Finally, a chink in the armor

Of all of the thousands of offerings in the marketplace, there is literally only one animal-based food (or supplement) that gets a near unanimous endorsement from our mainstream medical community. And that would be fish, fish oil and other omega-3 supplements containing fish oil.

As you might expect, that carte blanche endorsement has resulted in a huge business for those products—about one billion dollars per year in just the USA. But finally, there was a hint of bad news this week from the mainstream media (4-11-12 New York Times, see link below). From the article:

People who put their faith in fish oil supplements may want to reconsider. A new analysis of the evidence casts doubt on the widely touted notion that the pills can prevent heart attacks in people at risk for cardiovascular disease.

After sifting through about one thousand studies, the authors found that, “that taking omega-3 fatty acids did not reduce the risk of further cardiovascular problems in patients who already had heart disease.”  

Looking for clarity over confusion? Read the works of Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. --- Bill Clinton did and it probably saved his life.

“Patients who already have heart disease” may very well include the vast majority of the adult population in the USA. Dr. Esselstyn now estimates that virtually everyone who has eaten the typical Western diet for 20 years—already has heart disease.

In other words, getting heart disease is not bad luck, it’s the natural result of eating the wrong food for twenty years or more. Like the American soldiers autopsied after the Korean war, 80% already have coronary artery disease—they just haven’t had their first heart attack yet.

Here’s the comment that I posted online beneath the Times article: 

“Finally, the media tells the public about some possible drawbacks from the ONLY positive aspect of animal-based foods—the omega-3s from fish and fish oil. But by not mentioning the REAL news, they just leave the poor reader even more confused than before.

Bill Clinton making a point about his "plant-based" diet to Wolf Blitzer on CNN. You can see this video on the Video tab of this website.

Real news? Just like so many articles from the “expert” media, there was not a single mention of the clinically proven method of reversing heart disease in over 95% of the cases. That method has absolutely nothing to do with fish, fish oil, or any other product that comes from an animal.

I’m talking about the simple, yet powerful, consumption of a whole foods, plant-based diet like the one being practiced by President Clinton. He was influenced to adopt that diet by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Dean Ornish.

Sadly, millions of lives could be saved if people were simply told the truth about the “miracle” of a whole foods, plant-based diet. And, by the way, there are plenty of plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids—without the host of negatives associated with eating animal products.” —posted by J. Morris Hicks of Stonington, CT.

New York Times article: Fish Oil Supplements for Heart Health?

Related earlier blogpost: Omega-3, sodium & potassium—Think ratios

In closing. Recently I blogged about Dick Cheney and his latest heart surgery—a transplant. Here’s that post along with one more of my 24 posts in the past year on this crucial subject—all part of an ongoing effort to provide clarity over confusion. If you haven’t seen the Sanjay Gupta special (below) you might want to take five minutes and watch the first video on that post.

Clinton or Cheney? Which heart treatment do you prefer?

“The Last Heart Attack” (Sanjay Gupta) on CNN (August 2011)

Want to find out how healthy your family is eating? Take our free 4Leaf Diagnostic Survey It takes less than five minutes and you can score it yourself. After taking the survey, please give me your feedback as it will be helpful in the development of our future 4Leaf app for smartphones. Send feedback to jmorrishicks@me.com

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J. Morris Hicks, working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

For help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4Leaf page or some great recipes at Lisa’s 4Leaf Kitchen.

Got a question? Let me hear from you at jmorrishicks@me.com.

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Blogging daily at hpjmh.com…from the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

—J. Morris Hicks, board member, T. Colin Campbell Foundation