Take a look at the list of foods on the American Heart Association's (AHA) Check Mark endorsement program (below). After I saw the list, I was convinced either that the people who designed the program are either startlingly ignorant, or the AHA simply does this for money.

Many of these foods have nothing to do with health, heart or otherwise. In fact, many of these foods are prominent culprits that contribute to the American epidemic of obesity. There are cured meats with sodium nitrite (a potent cause of colon cancer). Some of these companies have been accused of unhealthy food manufacturing practices. Tyson Foods, for instance, has been in court many times defending their brutal factory farm practices and were the focus of a federal investigation for paying bribe money to USDA Secretary, Mike Espy. (Espy was acquitted but two Tyson executives were convicted, only to be later pardoned by then President Bill Clinton.)

This is a smarmy list to be included on. Though there are some rare healthy exceptions on the list, from the Track Your Plaque viewpoint, this is a list of shame, foods that have no place in a genuinely heart healthy nutrition program.

8th Continent, LLC
8th Continent Fat Free Premium Original Soymilk
8th Continent Fat Free Premium Vanilla Soymilk
8th Continent Light Chocolate Soymilk
8th Continent Light Original Soymilk
8th Continent Light Vanilla Soymilk
8th Continent Premium Chocolate Soymilk
8th Continent Premium Original Soymilk
8th Continent Premium Vanilla Soymilk

American Italian Pasta Company
Golden Grain Mission Whole Grain Penne Rigate
Golden Grain Mission Whole Grain Rotini
Golden Grain Mission Whole Grain Spaghetti
Heartland Whole Grain Penne
Heartland Whole Grain Rotini
Heartland Whole Grain Spaghetti
Heartland Whole Wheat Angel Hair
Heartland Whole Wheat Elbow Macaroni
Heartland Whole Wheat Penne
Heartland Whole Wheat Rotini
Heartland Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Mueller's Whole Grain Penne
Mueller's Whole Grain Rotini
Mueller's Whole Grain Spaghetti

Atalanta Corporation
Celebrity 99% Fat Free Premium Imported Healthy Ham

Beefmaster Cattlemen, L.P.
Nolan Ryan's All Natural Ground Beef Round 96/4, 4% Fat

Bimbo Bakeries USA
Bimbo's 100% Integral/Bimbo 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Mrs. Baird's 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Oroweat Country 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Oroweat Double Fiber Bread
Oroweat Original Health Nut Bread
Boar's Head Provisions Company, Inc.
Boar's Head Aroastica Seasoned Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Boar's Head Blazing Buffalo Style Boneless Skinless Roasted Chicken Breast
Boar's Head Branded Deluxe 42% Lower Sodium Ham
Boar's Head Cracked Pepper Mill Smoked Turkey Breast
Boar's Head Golden Classic Oven Roasted Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Boar's Head Hickory Smoked Black Forest Turkey Breast - 43% Lower Sodium
Boar's Head Hickory Smoked Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Boar's Head Italian Style Oven Roasted Seasoned Beef with Classic Braciole Seasoning
Boar's Head Lemon Pepper Boneless Skinless Roasted Chicken Breast
Boar's Head Londonport Top Round Seasoned Roast Beef
Boar's Head Maple Glazed Honey Coat Cured Turkey Breast
Boar's Head Mesquite Wood Smoked Skinless Roasted Breast of Turkey
Boar's Head Our Deluxe Low Sodium Low Fat Oven Roasted Choice Beef Cap Off Top Round
Boar's Head Our Premium Oven Roasted 47% Lower Sodium Turkey Breast - Skinless
Boar's Head Our Premium Oven Roasted 50% Lower Sodium Turkey Breast
Boar's Head Ovengold Roast Breast of Turkey
Boar's Head Ovengold Roast Breast of Turkey - Skinless
Boar's Head Pastrami Seasoned Turkey Breast
Boar's Head Salsalito Roasted Breast of Turkey
Bryan Foods, Inc.
Bryan 97% Fat Free Butcher Fresh Pork Tenderloin

Bumble Bee Foods LLC
Kirkland Signature Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water
Member's Mark Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water

California Giant
California Giant Strawberries
California Strawberry Commission
California Fresh Strawberries
California Frozen Strawberries

Campbell Soup Company
Calcium Enriched V8 100% Vegetable Juice
Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request Chicken Noodle
Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request Classic Chicken Noodle Microwaveable Bowl
Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Microwaveable Bowl
Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request Hearty Beef Barley
Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request New Englad Clam Chowder
Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef
Campbell's Chunky Healthy Request Vegetable
Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup
Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup (Food Service)
Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Chicken Rice Soup
Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Homestyle Chicken Noodle
Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Minestrone Soup
Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Tomato Soup
Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Vegetable Beef Soup
Campbell's Healthy Request Condensed Vegetable Soup
Campbell's Healthy Request Tomato Juice
Campbell's Low Sodium Tomato Juice
Campbell's Select Healthy Request Chicken and Egg Noodles
Campbell's Select Healthy Request Italian Style Wedding Microwaveable Bowl
Campbell's Select Healthy Request Italian-Style Wedding
Campbell's Select Healthy Request Mexican Style Chicken Tortilla
Campbell's Select Healthy Request Mexican Style Chicken Tortilla Microwaveable Bowl
Campbell's Select Healthy Request Savory Chicken and Long Grain Rice
Campbell's V8 Fusion Strawberry Banana
Campbell's V8 Fusion Tropical Orange
Campbell's V8 Regular Vegetable Juice
Campbell's V8 V.Fusion Light Peach Mango
Campbell's V8 V.Fusion Light Strawberry Banana
Campbell's V8 V.Fusion Pomegranate Blueberry
Essential Antioxidants V8 100% Vegetable Juice
Low Sodium V8 100% Vegetable Juice
Prego Heart Smart Mushroom Italian Sauce
Prego Heart Smart Traditional Italian Sauce

Cargill Meat Solutions
96/4 All Natural Extra Lean Ground Beef
Excel's Tender Choice 97% Fat Free Pork Tenderloins
Excel's Tender Choice Extra Lean Boneless Pork Loin
Our Certified 100% Pure All Natural Ground Beef 96/4
Sterling Silver Extra Lean Pork Tenderloins - 12% Marination
Sterling Silver Lean Boneless Pork Loin - 12% Marination

Chiquita Brands Company, N.A.
Chiquita Bananas

Clearwater Seafoods Limited Partnership
Clearwater Frozen Arctic Surf Clams

Cliffstar Corporation
Deerfield Farms No Sugar Added 100% Grape Juice (Purple)
Safeway 100% Grape Juice (Purple)
Sam's Choice 100% Grape Juice (Purple)
Walgreens 100% Grape Juice (Purple)

Clougherty Packing Company
Farmer John® California Natural® 4% Fat Extra Lean Ground Pork
Farmer John® California Natural® Premium Extra Lean Boneless Pork Tenderloins

