Study: Statin Drugs Only Lower Cholesterol to Levels Advertised in Less Than 50% of Patients

Want to flip a coin on your health? Researchers assessing the effectiveness of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs found that they didn’t work for 51% of the 165,000 patients studied (statins have to reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 40% after two years to be considered effective). We’ve reported previously about the many side effects and dangers of taking statins. We’ve also pointed out that conventional thinking supporting statins—lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol as a means of preventing cardiovascular disease—is outdated. With one in four Americans over the age of 40 taking a statin, there are a lot of people out there spending money on a dangerous drug that is not providing any benefit. Will doctors change their prescribing practices based on this information? It doesn’t seem so. Statins make tens of billions of dollars a year for the drug industry, and the market is growing. Statin use among adults over the age of 40 increased almost 80% between 2002 and 2013.

As Pharma Anti-fungal Drugs Fail, Is Coconut Oil Best Defense for New Deadly “Mystery Infection?”

Headlines in the corporate-sponsored "mainstream" media recently warned the public about a new "mysterious infection" that is drug-resistant. As a recent NY Times Health Section article reported, there is allegedly a hospital cover-up of an emerging candida fungus, Candida or C. auris. It is the latest antimicrobial drug-resistant "super-bug" to emerge in hospitals and nursing homes. This time it's not about bacteria, it's a virulent form of candida. And while the corporate media, sponsored in a large degree by Big Pharma, will almost never report on natural solutions, there is hope for fighting fungal infections like Candida where drugs have failed. One of the most beneficial natural products that fights and kills strains of Candida, according to peer-reviewed research over the past several years, is coconut oil.

Research in 2019 Continues to Show Healing Benefits of Coconut Oil

Research outside of the United States continues to show what the world is investigating and learning about coconut oil, while such information is censored in the U.S. corporate "mainstream" media since coconut oil presents a threat to Big Food and Big Pharma's financial interests. Recent studies confirm that coconut oil protects the heart, and also potentially protects other vital organs including the liver and kidneys of those suffering from diabetes. This research contradicts the propaganda against coconut oil by American organizations such as the American Heart Association which still promote the now failed theory of heart disease that blames saturated fats and cholesterol as causative factors in heart disease.

Latest Alzheimer’s Blockbuster Drug Fails to Complete Phase 3 Trials

As has been reported numerous times here at Health Impact News for the past 6 years or so, the pharmaceutical industry has been desperate to find an Alzheimer's drug to market to an aging baby boomer population with ever increasing numbers of Alzheimer's Disease cases. And yet, billions of dollars have been invested in potential drugs only to see these drugs never make it out of the trial phase and come to market, because they do not significantly help Alzheimer's patients. Biogen and their partner Eisai are the latest pharmaceutical companies to throw in the towel regarding their Alzheimer's drug aducanumab, which has failed to make it out of phase 3 trials. Many drug researchers have now abandoned the theory of amyloid plaque accumulation in the brain as the causative factor of Alzheimer’s. Could aducanumab's failure be the last nail in the coffin for this theory, as natural approaches to Alzheimer's such as coconut oil and the ketogenic diet see more positive results?

Dispelling the Myth that LDL Cholesterol is “Bad”

Independently-sourced research challenges the idea that LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the "bad cholesterol," and causes heart disease. However, the theory that LDL is "bad" persists in the mainstream media and with Big Pharma, mainly because they would lose billions of dollars in drugs and treatments to admit the theory lacks merit. The hypothesis of saturated fat creating artery-clogging cholesterol as the source of heart disease should be considered dead and incapable of resuscitating, based on the scientific evidence. But one still sees and hears fearful statements about lowering cholesterol and avoiding heart disease, mostly on mainstream media but even all too often on internet alternative media sources. Current research is showing LDL is not dangerous and it’s not an accurate marker for pending heart disease.

Study: Dietary Coconut Oil Leads to Healthy Skin – Reduces Skin Infection and Inflammation

