipoprotein(a), oxidized phospholipids, and LDL subclasses with a low-fat high-carbohydrate diet. J Lipid Res. 2010 Nov;51(11):3324-30. Epub 2010 Aug 16.
    4.) Wood RJ. Effect of dietary carbohydrate restriction with and without weight loss on atherogenic dyslipidemia. Nutr Rev. 2006 Dec;64(12):539-45.
    5.) Feinman RD, Volek JS. Low carbohydrate diets improve atherogenic dyslipidemia even in the absence of weight loss. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2006 Jun 21;3:24.
    6.) Leite JO, DeOgburn R, Ratliff J, Su R, Smyth JA, Volek JS, McGrane MM, Dardik A, Fernandez ML. Low-carbohydrate diets reduce lipid accumulation and arterial inflammation in guinea pigs fed a high-cholesterol diet. Atherosclerosis. 2010 Apr;209(2):442-8. Epub 2009 Oct 12. [Dr. Myatt’s Note: I’m not ordinarily impressed with animal studies but guinea pigs do not produce endogenous vitamin C and neither do humans, making them one of the best experimental animals for beginning human research.]
    7.) Westman EC, Feinman RD, Mavropoulos JC, Vernon MC, Volek JS, Wortman JA, Yancy WS, Phinney SD. Low-carbohydrate nutrition and metabolism. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):276-84.
    8.) Volek JS, Fernandez ML, Feinman RD, Phinney SD. Dietary carbohydrate restriction induces a unique metabolic state positively affecting atherogenic dyslipidemia, fatty acid partitioning, and metabolic syndrome. Prog Lipid Res. 2008 Sep;47(5):307-18. Epub 2008 Mar 15.
    9.) Adam-Perrot A, Clifton P, Brouns F. Low-carbohydrate diets: nutritional and physiological aspects. Obes Rev. 2006 Feb;7(1):49-58.
    10.) Brehm BJ, Seeley RJ, Daniels SR, D’Alessio DA. A randomized trial comparing a very low carbohydrate diet and a calorie-restricted low fat diet on body weight and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Apr;88(4):1617-23.
    11.) Gardner CD, Kiazand A, Alhassan S, Kim S, Stafford RS, Balise RR, Kraemer HC, King AC. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets for change in weight and related risk factors among overweight premenopausal women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2007 Mar 7;297(9):969-77.
    12.) Grieb P, Klapcinska B, Smol E, Pilis T, Pilis W, Sadowska-Krepa E, Sobczak A, Bartoszewicz Z, Nauman J, Stanczak K, Langfort J. Long-term consumption of a carbohydrate-restricted diet does not induce deleterious metabolic effects. Nutr Res. 2008 Dec;28(12):825-33.
    13.) Kim JY, Yang YH, Kim CN, Lee CE, Kim KI. Effects of very-low-carbohydrate (horsemeat- or beef-based) diets and restricted feeding on weight gain, feed and energy efficiency, as well as serum levels of cholesterol, triacylglycerol, glucose, insulin and ketone bodies in adult rats. Ann Nutr Metab. 2008;53(3-4):260-7. Epub 2009 Jan 9.
    14.) Seshadri P, Samaha FF, Stern L, Chicano KL, Daily DA, Iqbal N. Free fatty acids, insulin resistance, and corrected qt intervals in morbid obesity: effect of weight loss during 6 months with differing dietary interventions. Endocr Pract. 2005 Jul-Aug;11(4):234-9.
    15.) Yancy WS Jr, Olsen MK, Guyton JR, Bakst RP, Westman EC. A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet versus a low-fat diet to treat obesity and hyperlipidemia: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2004 May 18;140(10):769-77.

  • Alert: Big Pharma Obeys The Law!

    That’s Right – Big Pharma Is Obeying The Law!

     

    The Law Of Unintended Consequences, That Is…

     

    By Nurse mark

     

    Big Pharma gave us “the little purple pill” – that marvelous, wonderful, convenient cure for the discomfort of heartburn. Some people we know have been taking these PPI drugs for years.

    Little did we know that when Big Pharma gave us this miraculous relief for GERD they were also giving us along with it a cornucopia of potentially deadly complications.

    It seems that as with many things we do to try to trick Mother Nature, she is far smarter at keeping us healthy than Big Pharma is. When we try to fool Mother Nature she doesn’t like it and there are consequences. Serious consequences.

    Acid Blockers – What a deal!

     

    First, Not Only Will Your Heartburn Pill Stop You From Having Heartburn, It Will Stop You From Having Enough Of The Essential Mineral Magnesium.

    From the FDA:

    “[…] proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs may cause low serum magnesium levels (hypomagnesemia) […] Low serum magnesium levels can result in serious adverse events including muscle spasm (tetany), irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias), and convulsions (seizures) […] In approximately one-quarter of the cases reviewed, magnesium supplementation alone did not improve low serum magnesium levels […]”

     

    So, your heartburn medicine lets you eat a lousy diet and still feel great – as long as you don’t mind having low magnesium levels and the risks of having muscle spasms, heart arrhythmia, or seizures… and maybe you feel that not having heartburn is worth that risk.

    “But Wait – There’s More!”

     

    Now not only can you have the risks that come with low magnesium, you can enjoy the risks of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine while you enjoy your heartburn relief.

    Another notice from the FDA:

    “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers and health care professionals about a possible increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist, and spine with high doses or long-term use of a class of medications called proton pump inhibitors.”

     

    Well, alright – you figure that heartburn relief is worth the risk – after all, you can be really careful not to fall or anything that might bust a bone. And as long as you are sitting down when you have that seizure you should be fine…

    “And If That’s Not Enough, A Bonus!”

     

    Wow! Spasms, heart arrhythmia, seizures, and broken bones – all in the name of heartburn relief. How could it get any better?

    How about… Watery Diarrhea!

    That’s right, now, along with your spasms, arrhythmias, seizures, and fractured bones, you can have Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) – a bacterium that can cause diarrhea that doesn’t improve. Symptoms include watery stool, abdominal pain, and fever, and patients may go on to develop more serious intestinal conditions.

    Again, from the FDA:

    “FDA notified the public that the use of stomach acid drugs known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may be associated with an increased risk of Clostridium difficile–associated diarrhea (CDAD).”

     

    Yowza! Spasms, arrhythmias, seizures, fractured bones, and to top it all off, diarrhea that just won’t stop! All these great health risks, all in just one little purple pill!

    I’m going to run right out and get me some! NOT!

    OK – I can hear you saying “Alright Mr. Smartypants, so what am I supposed to to? I have terrible heartburn and the pill fixed it. If I stop the pill I get the heartburn back. What’s your solution?”

    Folks, this is one of the topics that we write about most often, since it is something that affects so many people. Please look through our previous HealthBet News articles.

    To help you out, here is a recent HealthBeat News article about Acid Blocker Drugs that contains plenty of links to other news and information about PPI’s, GERD, Indigestion, and more: Please re-read More Risks From Acid Blocking Drugs (PPIs)

    And for those who know that they are hooked on these nasty drugs and want help, please re-read: Help – I’m Hooked On Acid Blocking Drugs!

    Or you can just keep taking your “little purple pill” – not only will you get relief from that nasty heartburn, you get to enjoy not one, not two, not even three or four – you get to enjoy five great life-threatening health risks!

    What more could you possibly want? Hurry, Hurry, Hurry… step right up and claim your bonuses today!

     

    References
    http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm245275.htm
    http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm290838.htm
    http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm213377.htm