Minute Maid Premium Blends - Orange Passion Calcium Juice-Frozen
Minute Maid Premium Blends - Orange Tangerine Calcium Juice - Frozen
Minute Maid Premium Country Style Orange Juice
Minute Maid Premium Country Style Orange Juice - Frozen
Minute Maid Premium Extra Vitamins C and E Plus Zinc Orange Juice - Frozen
Minute Maid Premium Home Squeezed Style Calcium + Vitamin D Orange Juice
Minute Maid Premium Low Acid Orange Juice
Minute Maid Premium Low Acid Orange Juice - Frozen
Minute Maid Premium Original Calcium + Vitamin D Orange Juice
Minute Maid Premium Original Calcium Orange Juice - Frozen
Minute Maid Premium Original Orange Juice
Minute Maid Premium Original Orange Juice - Frozen
Minute Maid Premium Pulp Free Calcium + Vitamin D Orange Juice
Minute Maid Premium Pulp Free Orange Juice
Minute Maid Premium Pulp Free Orange Juice - Frozen
Simply Orange Calcium Pulp Free 100% Orange Juice
Simply Orange Country Stand Calcium Medium Pulp 100% Orange Juice
Simply Orange Grove Made High Pulp 100% Orange Juice
Simply Orange Original Pulp Free 100% Orange Juice

Colleen Strawberries, Inc. / EKT Farms
Colleen Strawberries

ConAgra Dairy Foods
Egg Beaters 99% Real Eggs-Frozen
Egg Beaters 99% Real Eggs-Refrigerated
Egg Beaters Cheese & Chive
Egg Beaters Egg Whites
Egg Beaters Garden Vegetable
Egg Beaters Ham & Cheese
Egg Beaters Southwestern

ConAgra Food Service
Lamb Weston Sweet Things Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Frozen

ConAgra Frozen Foods
Healthy Choice Café Selections Apple Glazed Pork Medallions
Healthy Choice Café Selections Beef Merlot
Healthy Choice Café Selections Cajun Style Chicken & Shrimp
Healthy Choice Café Selections Chicken Fried Rice
Healthy Choice Café Selections Chicken Margherita
Healthy Choice Café Selections Chicken Tuscany
Healthy Choice Café Selections Creamy Dill Salmon
Healthy Choice Café Selections Four Cheese Pizza
Healthy Choice Café Selections General Tso's Spicy Chicken
Healthy Choice Café Selections Gourmet Supreme Pizza
Healthy Choice Café Selections Grilled Basil Chicken
Healthy Choice Café Selections Grilled Chicken & Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo
Healthy Choice Café Selections Grilled Chicken Baja
Healthy Choice Café Selections Grilled Chicken Caesar
Healthy Choice Café Selections Grilled Chicken Marinara
Healthy Choice Café Selections Grilled Whiskey Steak
Healthy Choice Café Selections Italian Style Pepperoni Pizza
Healthy Choice Café Selections Roasted Chicken Chardonnay
Healthy Choice Café Selections Roasted Chicken Marsala
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Asiago Chicken Portabello
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Beef Pot Roast
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Beef Stroganoff
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Beef Tips Portabello
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Beef with Classic BBQ Sauce
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Blackened Chicken
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Chicken Parmigiana
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Chicken Teriyaki
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Classic Grilled Chicken BBQ
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Country Breaded Chicken
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Country Herb Chicken
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Creamy Garlic Shrimp
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Fiesta Chicken
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Four Cheese Manicotti
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Glazed Chicken
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Grilled Chicken Monterey
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Grilled Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Grilled White Meat Chicken with Smokehouse BBQ Sauce
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Honey Balsamic Chicken
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Lemon Pepper Fish
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Meatloaf
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Mushroom Roasted Beef
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Roasted Chicken
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Salisbury Steak
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Sweet Bourbon Steak
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Sweet and Sour Chicken
Healthy Choice Complete Selections Traditional Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Low Fat Premium Sorbet & Cream Bars-Orange or Strawberry
Healthy Choice Premium Caramel Swirl Sandwich
Healthy Choice Premium Fudge Sandwich
Healthy Choice Premium Fudge Swirl Sandwich
Healthy Choice Premium Low Fat Ice Cream Bar
Healthy Choice Premium Vanilla Sandwich
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Breaded Chicken Breast Strips with Gravy
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Cheese French Bread Pizza
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Cheesy Chicken and Rice
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Chicken Enchilada
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Chicken Rigatoni
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Four Cheese Manicotti
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Glazed Chicken
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Grilled Chicken White Meat Chicken & Pasta
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Grilled White Meat Chicken & Gravy
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Lasagna Bake
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Macaroni & Cheese
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Mandarin Chicken
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Pepperoni French Bread Pizza
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Roast Turkey Breastin Savory Sauce with Mushrooms
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Salisbury Steak
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Sesame Chicken
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Slow Roasted Turkey Breast with Gravy
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Spaghetti
Healthy Choice Simple Selections Supreme French Bread Pizza

ConAgra Grocery Foods
ACT II 94% Fat Free Butter Microwave Popcorn
ACT II 94% Fat Free Butter Mini Bags Microwave Popcorn
ACT II 94% Fat Free Kettle Corn Microwave Popcorn
Healthy Choice Bean & Ham Soup
Healthy Choice Beef Pot Roast Microwavable Bowl Soup
Healthy Choice Chicken & Dumplings Soup
Healthy Choice Chicken Tortilla Soup
Healthy Choice Chicken with Rice Microwavable Bowl Soup
Healthy Choice Chicken with Rice Soup
Healthy Choice Country Vegetable Microwavable Bowl Soup
Healthy Choice Country Vegetable Soup
Healthy Choice Fiesta Chicken Soup
Healthy Choice Garden Vegetable Soup
Healthy Choice Garlic & Herb Pasta Sauce
Healthy Choice Hearty Chicken Soup
Healthy Choice New England Clam Chowder Soup
Healthy Choice Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Microwavable Bowl Soup
Healthy Choice Old Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup
Healthy Choice Split Pea & Ham Soup
Healthy Choice Traditional Pasta Sauce
Healthy Choice Vegetable Beef Soup
Healthy Choice Zesty Gumbo with Chicken & Sausage Soup
Hunt's Family Favorites Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Lasagna
Hunt's Organic Crushed Tomatoes
Hunt's Organic Diced Tomatoes
Hunt's Organic Pasta Sauce Roasted Garlic
Hunt's Organic Whole Tomatoes
Hunt's Tomatoes Crushed in Thick Tomato Puree
Hunt's Tomatoes Diced
Hunt's Tomatoes Diced in Sauce
Hunt's Tomatoes Diced with Mild Green Chilies
Hunt's Tomatoes Diced-Green Pepper, Celery & Onions
Hunt's Tomatoes Petite Diced
Hunt's Tomatoes Stewed-No Salt Added
Hunt's Tomatoes Whole
Hunt's Tomatoes Whole-No Salt Added
Orville Redenbacher's Mini Bags Smart Pop Butter Microwave Popcorn
Orville Redenbacher's Mini Bags Smart Pop Butter/Kettle Corn Microwave Popcorn Variety Pack
Orville Redenbacher's Mini Bags Smart Pop Kettle Corn Microwave Popcorn
Orville Redenbacher's Organic Kernal Jar
Orville Redenbacher's Organic Smart Pop Butter Microwave Popcorn
Orville Redenbacher's Original Kernal Jar
Orville Redenbacher's Original Kernal Jug
Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Butter Microwave Popcorn
Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Kettle Corn Microwave Popcorn
Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Movie Theater Butter Microwave Popcorn
Orville Redenbacher's White Kernal Jar
Rosarita Diced Green Chilies
Rosarita Green Chilies Strips
Rosarita Whole Green Chilies

