INTERESTING TIMES

Fascinating new research uses masses of data from NHANES to find that current cannabis users have less insulin resistance, smaller waists, and higher HDL, than former or non-users.

( Notes from study and articles )

dietary supplementation with coconut oil-->reduction in waist circumference after 1 week!!
also coconut--> higher HDL, lower LDL:HDL ratio
randomized, double-blind clinical trial, 12 week long diet
n = 40 women in 2 groups, daily soybean oil vs daily coconut oil
all walked and ate low cal diets
at 1 wk: soybean oil group had incr total chol, LDL and LDL:HDL ratio, decr HDL
(bad trend in fats)
( the study )

(in these notes IR = insulin resistance)
( notes from Miller endocrinology 2011 )

And another speaker on Obesity here:
http://videomedia2.swedish.org/mediasite/SilverlightPlayer/Default.aspx?peid=cd8c7aa15bc94a0486f4ee9b66ef8f8f

ZOCOR = SIMVASTATIN
--an enzyme blocker (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor)
--a substrate of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4)
--a "statin"
--blocks the production of cholesterol in the body
--prescribed for adults, children down to 10 years of age and girls who have menstruated for at least a year
--used along with a proper diet to help lower cholesterol and fats (triglycerides) in the blood
--(rare) can cause the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue leading to kidney failure, look for muscle pain or tenderness, muscle weakness, fever or flu symptoms, dark colored urine
--in 2006 zocor was the second best selling drug in the U.S.
--Zocor lost its patent protections in June 2006, so generics are available
--Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, and other drugs in the "statin" class have been judged by many experts to be "pretty much interchangeable"
--can cause birth defects in an unborn baby
--DO NOT USE if you are pregnant, breast feeding, or have liver disease
--BEWARE if you have diabetes, underactive thyroid, kidney disease, muscle or blood disorder --Zocor 5 mg - shield-shaped, buff, film-coated tablets
--Zocor 10 mg - shield-shaped, peach-colored, film-coated tablets
--Zocor 20 mg - shield-shaped, tan, film-coated tablets
--Vytorin contains both Zetia (ezetimibe) and Zocor (simvastatin) in one tablet
--USU prescribed after non-drug treatment options have not been successful at lowering cholesterol (e.g., diet change, increase in exercise, weight loss if overweight)
--familial hypercholesterolemia may require more frequent dosing
--AVOID eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice while being treated with this medication unless your doctor instructs you otherwise
--costs $4/pill or $2/pill for generic
--one statin isn't any better than any other (except, perhaps, some are more dangerous)
--statins are "one of the most unnecessary drugs in medicine" (Mercola)
--There are a small group of people with genetic enzyme defects that have cholesterols levels above 325-350. These are about the only individuals in my experience, who seem to benefit from statins. In my practice of 10,000 patients there has been a grand total of three patients that required statins to control this genetic problem.
--pretty much every other person can normalize their cholesterol levels with diet & exercise
--physicians are prescribing these drugs for anyone with a heart attack, even if their cholesterol level is already dangerously low (below 150).
--nearly all conventional physicians fail to appreciate is that there is a danger of having a cholesterol that is too low.
--Mercola's plan (what to do instead of taking statins):
1) normalize your insulin levels by eliminating sugar and grains from your diet
2) take a high-quality fish oil that is chock full of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids
3) check your iron levels as elevated levels of iron can cause major oxidative damage in the blood vessels, heart and other organs
4) get regular exercise
( more )

Mercola says that fructose inhibits uric acid excretion. Here's the article: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/19/surge-in-gout-blamed-on-sweet-drinks.aspx
( Did you know that high fructose corn syrup also causes gout? )

Mercola finally put it all together in simple layman's terms for us at: http://v.mercola.com/blogs/public_blog/Finally-Science-Confirms-the-Secret-Key-to-Weight-Loss-19046.aspx.

The gist of it: The way Americans eat (constant junk consumption) causes us to release a lot of insulin from the pancreas into the blood. Physical inactivity causes our insulin receptors to shut down, because they are not being used. These receptors are how sugar gets from the blood stream into the cells. So the insulin and sugar are stuck in the blood, and we have high blood sugar and low energy. The high insulin levels that result inhibit the pruduction of lipase, a fat-burning enzyme. Without lipase our bodies have to break down carbs and proteins for energy. If we try to diet we lose muscle mass instead of fat because we don't have lipase, because we've been eating junk so long. Burning up our muscles makes us weak and low energy, and we can't exercise, and the whole situation gets worse until we die of heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and other systemic issues that were caused at the very beginning by our crappy diets and inactivity.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/lifeathome/story.html?id=a042812e-492c-4f07-8245-8a598ab5d1bf&k=63970

Diabetic mice were injected with injected with capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers, which counteracted the effect of malfunctioning pain neurons in the pancreas. The mice became healthy practically overnight.

Any disease that the modern medical establishment claims is "incurable" is actually a cash cow. They want to keep us sick and paying for medicine. I don't believe claims of incurability. I believe in miracles. I believe that our bodies want to live, and that life impulse, given the right materials, will kick the ass of any invader or malfunction.