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>why do so many doctors stand behind these drugs, the money?

That's one big reason among several, yes. Maybe not money directly, but there are always the nice little gifts, the friendly sales rep with his helpful "research" to save them time chasing down and analysing debate between researchers, and the corporate-sponsored medical conferences in exotic countries etc (I personally know a doctor who loves going on these every year). There's also the little item that if your research funding comes from corporations and "non-profit" organisations with funding links to the corporate world, you are less likely to want to bite the hand that feeds you.

Re the logic, isn't it pretty obvious? You have a drug that is supposed to promote heart health which actually puts it at risk. I feel sorry for the trusting people who suffered or perhaps even died before it was realised that statin-induced Co-enzyme Q10 deficiency causes serious harm. And the problems of statins aren't just related to CoQ10. Statins suppress one of the precursors of CoQ10 and cholesterol, HMG-CoA reductase. That enzyme is a precursor about half a dozen steps prior to cholesterol - which means that about five other substances besides cholesterol are suppressed when a statin drug is present. Cholesterol of course is used to make other things, like the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Like bile, which helps with the absorbtion of fat and the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Like the "stress hormone" cortisol. Cholesterol is also a precursor for the body's synthesis of Vitamin D (so lowering it not only retards absorbtion of Vitamin D through food, but also retards your skin generating Vitamin D when sunshine hits it). Vitamin D is needed for proper bone mineralisation, and is also believed to have an anti-cancer effect. As well as the liver, the brain manufactures cholesterol but Lipitor can cross the blood-brain barrier and stop production there too. As cholesterol comprises a significant portion of the brain and is necessary for proper mental function, it is no wonder that slowness, forgetfulness, and even transient global amnesia are known symptoms of statin use.

I am related to someone who is taking Lipitor right now. He is taking co-enzyme Q10 and still suffering muscular aches and pains, and cannot raise his arms above shoulder-level any more, the pain is so great if he tries. He also suffers from an overwhelming tiredness shortly after taking his fix, and becomes a little slow at following the thread of conversations. His faith in his personal doctor is absolute, and no matter how many books written by DOCTORS I place in front of him to read, his faith in Lipitor and his Medical Priest sustain him like some sort of cult, even though I see it wearing him down before my despairing eyes. Interestingly, the white-coated Priest has been presented with Dr Graveline's first book on Lipitor, and did not choose to contend with it at all. His response to his patient was that "the choice to stop or continue taking it is yours".

When you learn from members of the international medical community that high cholesterol has not been proven as the cause of heart disease and how the stated reason for using statins is flawed by politics, profit and junk science, and there is no medically useful reason to take these dangerous statin drugs at all, you tend to want to boil over in fury.

Some books for you to check out:

The Great Cholesterol Con, by Malcolm Kendrick MD (2007)

The Cholesterol Myths, by Uffe Ravnskov MD PhD (2000, 2002)

The Great Cholesterol Con, by Anthony Colpo (2006) - forward by Ravnskov & contains nearly 1500 citations to medical journals and research trial reports.

Know Your Fats: The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol, by Mary Enig PhD (2000) - a bit dry for the lay reader, plunges into lipid chemistry, but highly informative. Enig was among researchers who became concerned about trans fats way back in the 1970s.

The Heart Revolution: The Extraordinary Discovery That Finally Laid the Cholesterol Myth to Rest, by Kilmer Mccully MD & Martha Mccully (2000)

Lipitor: Thief of Memory, by Duane Graveline MD (2006)

Statin Drugs Side Effects and the Misguided War on Cholesterol, by Duane Graveline MD (2008)

Those books have plenty of academic and scientific citations for you to seek further.

So in this study, the doctors asked 773 patients about their diet regimens via a food-frequency questionnaire.

Now the study obviously has randomization of the sample and it was performed under double-blind situations. Therefore either the doctor nor the patient knew what they're respective position in reference to their diet. Now this study clearly outlines the odds ratio is increased in patients who have animal in their diet or can be classified as carnivores. While patients who can be classified as vegetarian, have a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular and metabolic syndromes.

There is only one specific aspect of this study in which I have a problem with. Its not the sample size, even though it is lower than what I would of liked. There could be a sampling bias. In the sense that the subjects are not representative relative to the general population. Therefore the results are not generalizable. I say this because I have not seen any estimate higher than five percept of the population being vegetarian. Therefore also indicating a possibility of selection bias. Furthermore, there could be a bias in respect to the length of this study. How long have they followed these patients, have these patients kept their diet going or did they interchange their habits? In respect to the strength of this individual study, the only thing it shows is a relatively small correlation with increased probability of decreased incidence of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders and syndromes, for patients who are vegetarian.