ConAgra Refrigerated Foods
Healthy Choice Deli Thin Baked Cooked Ham
Healthy Choice Deli Thin Honey Ham
Healthy Choice Deli Thin Honey Ham & Honey Roasted & Smoked Turkey Breast Variety Pack
Healthy Choice Deli Thin Honey Roasted & Smoked Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Deli Thin Mesquite Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Deli Thin Oven Roasted Chicken Breast
Healthy Choice Deli Thin Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Deli Thin Pastrami
Healthy Choice Deli Thin Smoked Ham
Healthy Choice Deli Thin Smoked Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Deli-97% Fat Free Honey Ham
Healthy Choice Deli-97% Fat Free Honey Maple Ham
Healthy Choice Deli-97% Fat Free Medium Cooked Roast Beef-20% Marination
Healthy Choice Deli-97% Fat Free Mesquite Smoked Honey Ham
Healthy Choice Deli-97% Fat Free Roast Beef-20% Marination
Healthy Choice Deli-97% Fat Free Smoked Ham
Healthy Choice Deli-97% Fat Free Virginia Brand Ham
Healthy Choice Deli-98% Fat Free Browned Chicken Breast
Healthy Choice Deli-98% Fat Free Chicken Breast
Healthy Choice Deli-98% Fat Free Golden Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Deli-98% Fat Free Honey Roasted & Smoked Turkey Breast with Broth
Healthy Choice Deli-98% Fat Free Mesquite Smoked Chicken Breast
Healthy Choice Deli-98% Fat Free Mesquite Smoked Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Deli-98% Fat Free Smoked Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Deli-98% Fat Free Southwest Grill Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Deli-Honey Cured Ham
Healthy Choice Deli-Honey Roasted & Smoked Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Deli-Oven Roasted Chicken Breast
Healthy Choice Deli-Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Deli-Roast Beef-20% Marination
Healthy Choice Deli-Virginia Brand Cooked Ham
Healthy Choice Deluxe Thin-Sliced Baked Cooked Ham
Healthy Choice Deluxe Thin-Sliced Honey Ham
Healthy Choice Deluxe Thin-Sliced Honey Ham/Oven Roasted Turkey Breast Variety Pack
Healthy Choice Deluxe Thin-Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Honey Ham
Healthy Choice Low Fat Smoked Sausage
Healthy Choice Pre-Sliced Sandwich Solutions Roast Beef
Healthy Choice Pre-Sliced Sandwich Solutions Skinless Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Pre-Sliced Sandwich Solutions Skinless Smoked Turkey Breast
Healthy Choice Pre-Sliced Sandwich Solutions Virginia Brand Ham
Healthy Choice Virginia Brand Ham
Healthy Choice Zip Pack Cooked Ham
Healthy Choice Zip Pack Honey Ham
Healthy Choice Zip Pack Oven Roasted Chicken Breast
Healthy Choice Zip Pack Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Hebrew National 97% Fat Free Beef Franks

ConAgra Retail Foods
Healthy Choice Hearty 100% Whole Grain Bread
Healthy Choice Hearty 7-Grain Bread

Coolham Holdings, Inc. DBA SunMilk Dairy Co.
SunMilk-Fat Free Milk with Sunflower Oil (The Taste of 1%)
SunMilk-Fat Free Milk with Sunflower Oil (The Taste of 2%)

Cooper Farms
Cooper Farms All Natural Turkey Breast Fillet

Crider, Inc.
Kirkland Signature Premium 99% Fat Free Chunk Chicken Breast

Dare Foods Incorporated
Breton Reduced Fat & Sodium Wheat Crackers

El Aguila Food Products, Inc.
El Aguila Stoneground Corn Tortillas

Eurofresh Inc.
Eurofresh Campari Tomatoes

FPL Foods, LLC
96/4 All Natural Extra Lean Ground Beef

Farmland Foods
Farmland 97% Fat Free Fresh Ground Pork
Farmland Nutrition Wise 97% Fat Free Boneless Center Cut Pork Loin Filet
Farmland Nutrition Wise Boneless Butterfly Cut Pork Loin Chops
Farmland Nutrition Wise Boneless Center Cut Pork Loin
Farmland Nutrition Wise Boneless Center Cut Pork Loin Chops
Farmland Nutrition Wise Boneless Center Cut Pork Loin Roast
Farmland Nutrition Wise Boneless Pork Chops - America's Cut
Farmland Nutrition Wise Boneless Pork Tenderloin
Farmland Nutrition Wise Boneless Pork Top Round Roast
Farmland Nutrition Wise Boneless Pork Top Round Steak
Farmland Nutrition Wise Boneless Sirloin Tip Pork Roast
Farmland Nutrition Wise Pork Cube Steak
Farmland Nutrition Wise Pork Cubes
Farmland Nutrition Wise Pork Scallopini
Farmland Nutrition Wise Pork Strips

Fieldale Farms Corporation
Jewel All Natural 99% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat
Jewel All Natural 99% Fat Free Chicken Breast Tenders
Our Premium 98% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Breast with Rib Meat - 15% Marination
Springer Mountain Farms All Natural 98% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Breasts

Florida's Natural Growers
Florida's Natural Calcium & Vitamin D No Pulp Orange Juice
Florida's Natural Growers Style Most Pulp Orange Juice
Florida's Natural Home Squeezed Calcium & Vitamin D with Pulp Orange Juice
Florida's Natural Home Squeezed with Pulp Orange Juice
Florida's Natural Original No Pulp Orange Juice

FoodTech International
Veggie Patch California Veggie Burgers

Foster Poultry Farms
Foster Farms 98% Fat Free Honey Roasted & Smoked Breast of Turkey
Foster Farms 98% Fat Free Oven Roasted Breast of Turkey
Foster Farms 98% Fat Free Oven Roasted Chicken Breast
Foster Farms 99% Fat Free 100% Natural Boneless & Skinless Breast Fillets
Foster Farms 99% Fat Free 100% Natural Boneless & Skinless Breast Steaks
Foster Farms 99% Fat Free 100% Natural Boneless & Skinless Breast Tenders
Foster Farms 99% Fat Free Honey Roasted & Smoked Turkey Breast
Foster Farms 99% Fat Free Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Foster Farms All Natural 99% Fat Free Boneless & Skinless Chicken Breast Tenders (8% Marination)
Foster Farms Fresh & Easy 99% Fat Free 100% Natural Boneless & Skinless Breast Fillets
Kirkland Signature/Foster Farms 99% Fat Free 100% Natural Boneless & Skinless Breasts
Kirkland Signature/Foster Farms All Natural 99% Fat Free Boneless & Skinless Chicken Breasts (8% Marination)