A new study out of Japan and published in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology shows how switching the dietary oil of chow fed to mice from soybean oil to coconut oil reduced skin inflammation. The skin healing properties of coconut oil, especially virgin coconut oil, applied topically to the skin have been known for a long time. Even though coconut oil is sold as a dietary oil, people applying it topically are seeing tremendous results for their skin conditions such as acne, eczema, keratosis polaris, psoriasis, rosacea, and fungal infections. We have suspected for years that the reason people in tropical climates who eat their traditional diets which are high in the saturated fats of coconut oil had such beautiful skin, even though they are exposed to the sun to a greater degree than westerners, is because of the high amounts of coconut oil in their diet, which does not oxidize and cause free radical damage as polyunsaturated fats do. Skin cancer, for example, is almost unheard of in tropical climates like the Philippines, but common in western nations, even in colder climates with far less exposure to the sun. Researchers in Japan apparently wanted to test this theory of dietary coconut oil reducing allergic skin inflammation in the laboratory: "Coconut oil is used as a dietary oil worldwide, and its healthy effects are recognized by the fact that coconut oil is easy to digest, helps in weight management, increases healthy cholesterol and provides instant energy. Although topical application of coconut oil is known to reduce skin infection and inflammation, whether dietary coconut oil has any role in decreasing skin inflammation is unknown. In this study, we showed the impact of dietary coconut oil in allergic skin inflammation by using a mouse model of contact hypersensitivity (CHS)."

Doctors Exposing Cholesterol Myth Accused of Murder in British Press for Questioning Statin Drugs

There’s a media war going on in the UK involving the issue of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. The British Daily Mail's health editor, Barney Calman, labeled two medical doctors and a PhD nutritionist as "statin deniers" for their efforts in educating the public and debunking the cholesterol-heart disease causation dogma while exposing statin drug dangers. The two doctors are Dr. Malcolm Kendrick and Dr. Aseem Malhotra. The nutritionist is Zoe Harcombe, PhD. The Daily Mail article is blaming their "propaganda" as convincing people to stop taking cholesterol-lowering drugs which they claim are leading more people to suffer heart attacks as a result. Since this is another example of corporate-sponsored "mainstream" media presenting only the pharmaceutical position on their own products and seeking to censor anyone who opposes them, we are publishing the responses from those accused of murder for exposing the dangers of statin drugs, as well as questioning the "science" used for the most widely prescribed class of drugs in the world.

Study: Virgin Coconut Oil has Anti-inflammatory and Skin Protective Properties

Many who have used coconut oil for their skin and hair rave about its positive effects. Many testimonials to the powerful healing properties of virgin coconut oil for skin conditions have been published here at CoconutOil.com over the years. People have testified to virgin coconut oil healing fungal skin infections, acne, eczema, keratosis polaris, psoriasis, rosacea, and more. But exactly how virgin coconut oil is so beneficial for applying on one's skin has rarely, if ever, been thoroughly analyzed on a chemical and cellular level. That’s no longer the case, as a new study has recently determined what goes on biochemically within the skin’s cellular and genetic composition when using virgin coconut oil on one’s skin. This report, In vitro anti-inflammatory and skin protective properties of Virgin coconut oil, was published by the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine in January, 2019.

Pharma Wants Every Senior on Statin Drugs as Corporate Media Seeks to Silence Doctors Exposing the Cholesterol Myth

Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are a $100 billion-a-year industry. Lipitor was, by far, the most profitable drug in the history of mankind among all pharmaceutical products, let alone being the most profitable cholesterol drug before its patent expired at the end of 2011. Sales to date from this one particular cholesterol-lowering statin drug have exceeded $140 billion. After Lipitor’s patent expired at the end of 2011, the FDA issued its first warnings against statin drugs, which include: liver injury, memory loss, diabetes, and muscle damage, among others. Thousands of lawsuits against the maker of Lipitor followed. As we have reported many times over the years here at Health Impact News, the cholesterol theory of heart disease is not well-supported by science at all. In fact, much of the science states that cholesterol is an important part of our health, and contrary to popular belief, those with the highest levels of cholesterol actually live longer than those with lower levels of cholesterol in their blood. However, with such a large segment of the American population moving into their senior years, the pharmaceutical industry's attempt to keep seniors on cholesterol-lowering statin drugs continues unabated, and the largely pharma-funded corporate media is doing their part to silence doctors and other researchers who criticize the failed cholesterol theory of heart disease. Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, a Scottish doctor and the author of the book The Great Cholesterol Con, has had his entire Wikipedia entry deleted recently in an obvious attempt to silence him as a new study was just published to try and justify putting more seniors on statin drugs. Here are his comments on this "new" study.

Study: Coconut Oil Prevents Macular Degeneration – Healthy for the Eyes

A recent study published late 2018 confirms an earlier Health Impact News article that macular degeneration, a disease mainstream medicine considers irreversible, can be prevented, attenuated, and even reversed naturally. The natural ingredient this study tested was coconut oil. This study was conducted by Nigeria’s University of Ilorin’s Department of Physiology. The final report, titled "Coconut oil protects against light-induced retina degeneration in male Wistar rats" was published by the journal Pathophysiology.