I am not trying to be a bummer here. Nonetheless, we must be strict with our interpretations. The fact that is also what the patients are eating. If the patients are eating animal proteins from animals grown on large farms, in which the probability of harsh chemicals, antibiotics, and the likes would be high. Then the probability of increased incidence of disease could be confounded in this factor. Off coarse this is all speculation.

If you want to read about a large significant study, I would recommend 'The China Study'.

Here is a link to download it:
http://btjunkie.org/torrent/The-China-Study-The-Most-Comprehensive-Study-of-Nutrition-Ever-Conducted-AUDIOBOOK/3198500d806664b9eb2f3a2f821a501060302436a9fb

Here is a link to buy it:
http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100385

NOTE: Offcoarse the China Study is not the know-all-know-all. I'm just putting it up here because of the subject matter and because it is definitely a significant study that should not be underrated. To be fair, here is a link from a site which, IMO, critically interprets the study. The doctor who made this study has a response to it aswell.

I've been wheatless for about 6 months. I feel more energetic, think clearly, lost 5 lbs in the first couple of weeks and now I'm at my ideal weight. It's true about the hunger. I'm not raging hungry anymore and whole foods satisfy me hours. I'm currently reading Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis and it's true that the wheat of our ancestors compared to today's wheat is completely different due to genetic modifications to yield faster, more abundant growing crops.

>A diabetic patient is recommended to have foods rich in Carbohydrates

ಠ_ಠ

http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307272702

>If the USDA dietary guidelines—recommending that highly caloric grains and carbohydrates comprise 45 to 65 percent of daily caloric intake—are so healthy, why, he asks, has obesity among Americans been on the upswing? Why has this same diet, endorsed by the American Heart Association, not managed to reduce the incidence of heart disease?

http://www.uctv.tv/search-details.aspx?showID=16717

I will show you the data, and please do not tell me its delusional, if I was unable to show you the data, or you showed me data showing im wrong, then I will gladly accept that you are right. I am still learning about this myself and I will not pretend to know everything.

http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100385

the biggest one ever is The China Study. Over 800 million people in china were studied over a long period of time and the results are quite amazing. you can read about it all over the place or simply buy the book or find it at a local library if they have it. The basis for what I am saying is this: The body has a wonderful fighting system that is able to fight off any infection or disease normally. The people that normally eat a lot of processed foods are in cities and places where its very easy to consume large amounts of unhealthy food.

another book I am reading now is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Gerson-Way-Defeating-Diseases/dp/0976018624/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331091809&sr=1-1

and its awesome at explaining how the body works and what substances break down our bodies natural defenses, letting chronic illnesses take over. I hope you will look at these books. I got a cousin dying in a hospital right now of a tumor that has come back again, after almost 2 years of chemo, and now his body is to weak and toxic from the chemo to fight anymore and he has less than a 20% chance of living. Damaging the defense of the body only bring the problem back and with even worse effects.

Also, the documentary Forks over Knives is a good one to watch. Two doctors who are masters in their fields of work realize diet is very important in keeping infection and disease away from the body. I wish you the best my friend

First, let me say, I cannot really provide a solution for you, but I can share what has worked for me. I have not been as overweight as you but I have at times in my life been significantly overweight (not in mass but in % body fat) and as I am becoming older, I had found it increasingly difficult to control. My point is, you need to try things to see what works for you. Keep a daily journal of how you feel (energy, attention, brain function, etc) so you can do some experiments on yourself.

What has worked for me is adopting (what appears to be the latest fad) the paleo/evolutionary fitness model for diet and exercise. I eat little or no processed foods (e.g. read Pollan, and other rules of thumb...if it doesn't spoil, don't eat it, never shop in the inside area of the supermarket, if it comes out of a box, don't eat it, etc.). I don't drink soda, juice, or anything with sugars (just unsweetened coffee or tea, water). I eat a lot of meat, eggs, fish (no worries on fat content...my favorite lunch is a sandwich from the local deli called the Three Little Pigs, without the bread, it is smoked ham, pork bbq, and bacon). I eat some dairy, primarily full fat and fermented, like Fage Total plain yogurt (with a little fresh fruit and shredded raw coconut). I eat all my favorite vegetables slathered in full fat butter (from the farm if I can get it). This may sound like a low-carb, Atkins type diet, but it isn't. That isn't to say going low carb won't help you lose fat quickly. Nevertheless, it isn't the main point. The main point is to eat as our ancestors did some 10,000 or more years ago, as evolution has not caught up with our recent use of grains in our diet and certainly not processed foods. Another thing I do is intermittently fast. At first somewhat forced, but now just because I am not hungry. I can typically eat dinner (say around 5pm) and not eat again until around lunch the next day.