Fresh Express Incorporated
Chiquita Apple Bites
Fresh Express American Salad
Fresh Express Hearts of Romaine Salad
Fresh Express Italian Salad
Fresh Express Triple Hearts Salad

GFA Brands, Inc.
Smart Balance Smart 'N Healthy Deluxe Microwave Popcorn
Smart Beat Healthy Fat Free Non-Dairy Slices - American Flavor
Smart Beat Healthy Fat Free Non-Dairy Slices - Lactose Free
Smart Beat Smart Squeeze Nonfat Margarine Spread

General Mills, Inc.
Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
Berry Berry Kix
Berry Burst Cheerios-Strawberry Banana
Berry Burst Cheerios-Triple Berry
Berry Lucky Charms
Cheerios
Cheerios Crunch
Chocolate Lucky Charms
Cocoa Puffs
Cookie Crisp
Count Chocula
Dora The Explorer
Frosted Cheerios
Fruity Cheerios
Heart Smart Bisquick
Honey Nut Cheerios
Kix
Lucky Charms
Multi-Grain Cheerios
Oatmeal Crisp Crunchy Almond
Oatmeal Crisp Hearty Raisin
Oatmeal Crisp Maple Brown Sugar
Pillsbury Oven-Baked Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Progresso Healthy Favorites Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Progresso Healthy Favorites Chicken Gumbo Soup
Progresso Healthy Favorites Chicken Noodle Soup
Progresso Healthy Favorites Garden Vegetable Soup
Progresso Healthy Favorites Italian-Style Wedding Soup
Progresso Healthy Favorites Minestrone Soup
Total Cranberry Crunch
Total Honey Clusters
Total Raisin Bran
Total with Strawberries
Trix
Whole Grain Total
Yogurt Burst Cheerios Strawberry
Yogurt Burst Cheerios Vanilla

Hain Celestial Group, Inc., The
DeBoles Organic Ancient Grain Penne
Health Valley Empower Cereal
Hodgson Mill, Inc.
Hodgson Mill Oat Bran All Natural Hot Cereal
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Angel Hair
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Fettuccine
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Lasagna
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Penne
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Spinach Spaghetti
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Whole Grain Elbows
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Whole Grain Spaghetti

Indiana Packers Corp.
Indiana Kitchen All Natural Boneless Pork Sirloin Roast
Indiana Kitchen All Natural Pork Tenderloin

Interstate Brands Corporation
Home Pride Whole Grains 100% Honey Whole Wheat Bread
Home Pride Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Merita Country Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bread

KFP International, Ltd.
Kedem 100% Pure Concord Grape Juice-No Sugar Added

Kansas City Steak Company
Kansas City Seasoned Beef Chuck Tender Steak
Kansas City Seasoned Beef Medallions

Kashi Company
Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Oat Waffles
Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Cereal
Kashi Heart to Heart Instant Oatmeal - Apple Cinnamon
Kashi Heart to Heart Instant Oatmeal - Golden Brown Maple
Kashi Heart to Heart Instant Oatmeal - Raisin Spice
Kashi Heart to Heart Oat Flakes & Wild Blueberry Clusters

Kellogg USA, Inc.
Kellogg's All-Bran Bran Buds
Kellogg's All-Bran Extra Fiber
Kellogg's All-Bran Original
Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats - Strawberry Delight
Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats - Vanilla Creme
Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Big Bite
Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size
Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Maple & Brown Sugar
Kellogg's Smart Start Antioxidants - Original
Kellogg's Smart Start Healthy Heart - Maple & Brown Sugar
Kellogg's Smart Start Healthy Heart - Original
Kellogg's Smart Start Healthy Heart Cinnamon Raisin

King Soopers
Ground Beef 96/4 Extra Lean

Kroger Company, The
Kroger Moist & Tender Silver Platter Pork Tenderloin

Laura's Lean Beef Company
Laura's Lean Beef - Beef Pot Roast Au Jus
Laura's Lean Beef - Shredded Beef with Barbecue Sauce
Laura's Lean Beef 4% Fat Ground Round
Laura's Lean Beef 4% Ground Sirloin
Laura's Lean Beef Sirloin Steak

LiDestri Foods, Inc.
Francesco Rinaldi No Salt Added Traditional Pasta Sauce

Lido Veal & Lamb Inc.
Veal USA Boneless Veal Shoulder Roast from Lido Veal
Veal USA Low Fat Ground Veal from Lido Veal
Veal USA Veal Leg Cutlets from Lido Veal
Veal USA Veal Stew from Lido Veal

M & I Seafood Manufacturing Inc.
Chesapeake Bay Gourmet Crab Cakes

MW Polar Foods
Polar All Natural Chunk Light Tuna in Water
Polar All Natural Solid White Albacore in Water
Polar Chunk Light Tuna in Water
Polar Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water

Malt-O-Meal Company
Malt-O-Meal Balance
Malt-O-Meal Crispy Rice
Malt-O-Meal Frosted Mini Spooners
Malt-O-Meal Honey & Oat Blenders
Malt-O-Meal Honey Nut Scooters
Malt-O-Meal Hot Wheat Cereal - Chocolate
Malt-O-Meal Hot Wheat Cereal - Maple & Brown Sugar
Malt-O-Meal Hot Wheat Cereal - Original
Malt-O-Meal Maple & Brown Sugar Mini Spooners
Malt-O-Meal Mom's Best 100% Natural Quick Oats
Malt-O-Meal Mom's Best Instant Oatmeal - Apples & Cinnamon
Malt-O-Meal Mom's Best Instant Oatmeal - Maple & Brown Sugar
Malt-O-Meal Mom's Best Instant Oatmeal Variety Pack - Maple & Brown Sugar/Apples & Cinnamon/Cinnamon & Spice
Malt-O-Meal Raisin Bran
Malt-O-Meal Scooters

Maple Leaf Consumer Foods
Maple Leaf Sodium Reduced 98% Fat Free Cooked Ham with Natural Juices

Maverick Ranch Association
Maverick Ranch 96/4 Extra Lean Grass Fed Organic Ground Beef
Maverick Ranch 96/4 Extra Lean Natural Ground Buffalo
Maverick Ranch 96/4 Extra Lean Natural Ground Pork Sirloin
Maverick Ranch Free-Range Chicken-All Natural Air Chilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Maverick Ranch NaturaLite 96/4 Extra Lean Ground Beef Round
Maverick Ranch NaturaLite Beef - 96/4 Extra Lean Ground Beef Chuck
Maverick Ranch NaturaLite Beef - 96/4 Extra Lean Ground Beef Sirloin
Maverick Ranch Natural Beef Cubed Steak
Maverick Ranch Natural Beef Top Sirloin Steak
Maverick Ranch Natural Buffalo Top Sirloin Steak
Maverick Ranch Natural Center Cut Pork Loin Chops
Maverick Ranch Natural Lite 96/4 Extra Lean Natural Ground Beef
Maverick Ranch Natural Pork 4% Fat Extra Lean Pork Tenderloin
Maverick Ranch Natural Skinless Chicken Drumsticks
Maverick Ranch Natural Skinless Chicken Thighs
Maverick Ranch Organic Air-Chilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Mayoli Inc.
Mayoli All Natural Reduced Fat Mayonnaise Dressing with Pure Olive Oil