Study: Coconut Oil Better for Preventing Heart Disease and Diabetes in Asian Diets

In parts of Asia, both peanut oil and coconut oil are often used for cooking. A recent study in India compared cooking with peanut oil to cooking with coconut oil to determine the relative health benefits for weight management, heart disease, and diabetes. The researchers used nine healthy male volunteers with normal body mass index or BMI levels to undergo eight weeks of consuming a normally balanced diet cooked with coconut oil, followed by a six-week "washout" period, then another eight weeks of the same diet cooked with peanut oil. The study report is called Coconut oil consumption improves fat-free mass, plasma HDL-cholesterol and insulin sensitivity in healthy men with normal BMI compared to peanut oil. The researchers concluded: "… compared to peanut oil, the consumption of coconut oil in a balanced diet resulted in increased fat-free mass, plasma HDL-C, elicited favourable changes on insulin sensitivity and CVD risk-associated parameters in healthy men with normal BMI."

Medical Professionals in Canada Speak Out Against Government Nutrition Guidelines – Promote High-fat Low-carb Diet Instead

Health Canada is in the process of revising its food guidelines for 2019. Some inside sources say there is not that much difference with this year's Canada Health food guidelines than previous years, except that overall it leans more toward a plant-based diet. Its final draft hasn't been published yet. Much like USDA nutritional guidelines, "healthy eating" is defined by avoiding saturated fats and emphasizing grains and carbohydrates. A group of physicians and nutritionists known as the Canadian Clinicians for Therapeutic Nutrition have opposed the Canadian government dietary advice and published their own opinions on the matter in the Calgary Herald citing the nutritional validity of healthy fats which can include meats and dairy, as they take a "whole foods" approach to eating rather than processed foods, promoting more of a high-fat and low-carb dietary approach. They represent a growing group of doctors and nutritionists who are more concerned about their patients' health than they are about being politically correct about diet and nutrition: "We have read the opinion article titled “Health Canada’s new Food Guide is on the right track” with interest. We represent a growing number of Canadian physicians and health professionals, called the Canadian Clinicians for Therapeutic Nutrition, who use whole-food nutritional strategies, which often include meat, eggs and dairy, to prevent and often put into remission the burden of chronic non-communicable disease in our patients. This usually involves lower levels of carbohydrates and higher levels of natural fats than is currently recommended, a therapeutic nutritional strategy well supported in the literature."

Research Shows High-Fat Low-Carb Diet with Coconut Oil Can Prevent or Cure Alzheimer’s

A very recent review on nutritional approaches toward preventing and reversing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was conducted in Christchurch, New Zealand’s Canterbury University. The results were submitted to the journal Nutrition. It’s title: "The ketogenic diet as a potential treatment and prevention strategy for Alzheimer's disease." After analyzing 33 studies researching AD and other neurological disorders handled with a ketogenic diet and supplementing coconut oil, the University of Canterbury review analysis concluded: "In this review, we hypothesize that the ketogenic diet could be an effective treatment and prevention for Alzheimer's disease, but both ketone production and carbohydrate restriction may be needed to achieve this."

Study: Medium Chain Fatty Acids in Coconut Oil Provide Sustained Energy for Athletes

Most of us are not used to considering dietary fat as a high source of energy for all-out exercise, athletic activity, and physical labor. Energy from fat has usually been associated with stored fat within the body as a reserve for when carbohydrate energy runs out. Now a 2018 Russian study using cross-country skiers as human subjects determined medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), normally contained in only a few saturated fats, supplied immediate energy during high demand athletic endeavors. These fatty acids don’t get stored as fat, but provide sustained energy. This truth can benefit all of us, not just athletes.

#1 Most-read Study of 2018 in the Medical Journal Pediatrics is How a High-Fat Diet can Help Type 1 Diabetes

A recent 2018 online survey of type 1 diabetics or their parents and caregivers has opened the door for others to use the ketogenic high-fat, low-carbohydrate, moderate protein diet to ease the burden of insulin injections and improve the day-to-day life of type 1 diabetics, potentially leading to remission. This was a breakthrough study, as the ketogenic diet has proven itself with diabetes type 2 sufferers, but there has been little looked into with keto for diabetes 1 patients. This study's focus was on serious carb production. Its title is Management of Type 1 Diabetes With a Very Low–Carbohydrate Diet, and it was published by Pediatrics, the "official journal" of the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics). Dr. Lewis First, chief editor of Pediatrics, provided an article listing the top 10 items published by Pediatrics during 2018. This study was at the top of the list as the most popular article in Pediatrics for 2018.