As far as exercise, I avoid long aerobic activities unless in pursuit of yard work, handling the kids, or sport (like tennis). No treadmills, distance running, or biking. I do walk or ride a bike for transportation, but I am not getting winded. I do lift weights, usually once a week, using only large muscle groups and free weights, and very intensely. It takes about 20 minutes, but given its intensity it is brutal...but over quickly. I introduce a bit of randomness into the exercise frequency and variety of exercises (e.g. maybe twice in one week, maybe I will do a bunch of pull-ups one night or push ups). Sprints are intermingled with this, sometimes just as part of playing with the dog. Again, the point is to expose the body to stresses in an irregular but intense pattern, as perhaps were encountered by our ancestors.

The result is that I am probably a month away (after approximately 9 months total) from having washboard abs, I have great energy levels, stamina and focus. I no longer wake up with aching joints. I don't get low energy levels after eating (unless I really stuff myself). Keep in mind, I am in my 40s. I was 210 and very soft and pear shaped when I started, now I am 185 and back to a youthful V shape.
The only negatives I can speak to is a diminished ability to find quick and convenient food sources and missing bread, pasta and a pizza once and a while. I really don't miss sweets, but I don't think I was that hooked on them in the first place.

Finally, let me give the sources that drove me in this direction. Take a look and see if you are interested in trying it. As I said, I can't say that it will work for you, but it has worked for me.

Websites:

Art Devany http://www.arthurdevany.com/ Evolutionary Fitness

Keith Norris http://theorytopractice.wordpress.com/

Mark Sisson http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Richard Nikoley http://freetheanimal.com/

Seth Roberts http://blog.sethroberts.net/ (more about self-experimentation and the value of fermented foods)

Weston A. Price Foundation http://www.westonaprice.org/

Books:

Gary Taubes, Good Calories, Bad Calories

Little, McGuff Body by Science

Weston A. Price, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration

Mark Sisson The Primal Blueprint

Interesting, thanks. The fact it doesn't happen 24/7 is definitely a good sign.

According to various folks in the "Paleo" community, like Robb Wolf and Loren Cordain, dairy and other lectin-containing foods have deleterious effects on the guts even in the absence of any sort of allergic reaction. From their perspective, it's easy to believe dairy could act as a trigger for IBS attacks if you're teetering at the edge of guts being unhappy, yet be able to get away with it when you've got more margin.

I've found a lot of interesting stuff in that community. If the avoiding cholinesterase inhibitors strategy doesn't get you far enough, you might try the full paleo thing (no grains, legumes, or dairy) for a month or so and see if that helps. I suspect Robb Wolf's book The Paleo Solution may be a reasonably compact way to get the details. I haven't read it yet, but have listened to his whole podcast series (all 57 episodes of it) and think he's got the best big picture grasp on this stuff I've seen.

Another random speculation: part of the Ayurvedic tradition is that sweat is one of the pathways that the body uses to get rid of ama, or stuff your body wants to get rid of. In addition to whatever cholinergic stuff might be going on, improvements to food quality/purity or figuring out how not to eat stuff your body's objecting to in some way could potentially reduce any "ama-induced" sweating.

Here are the three books Pres Clinton sent to the author after the author had a heart attack in 2010:

Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
by Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr.


The China Study
by T. Colin Campbell et al

Definitely go to the doctor to make sure nothing serious is going on, and if that is the case, you might check out this book - Treat Your Own Back - http://www.amazon.com/Treat-Your-Own-Back-802-9/dp/0987650408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331273012&sr=8-1

A couple things I do (did prior to reading this book), was laying on my stomach for 5 mins or so in the morning when waking up (having a pillow underneath) and bowing my back. Another thing I do that has helped is rolling on a yoga/exercise foam roller. I normally do this in the morning and at night.

Good luck

If you have an hour to spare I recommend this talk by Michael Pollan on his new book: Food Rules. It is both informative and funny. Out of all the books I read on nutrition and health I got the most out of In Defense of Food.

Take your probiotics...Multi strands are the best!
Changed my life....!

I think you need to read Lierre Keith's The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability.

You should check out the book Wheat Belly by William Davis. I'm almost done reading it and it provides a ton of research and real-world examples of how people's health problems improved or went away after dropping wheat from their diets. He has a large section dedicated to arthritis and inflammation.