McNeil Nutritionals, LLC
LACTAID® Calcium-Fortified Fat Free Milk
LACTAID® Fat Free Milk

Meijer Distribution, Inc.
Meijer Purple Grape Juice

Michael Foods, Inc.
All Whites Egg Whites - White Cheddar
Better 'n Eggs Ham & Cheese
Better 'n Eggs Plus
Better 'n Eggs Three Cheese
Kirkland Signature Egg Starts
Kroger Break-Free 100% Liquid Egg Whites
Kroger Break-Free Real Egg Product
Papetti Foods All Whites - 100% Liquid Egg Whites
Papetti Foods Better 'n Eggs

Mills Family Farms
Mills Family Farms Green Cascade Mix-Baby Romaine & Baby Green Leaf
Mills Family Farms Wholeaves Sandwich & Salad Lettuce - Green Leaf
Mills Family Farms Wholeaves Sandwich & Salad Lettuce - Red Leaf
Mills Family Farms Wholeaves Sandwich & Salad Lettuce - Romaine
Milton's Baking Company
Milton's Baking Classics Cinnamon Raisin Wheat Bread
Milton's Baking Classics Corn Bread
Milton's Baking Classics Oat Bran Bread
Milton's Baking Classics Wheat Bread
Milton's Healthy Multi-Grain Plus Bread
Milton's Healthy Whole Grain Plus Bread
Milton's Original Healthy Multi-Grain Bread
Milton's Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Motts LLP
Yoo-hoo Lite Chocolate Drink

Murray's Free Roaming Chicken, Inc.
Murray's Extra Lean 99% Fat Free Boneless & Skinless Chicken

New World Pasta Company
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Multi-Grain Pasta-Fusilli
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Multigrain Pasta - Spaghetti Style
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Extra Wide Noodle - Style
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Pasta - Linguine
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Pasta - Penne Rigate
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Pasta - Rotini
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Pasta - Spaghetti Style
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Pasta - Thin Spaghetti
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Pasta-Lasagna
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Blend Wide Noodle - Style

Nonna's Kitchen, Inc.
Columbus Reduced Sodium Turkey Breast

North American Beverage Company
Chocolate Moose - All Natural Premium Milk Chocolate Drink
Chocolate Moose - Cookies & Cream Premium Milk Chocolate Drink
Mega Moose Energy Drink-Strawberry Blast

Nulaid Foods Inc.
Nulaid ReddiEgg Real Egg Product

Oberto Sausage Company
Kirkland Signature Premium Brisket Roast Beef

Old Orchard Brands LLC
Old Orchard 100% Grape Juice
Old Orchard 100% Grape Juice - Frozen Concentrate

POM Wonderful, LLC
POM Wonderful Fresh Pomegranate Arils
POM Wonderful Frozen Pomegranate Arils
POM Wonderful Pomegranates

Packerland Processing Co., Inc.
Meijer Extra Lean Ground Beef 96/4

Peco Foods, Inc.
Member's Mark All Natural Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat
Member's Mark All Natural Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenderloins

Pepperidge Farm, Inc.
Pepperidge Farm 100% Natural 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Pepperidge Farm 100% Natural 9 Grain Bread
Pepperidge Farm 100% Natural German Dark Wheat Bread
Pepperidge Farm 100% Natural Honey Flax Bread
Pepperidge Farm 100% Whole Wheat Bagels
Pepperidge Farm 100% Whole Wheat English Muffins
Pepperidge Farm 100% Whole Wheat Hearty Texture Whole Grain Bread
Pepperidge Farm 100% Whole Wheat Mini Bagels
Pepperidge Farm 15 Grain Hearty Texture Whole Grain Bread
Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Soft 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Pepperidge Farm Golden Harvest Grains Hearty Texture Whole Grain Bread
Pepperidge Farm Light Style 7 Grain Bread
Pepperidge Farm Light Style Soft Wheat Bread
Pepperidge Farm Oatmeal Hearty Texture Whole Grain Bread
Pepperidge Farm Soft Honey Oat Smooth Texture Whole Grain Bread
Pepperidge Farm Soft Honey Whole Wheat Smooth Texture Whole Grain Bread
Pepperidge Farm Very Thin Soft 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Multi-Grain Bagels
Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Swirl Bread - Cinnamon
Pepperidge Farm Whole Grain Swirl Bread - Cinnamon with Raisins

Perdue Farms, Inc.
Perdue Individually Frozen All Natural 99% Fat Free Chicken Tenderloins
Perdue Tender & Tasty 99% Fat Free Individually Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Perdue Tender & Tasty 99% Fat Free Individually Wrapped Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Perdue/Kirkland Signature Individually Frozen All Natural 99% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Pilgrim's Pride Corporation
Eat Well Stay Healthy Chicken Breast Salad
Eat Well Stay Healthy Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat (15% Chicken Broth)
Eat Well Stay Healthy Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Thin Sliced Breasts with Rib Meat (15% Chicken Broth)
Eat Well Stay Healthy Fresh Chicken Breast Tenderloins (15% Chicken Broth)
Eat Well Stay Healthy Fully Cooked Rotisserie Skinless Chicken Split Breasts - Garden Herb
Gold Kist Farms 100% Natural 99% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Gold Kist Farms All Natural 99% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Breasts
Gold Kist Farms/Kirkland Signature All Natural 99% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Breasts
HyVee/Country Pride 97% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets with Rib Meat (15% Chicken Broth)
HyVee/Country Pride 97% Fat Free Skinless Split Chicken Breasts with Ribs (12% Chicken Broth)
HyVee/Country Pride 99% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Tenderloins (15% Chicken Broth)
Meijer Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Tenderloins (15% Marination)
Meijer Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat (15% Marination)
Pilgrim's Pride Eat Well Stay Healthy Grilled Chicken Breast Fillets
Pilgrim's Pride Eat Well Stay Healthy Grilled Chicken Breast Strips
Pilgrim's Pride Eat Well Stay Healthy Italian Style Grilled Chicken Breast Fillets
Pilgrim's Pride Eat Well Stay Healthy Key Lime Flavor Chicken Breast Fillets
Pilgrim's Pride Eat Well Stay Healthy Kids Fully Cooked Breaded Chicken Nuggets
Pilgrim's Pride Eat Well Stay Healthy Kids Fully Cooked Breaded Popcorn Chicken
Pilgrim's Pride Eat Well Stay Healthy Lemon Herb Chicken Breast Fillets
Pilgrim's Pride Eat Well Stay Healthy Savory Chicken Breast Fillets
Pilgrim's Pride Eat Well Stay Healthy Szechwan Chicken Breast Tenderloins
Pilgrim's Pride Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat Individually Wrapped (15% Chicken Broth)
Pilgrim's Pride Fresh Chicken 100% Natural Boneless Skinless Breasts with Rib Meat
Pilgrim's Pride Fresh Chicken 100% Natural Boneless Skinless Breasts with Rib Meat (15% Chicken Broth)
Pilgrim's Pride Fresh Chicken 100% Natural Breast Tenderloins
Pilgrim's Pride Fresh Chicken 100% Natural Breast Tenderloins (15% Chicken Broth)
Pilgrim's Pride Fresh Chicken 100% Natural Skinless Split Breasts with Ribs
Pilgrim's Pride Fresh Chicken 100% Natural Skinless Split Breasts with Ribs (12% Chicken Broth)
Pilgrim's Pride Fresh Chicken Breast Tenderloins Individually Wrapped (15% Chicken Broth)
Pilgrim's Pride Individually Frozen Fully Trimmed 99% Fat Free All Natural Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (15% Chicken Broth)
Schnucks 99% Fat Free Chicken Breast Tenderloins
Schnucks 99% Fat Free Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets
Schnucks 99% Fat Free Thin Sliced Skinless Chicken Breast Fillets