American Diabetes Association’s New Recommendations Would Keep Diabetics on Drugs Instead of Curing Diabetes Through Diet

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) just put out a position paper on treating diabetes. It’s focus on treatment and prevention, especially for the increasing incidents of diabetes 2 among youth, demonstrates the willful ignorance of institutions that create medical standards for the medical profession. What is ignored is the potential for treating obesity and diabetes 2 with the high-fat low-carb ketogenic diet, which has proven effective for all the factors leading to diabetes and diabetes 2 itself, even improving the overall health of those afflicted with diabetes 1, the less frequent form of diabetes that requires insulin injections.

Dr. Brownstein: “The Cholesterol=Heart Disease Hypothesis is Terribly Wrong”

For well over 30 years, every medical student has been taught that high cholesterol levels are responsible for causing heart disease—the number one killer in the US. And, the public has been similarly educated that eating a low-fat diet (having less cholesterol) is the best way to avoid becoming a cardiac patient. At my medical school graduation (nearly 30 years ago—oy vey!) the dean told us that we were trained with the latest medical information. He continued by stating that, unfortunately, over 50% of what was just taught to us was incorrect. He told us that it was our job to figure out what is fact and what is fiction. Perhaps my dean would be proud of me as I have dedicated my professional career to determining what is right and what is wrong with medicine. Now I can state, without equivalence, that the cholesterol=heart disease hypothesis is terribly wrong. Keep in mind, I came to that conclusion many years ago after studying the literature.

As American Heart Association Prepares to Revise Guidelines for Cholesterol, Harvard Doctor Speak Outs on Conflict of Interests

The American Heart Association (AHA) will soon be meeting in Chicago to set new guidelines for treating high cholesterol, the first big update since 2013. Medical doctors are not at all unified in their position on cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, although pharmaceutical companies and their front groups, such as the AHA, would like the public to believe all doctors are in favor of lowering cholesterol via medication. Independent journalist Sharyl Attkisson recently covered the issue of the "Statin Wars" on her TV show, Full Measure. In the introduction to her show, Attkisson states: "Past (cholesterol) guidelines have said more and more of us should take cholesterol-lowering drugs called “statins” to prevent heart attacks and save lives. But the recommendations aren’t without controversy. And they raise a larger debate in medicine— over who’s paying the doctors and groups deciding what’s good for us." She interviewed three people with different perspectives on statin drugs.

Study: Neuroprotective Effect of Virgin Coconut Oil Helps Relieve ALS (Lou Gehrig Disease)

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes disability and can lead to death. It is considered progressive and incurable. It is often referred to as Lou Gehrig disease, named after the Yankee baseball star of decades ago whose career was cut short by ALS. ALS begins with minor muscular control issues then progresses until one is completely disabled, even unable to consume food or breathe. It can be a slow, miserable death for many who are stricken. ALS diagnoses have been increasing, and the pharmaceutical industry has no cures. A recent animal study looked into the potential of coconut oil for preventing or reducing ALS symptoms. The results of the study were positive, and revealed that the coconut oil supplementation together with the regular diet delayed disease symptoms, enhanced motor performance, and prolonged survival in mouse models. The baby-boomer era generations are aging in large numbers, and those aging are most prone to neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and Alzheimer’s disease. Virgin coconut oil is safe and carries even more nutritional benefits in addition to neurological protections.

Study: Virgin Coconut Oil Better than Drugs in Treating Diabetes and Obesity

Researchers in Brazil recently completed an animal study to determine if virgin coconut oil (VCO) could replace pharmaceutical drugs for reducing obesity and its attendant co-morbid inflammatory and diabetic conditions. The researchers refuted the misguided conventional thinking of saturated fats causing obesity. They wanted to investigate the saturated fat coconut oil as a functional food to replace pharmaceutical drugs currently used for obesity that cause adverse side effects. The Brazilian researchers also expressed concern with the abundant schemes and dietary efforts at reducing calories that are impractical and difficult to maintain, not to mention often unhealthy. Using refined carbohydrates and processed vegetable oils to avoid saturated fat is the lifestyle of the unhealthy, as the standard American diet (SAD) has proven. The researchers used refined carbohydrates to create adiposity in their experimental mice. Refined carbohydrates such as sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and flours used in processed foods are pervasive in our culture and have been recognized by many scientists open to the truth as the real culprits behind obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.