Don't waste your time with specialist, read this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/dp/0446392308

I wish I had read this years ago. I'm pain free now.

I've found a blue light box to be very helpful.

Fluoride is a crock of shit and the movement to reveal that is slowly gaining traction. All the documentation is in that book.

I swear by these. I use mine every time I have a shower. Never had clogged ears or wax build up since I got it - apart from when I went away for a holiday and forgot it.

Read the Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

He was a competitive lifter and went thru some almost life threatening dietary issues. Once he realized that wheat & grains were fucking up his insides he was able to fix the problem.

Going full Paleo might not be a reasonble solution for you but realizing how harmful white flour, wheat and grains are to our body will be enough to help you reduce them in your diet.

here's a speech he gave that might give you a quick intro to what he's about

Try this with very warm water. Repeat several times in each ear. Use as needed. It moved masses of wax out of my ears and didn't blast my eardrum.

I rely on these exercises:

http://www.amazon.com/Treat-Your-Own-Back-9th/dp/0987650408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299010406&sr=8-1

Your local library likely has a copy, but it's only $10 on Amazon.

What you want is this book.

No becuase as the book "Listening to Prosac"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140266712?ie=UTF8&tag=reddit0e-20

pointed out way back in the 90's the antidepressants actually work whereas there has been no study showing psychotherapy actually effects a positive outcome overall.

Thus most insurance plans dropped or made psychotherapy prohibitively expensive in insurance plans.

I'd say that book's looking fairly out-dated now, personally I'd recommend the Paleo Solution or the Primal Blueprint. I think Cordain was still recommending a relatively low-fat diet when he wrote that, and was more concerned about risks in consuming saturated fats.

Two suggestions. 1.) Go to acupuncture 2.) Read this or ANY book on the subject by Dr. John Sarno. He's healed countless celebrities and others.

Did you mean "The China Study"? Exceptional book.

When I started taking probiotics, I was attempting to combat what I was convinced was a yeast overgrowth. So I used one that had 50 billion colonies. I bought it at Whole Foods, and I think the brand was "every day value 365".

After a month and a half, when my rash went away, I downgraded and now take this one, which is only 5 billion colonies.

http://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Oil-Sunscreen-Amazing-Book-ebook/dp/B01D8KGZT8/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

http://www.amazon.com/Prevent-Reverse-Heart-Disease-Nutrition-Based/dp/1583333002

Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It

I'll make it easier. As well as a lot of other reading, I took the time to buy and read this: Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health

But Taubes is admittedly soporific to read, so I'll make it even easier. Here is an hour-long presentation he made a few years before the book: Big Fat Lies

There is a lot more, but that may be enough for now.

If that is too long for you, this is not Taubes and is only a couple of minutes: Fat Lies

PS When you read Taubes an additional time problem is also reading the multitude of cites he provides.

The name of their book / blog is "wheat belly". Dude is a dr and basically says putting hit patients on wheat free diets had all kinds of bananas good results. Their main thing I see so far is modern wheat isn't like old school wheat. It's been mixed w/other shit to make it high yield, which also changed other things some of which have bad effects.

What gets me is the 4.5 star rating on amazon (295 reviews) with person after person saying dropping wheat changed their life. Symptoms they suffered from for years and years, gone. And not just "I was fat her der".

http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/product-reviews/1609611543/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

These aren't small "cool book dude" reviews either. These people are telling their fucking life stories. Shit obvious really impacted them.

I found this while goolging some other stuff and after some reading am pretty sure I too have a "wheat belly".

At work so can't watch. Posting here to for a lazy bookmark :D

I read the BOOK recently. Putting some of it into practice and it is already working! (eating mostly meat, little too no carbs; after plateauing on a 4HB/slow carb diet!). People really need to read and understand this shit!

Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health covers this topic very thoroughly.

Vitamin D with calcium, cuts the overall general cancer risk between the lowest and highest quartile of people measured by about 75%. And cuts the overall general cancer metastasis risk by about 50%. See: http://www.ajcn.org/content/85/6/1586.short

Proper supplementation is around the 75 IU D3 per kg bodyweight per day mark. But actually you have to measure your 25(OH)D3 bloodlevels to be sure, is has to end up between 100-150 nmol/L (40-60ng/mL).

Vegetarians being healthy is myth, though in general they have to be more obsessed with foods so they tend to know how to balance it with special healthy supplemental foods that are not as well known by the general populace.

For bone health you may want to look into vitamin K (K1, K2:{Mk4, Mk7}) and other vitamin D cofactors.