Quaker Oats Company/Tropicana Products, Inc., The
Crystal Wedding Oats
Old-Fashioned Quaker Oats
Quaker Cinnamon Life
Quaker Essentials Oat Bran
Quaker Essentials Oatmeal Squares - Brown Sugar
Quaker Essentials Oatmeal Squares - Cinnamon
Quaker Essentials Toasted Oatmeal - Brown Sugar
Quaker Essentials Toasted Oatmeal - Honey Nut
Quaker Honey Graham Life
Quaker Instant Oatmeal - Apple Crisp
Quaker Instant Oatmeal - Apples & Cinnamon
Quaker Instant Oatmeal - Cinnamon & Spice
Quaker Instant Oatmeal - Cinnamon Roll
Quaker Instant Oatmeal - Flavor Variety
Quaker Instant Oatmeal - Maple & Brown Sugar
Quaker Instant Oatmeal - Raisins & Spice
Quaker Instant Oatmeal - Regular Flavor
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Bakery Favorites Variety Pack (Apple Crisp/Cinnamon Roll/Banana Bread)
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Crunch - Apples & Cinnamon
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Crunch - Magicolor Cinnamon
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Crunch - Maple & Brown Sugar
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Crunch - Mixed Berry
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Lower Sugar - Apples & Cinnamon
Quaker Life
Quaker Life Chocolate Oat Crunch
Quaker MultiGrain Hot Cereal
Quaker Oat Bran Hot Cereal
Quaker Take Heart Instant Oatmeal - Blueberry
Quaker Take Heart Instant Oatmeal - Golden Maple
Quick 1 Minute Quaker Oats
Tropicana Pure Premium Calcium + Vitamin D No Pulp Orange Juice
Tropicana Pure Premium Fiber Some Pulp Orange Juice
Tropicana Pure Premium Golden No Pulp Grapefruit Juice
Tropicana Pure Premium Grovestand Calcium + Vitamin D Lots of Pulp Orange Juice
Tropicana Pure Premium Grovestand Lots of Pulp Orange Juice
Tropicana Pure Premium Healthy Heart No Pulp Orange Juice with Omega 3
Tropicana Pure Premium Homestyle Some Pulp Orange Juice
Tropicana Pure Premium Light 'n Healthy Calcium No Pulp Orange Juice
Tropicana Pure Premium Light 'n Healthy Calcium No Pulp Orange Juice
Tropicana Pure Premium Low Acid No Pulp Orange Juice
Tropicana Pure Premium Original No Pulp Orange Juice
Tropicana Pure Premium Ruby Red Some Pulp Grapefruit Juice

R.A.B. Food Group LLC
Manischewitz Premium 100% Grape Juice

Rader Farms, Inc.
Rader Farms Nature's Three Berries

Red Gold, LLC
Sacramento Tomato Juice from Concentrate with Enhanced Tomato Flavor

Ruprecht Company
Sommers 100% Organic Extra Lean Beef Burgers

Sal & Judy's Products, LLC
Sal & Judy's Heart Smart Italian Sauce

Sealord North America, Inc.
Sealord Deep Sea Dory Fillets
Sealord Orange Roughy Fillets

Setton International Foods, Inc.
Setton Farms Heart Healthy Mix

Simmons Foods, Inc.
Member's Mark All Natural 99% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Smithfield Lean Generation Cuts
SLG: All Natural Pork Tenderloin
SLG: Marinated Hickory Sweet Center Cut Boneless Pork Loin
SLG: Marinated Hickory Sweet Pork Chops
SLG: Marinated Hickory Sweet Pork Loin Filet
SLG: Marinated Hickory Sweet Pork Tenderloin
SLG: Marinated Peppercorn & Garlic Pork Tenderloin
SLG: Marinated Pork Loin Fillet - Peppercorn & Garlic
SLG: Self-Basting Boneless Pork Loin Center Cut Chops
SLG: Self-Basting Boneless Whole Pork Loin
SLG: Self-Basting Pork Tenderloin

Smithfield Lean Generation Deli
SLG Deli: 98% Fat Free Canadian Brand Maple Ham
SLG Deli: 98% Fat Free Cooked Ham
SLG Deli: 98% Fat Free Honey Cured Ham
SLG Deli: 98% Fat Free Tavern Ham
SLG Deli: 98% Fat Free Virginia Brand Ham

Smithfield Premium Cuts
Smithfield: Self-Basting Pork Tenderloin

Solis Brands, Inc.
ZOIC Belgian Chocolate Nutrition Drink
ZOIC French Vanilla Nutrition Drink

Springerhill Ranch Meat Products
Springerhill Ranch Brand All Natural 98% Fat Free Beef Tenderloin Steaks
Springerhill Ranch Brand All Natural Ground Beef-98% Lean 2% Fat

StarKist Seafood Company
StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in Water
StarKist Chunk White Albacore Tuna in Water
StarKist Gourmet Choice Albacore Tuna Fillet in Water
StarKist Gourmet Choice Chunk Light Tuna in Water
StarKist Gourmet Choice Solid Light Tuna Fillet in Water
StarKist Low Sodium Chunk Light Tuna in Water
StarKist Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water
StarKist Very Low Sodium Chunk White Albacore Tuna in Water

