The Cholesterol Scam

Ernest Curtis, MD, exposes the Big Government-Big Pharma cholesterol scam.

A delusion is a false belief held with conviction despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary. LRC readers are certainly familiar with many delusions popularly held in the field of economics and the fact that these myths persist because they serve the interests of those who benefit from big government and ever-expanding government interventions.

The same is true in the field of medical science where one of the most widely accepted myths involves cholesterol and its purported role in causing heart attacks.

There is a closely related set of theories known as the Cholesterol Theory, the Lipid Hypothesis, and the Diet-Heart Theory. They postulate that cholesterol is the chief culprit in the causation of atherosclerosis (also called arteriosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries"). It is the complications of atherosclerosis that lead to disability and premature death from heart attacks and strokes. These theories also maintain that a diet too high in fats and cholesterol is often responsible for the premature development of atherosclerosis.

The truth is that these theories are scientifically bankrupt and cholesterol has nothing to do with the development of atherosclerosis or its subsequent complications. Read more

Olive Oil, Grren Leaf Vegetables Prevent Heart Disease

A new study found that three tablespoons of olive oil or one serving of leafy, green vegetables daily can cut your risk of heart disease almost in half.

Italian researchers have confirmed that diets rich in leafy green vegetables and olive oil are vital for heart health. Dr. Domenico Palli from the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute in Florence and his colleagues discovered that women who eat at least one serving of leafy greens a day are 46 percent less likely to develop heart disease than women who eat less. And those who consume at least three tablespoons of olive oil a day earn roughly the same benefit. Read more

The Cancer-Preventing Vitamin Your Doctor Knows Nothing About

Can you help prevent cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis with vitamin K, which nearly everyone is deficient in?

... Vitamin K may be "the next vitamin D" if research continues to illuminate the growing number of benefits to your health.

Dr. Cees Vermeer, one of the world's top researchers in the field of vitamin K, founded a vitamin K research group in 1975, which is now the largest group investigating this area of nutrition science.

How many people have adequate vitamin K… care to guess?

Just about zero, according to Dr. Vermeer and other experts in the field.

Most people get just enough K from their diets to maintain adequate blood clotting, but NOT enough to offer protection against he following health problems – and the list is growing: Read more

The Agony of Long-Distance Runners: Coronary Plaque

A group of elite distance runners had higher levels of coronary plaque than people tested for cardiac disease.

A group of elite long-distance runners had less body fat, better cholesterol and blood lipid profiles, and better heart rates than people being tested for cardiac disease. Paradoxically, however, the runners had more calcified plaque in their heart arteries, according to a study reported this week. Read more

The Angioplasty Scam

Angioplasty is a huge business, but new heart research shows that exercise helps heart disease and increases survival rates more than angioplasty does.

At the European Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation meeting recently held in Barcelona, Spain, new heart research was presented that shows one treatment in particular can provide remarkable help for patients with certain forms of serious heart disease. It's not a new drug or surgical procedure. Instead, it's a natural therapy -- plain old-fashioned regular exercise. Read more

Eating a Bit Less Salt Saves Lives

Americans' salt consumption has risen 50% over the past 40 years, mostly as a result of eating more processed foods and more food prepared in restaurants. Most people consume about 9 to 12 g (or 3,600 to 4,800 mg of sodium) per person per day - twice the recommended amount. Eating a bit less salt can have major health benefits.

Some salt is crucial for good health, of course — to regulate blood pressure and assist with muscle and nerve function — but too much (that is, at the levels we currently consume) can lead to hypertension, heart disease and stroke. If Americans halved their salt intake, as many as 150,000 premature deaths could be prevented each year, according to the American Medical Association. And new research presented March 11 by Bibbins-Domingo at the AHA's annual conference shows that even small reductions — as little as 1 g of salt per day — could have dramatic effects, saving 200,000 lives over the course of a decade. Read more

Wine That Clears Your Arteries

Isn't it great when something good is also good for you? An Australian doctor is producing wines with up to 100 times the antioxidant content of standard wine, creating what he calls "vascular pipe-cleaners."

It sounds too good to be true, but an Australian doctor insists he has created the world's healthiest tipple: a wine that cleans the arteries as you drink it, reducing the risk of heart attack. Read more

Can You Avoid Sudden Death Like Tim Russert's?

Heart disease, just like type two diabetes, is one of the easiest diseases to prevent and avoid, BUT you simply must be proactive.