Sunrise Growers, Inc.
Sunrise Growers California Strawberries

Swift Foods dba Swift & Company
Extra Lean Ground Pork
Swift Boneless Pork Sirloin Cutlets
Swift Natural Fresh Pork-Boneless Pork Center Cut Loin Chops
Swift Natural Fresh Pork-Boneless Pork Leg for London Broil
Swift Natural Fresh Pork-Boneless Pork Top Loin Roast
Swift Natural Fresh Pork-Pork Strips for Barbecue
Swift Pork Center Cut Loin
Swift Pork Sirloin Tip Roast
Swift Pork Tenderloin
Swift Premium Guaranteed Tender Pork-Boneless Bottom Round
Swift Premium Guaranteed Tender Pork-Boneless Center Cut Loin Chops
Swift Premium Guaranteed Tender Pork-Boneless Pork Loin Filet
Swift Premium Guaranteed Tender Pork-Boneless Pork Tenderloin
Swift Premium Guaranteed Tender Pork-Boneless Sirloin Cutlets
Swift Premium Guaranteed Tender Pork-Boneless Strips for Barbecue
Swift Premium Guaranteed Tender Pork-Pork Top Round
Swift/Kirkland Signature Pork Sirloin Tip Roast
Trader Joe's Butcher Shop - Pork Sirloin Tri Tip
Trader Joe's Butcher Shop Boneless Center Cut Pork Loin Cutlets
Trader Joe's Butcher Shop Natural Pork-Boneless Pork Loin Chops
Trader Joe's Butcher Shop Natural Pork-Pork Shoulder Boneless Strips
Trader Joe's Butcher Shop-Pork Tenderloin

T. J. Kraft, Ltd.
Hawaiian Pacific Ahi Tuna Steaks

Taylor Packing Co., Inc.
Century Farm 96/4 Extra Lean Ground Beef

The Baker
The Baker 7-Grain Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread

Thumann's Inc
Thumann's All Natural Black Forest Brand Ham
Thumann's All Natural Capless Roast Beef
Thumann's All Natural Oven Roasted Gourmet Chicken Breast
Thumann's All Natural Oven Roasted Gourmet Turkey Breast
Thumann's Buffalo Style Oven Roasted Chicken Breast
Thumann's Capless Roast Beef
Thumann's Golden Roasted Filet of Turkey - Rotisserie Flavor
Thumann's Golden Roasted Gourmet Turkey
Thumann's Our Short Cut Deluxe Cooked Ham - Lower Sodium
Thumann's Oven Roasted Premium Chicken Breast

Tony Downs Foods Company
Member's Mark 98% Fat Free Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water

Topco Associates, LLC
Food Club Individually Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts-15% Seasoned Chicken Broth
Food Club Individually Frozen Chicken Tenderloins-15% Seasoned Chicken Broth

Tumaro's Inc.
Tumaro's Chipotle Chili & Peppers Healthy Flour Tortillas
Tumaro's Garden Spinach & Vegetables Healthy Flour Tortillas
Tumaro's Honey Wheat Healthy Flour Tortillas
Tumaro's Jalapeno & Cilantro Healthy Flour Tortillas
Tumaro's Pesto & Garlic Healthy Flour Tortillas
Tumaro's Premium White Healthy Flour Tortillas
Tumaro's Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Healthy Flour Tortillas

Tyson Foods, Inc.
Tastybird Individually Frozen Chicken-Boneless, Skinless Breast Portions with Rib Meat
Tastybird Individually Quick Frozen Chicken-Boneless, Skinless Tenderloins
Tyson 100% All Natural Thin 'N Fancy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat (<3% Water)
Tyson 100% All Natural Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat (<1%/,2% Water)
Tyson 100% All Natural Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (15% Natural Chicken Broth)
Tyson 100% All Natural Chicken Breast Tenderloins (15% Natural Chicken Broth)
Tyson 100% All Natural Chicken Breast Tenderloins (<1% Water)
Tyson 100% All Natural Premium Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat (15% Natural Chicken Broth)
Tyson 100% All Natural Skinless Split Chicken Breasts with Ribs (12% Natural Chicken Broth)
Tyson 100% All Natural Skinless Split Chicken Breasts with Ribs (>3% Water)
Tyson 100% All Natural Thin 'N Fancy Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat (15% Natural Chicken Broth)
Tyson Ice Glazed Chicken Individually Frozen 99% Fat Free Boneless, Skinless Breast Tenderloins (8% Seasoned Chicken Broth)
Tyson Individually Fresh Frozen All Natural 99% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenderloins (8% Water & Kosher Salt)
Tyson Individually Fresh Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat (15% Chicken Broth)
Tyson Individually Fresh Frozen Chicken Tenderloins (15% Chicken Broth)
Tyson Individually Frozen 100% All Natural Individually Wrapped Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (15% Natural Chicken Broth)
Tyson Individually Frozen All Natural 99% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Tenderloins (8% Chicken Broth)
Tyson Individually Frozen All Natural Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat (8% Broth Glaze & 15% Seasoned Chicken Broth)
Tyson Individually Frozen All Natural Extra Lean Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast with Rib Meat (8% Chicken Broth)
Tyson Individually Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts with Rib Meat (15% Chicken Broth)
Tyson/Kirkland Signature All Natural 99% Fat Free Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (8% Water & Kosher Salt)
Tyson/Tastybird Individually Frozen Boneless Skinless Breasts with Rib Meat (10% Seasoned Chicken Broth)
Tyson/Tastybird Individually Frozen Chicken-Boneless Skinless Breasts with Rib Meat (10% Natural Chicken Broth)

Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc.
100% Pure Extra Lean Ground Beef 96/4
96/4 All Natural Extra Lean Ground Beef

United Food Group, LLC
Miller's 100% Pure Ground Beef - 4% Fat
Moran's All Natural 4% Fat 100% Ground Beef Hamburger Patties
Moran's All Natural 4% Fat Ground Beef
Trader Joe's Butcher Shop 4% Fat Ground Beef

Welch Foods, Inc.
Welch's 100% Grape Juice (Purple)
Welch's 100% Grape Juice (Purple) - Frozen Concentrate
Welch's 100% Grape Juice (Purple) - Pourable Concentrate
Welch's 100% Grape Juice Calcium (Purple)
Welch's 100% Grape Juice with Fiber
Welch's Organic 100% Concord Grape Juice
Welch's Organic 100% Concord Grape Juice - Frozen Concentrate

West Liberty Foods, LLC
Honey Roasted & Smoked Breast of Turkey - 98% Fat Free
Kirkland Signature All Natural Fully Cooked Sliced Turkey Breast
Oven Roasted Breast of Turkey Browned in Soybean Oil - 98% Fat Free

I'm very troubled by the American Heart Association's (AHA) willingness to lend its logo and stamp of approval to a multitude of garbage foods like Cocoa Puffs and Berry Kix cereals.

So I contacted the AHA and spoke to the manager of the Food Certification Program, Ms. Linda Rupp. Ms. Rupp proved very helpful in helping me to understand.

I originally called her to find out just how many products were turned down. In view of 768 products on the approved list, I wondered how many had been rejected to generate this "select" group.

Unfortunately, she said that the number of products rejected was not tracked, though she did intimate that it was not a lot. Sometimes, she added, a rejected product will undergo a few "improvements" to help it achieve the criteria necessary for AHA approval.

What exactly is considered in an application for the Food Certification Program?

A food must have 1)total fat 3.0 grams or less, 2) saturated fat 1.0 gram or less, 3) 20 grams or less cholesterol, 4) 480 mg or less sodium, all per serving.

She also pointed out that, given the fact that a food as useless and lacking in health qualitites as jelly beans could meet this criteria, the AHA employs a special "Jelly Bean Rule" that stipulates that 10% of the Daily Value of 6 nutrients (e.g., fiber, vitamins A and C, etc.) must also be contained in a serving.

So those are the startlingly lax requirements to gain the privilege of affixing the AHA Heart Check Mark on your product and informing the public that your box of Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp cereal, or Berry Kix is "heart healthy."

There is an epidemic of obesity in the U.S. I don't believe that the AHA endorsement helps. In fact, I believe that it has been a contributor to obesity.

Pardon me while I eat this bag of M&M's for my heart.

Stan did everything right.

He followed the Track Your Plaque "Rule of 60". He was slender, had run a marathon a few months earlier, in fact. He included fish oil at therapeutic doses. He replenished vitamin D to a blood level of 57 ng/ml 25-OH-vitamin D3. Though ambitious and hard-working, he was a generally happy, optimistic person.

Yet his CT heart scan score increased 28% in one year, from a starting score of 379 to 485.

What did he do wrong?

Well, Stan did nothing wrong. But I suggested to him that one "hole" in his program could be exercise-induced high blood pressure. I've witnessed this effect many times. Blood pressure normal or "borderline" high while seated and relaxed, sky-high with exercise.

So we put Stan on a treadmill. Starting blood pressure: 123/76. Blood pressure with exericse (13 mets): 220/78--sky high. That's why Stan's heart scan score went up. A good pressure with this level of exercise: 150/70, but certainly no higher than 170/80.

If blood pressure is high with exercise, it's probably high with emotional upset, anxiety, being in a hurry, etc., also, all the irritations and pressures of life.

We'll see in future how much of a role reducing Stan's blood pressure will play in gaining better control over his heart scan score. A practical difficulty will be in assessing the adequacy of blood pressure control in Stan, since its full potential only becomes evident with exerise. It means that future blood pressure assessments are more likely to be on a treadmill.

It would also explain why Stan's thoracic aorta was mildly enlarged and his aortic valve was mildly leaky when I met him, both potential consequences of intermittent high blood pressure.

If you've been following the Track Your Plaque conversation, you know that, contrary to prevailing opinion among many cardiologists, there is an emerging notion that coronary calcification is an active process, a true part of the disease.

Vitamin D3 is an important aspect of this question. So is vitamin K2. Not to be confused with K1 that plays a role in blood coagulation, K2 has an important role in calcium metabolism. Thus, vitmain K2 deficiency is related to osteoporosis and to coronary calcification.

Getting K2, like getting D, is difficult from food sources. The choices for K2 sources includes:

--Natto--generally, an impalatable choice. I've had it and it was intolerably gooey and weird-tasting. It is, nonetheless, the most concentrated food source of K2.

--Pate--Though liver products have the potential for containing many other unhealthy things, like pesticide residues, since the liver acts as a filter for the blood.

--Fermented cheeses--Since K2 is a product of fermentation of cheese, as it is in Natto.

For years, we've advised people to avoid or minimize cheese because of saturated fat or cholesterol content. I think that there's reason to re-think this advice based on the emerging data.

How can you tell the difference between fermented and non-fermented cheese? First, look for the holes in the cheese. The holes are the remnants of gas pockets created during fermentation. Second, look for the word "cultures" on the label, meaning organisms for fermentation were added. If "processed cheese" is anywhere on the label, this is a dairy product that has been chemically coagulated and is not fermented.

Fermented cheeses are generally "gourmet" cheeses, not eaten a pound at a time on a pizza, but meant to be eaten in small portions.

How much fermented cheese is necessary for its presumed inhibitory benefits on coronary calcification and osteoporsis? Are some fermented cheeses better than others? These issues remain unsettled. Stay tuned.

Anyone following the Track Your Plaque conversation know that we are rabid fans of normalizing blood vitamin D blood levels (25-OH-vitamin D3).

A wonderful report on vitamin D was aired this morning on the NBC Today show. The interviewed guests did a good job of describing the health effects of vitamin D, thought the focus was on some new data on the use of vitamin D for breast and prostate cancer.

I learned that shiitake mushrooms have some vitamin D--I didn't know that! (They contain 260 units per 4 mushrooms.)

Unfortunately, the closing comments from the guests, among whom was nutritionist and author, Joy Bauer,MS, was that you should get vitamin D from your multivitamin or your calcium with vit D.

That is absolutely wrong. When you check blood levels of vitamin D, as we do in everybody we see, you quickly learn what works and what doesn't.

Vitamin D in multivitamins is very poorly absorbed, if at all. Likewise, about 90% of the D in most calcium preparations is not absorbed. The vast majority of tablet or powder preparations, such as those in calcium tablets, are not absorbed to any significant extent. Take all you want and you remain vit D-deficient with osteoporosis, growing coronary plaque, low HDL, and exposed to risk for prostate and colon cancer.

If you take vitamin D in supplement form, it must--MUST--be in an oil-based capsule. The tablets are simply much too poorly and erratically absorbed to be reliable. There's nothing more frustrating to take, for instance, 4000 units of vitamin D in tablet form, only to have a blood level of 12 ng/ml--severe deficiency. Take the same 4000 unit dose in capsule form and blood level skyrockets to 58 ng/ml. And it's no more expensive.

One other thing: If you want to waste time and money, take the prescription vitamin D prescribed by many doctors. This is vitamin D2, also known as "ergocalciferol". Why use the synthetic vitamin D2 when D3 is the form your body needs? Because the D2 is patent-protectable and profitable to the drug manufacturer, similar to using Premarin (horse estrogens) when human preparations would suffice--or be superior. I saw a woman today taking 50,000 of prescription D2 once per week. Her blood level of 25-OH-vitamin D3? 17 ng/ml--severe deficiency. Don't waste your time with this garbage.

I am continually amazed at the amount of time and energy we all expend in the search for truth.

Rely on your hospital and you will be steered towards strategies that, at worst, aim to increase your use of hospital procedures. At best, they steer you towards physicians who are often under their employ.

How about your doctor? This is a source of immense frustration. Doctors remain interested in treating the catastrophic illness. They remain lukewarm towards prevention and self-empowerment. Thus, supplements are dangerous, everything requires a doctor's endorsement.

Drug companies? That's like relying on a used car salesman for truth. Exagerration, slick talk, and plain deception might be better descriptions of what you can count on from the drug manufacturers.

The internet? Perhaps, if you're selective. WebMD? An obvious voice-box for the drug industry. Just look at the proliferation of drugs ads that accompany each report. In fact, the majority (80%) of WebMD's revenues come from drug manufacturers.

The profit motive has created a mountain of good information. It has also created a sea of mis-information, all created to provide personal financial enrichment.

But I continue to be optimistic that the internet will also become a forum for truth, particularly through its capacity for networked interaction among participants. As our collective wisdom permits us to more effectively separate the wheat from the chaff in looking for the truth, I believe that we will zigzag towards a system of healthcare that is self-empowering, self-directed, and resorts to hospitals and procedures only in the most dire circumstances, saving billions of dollars every year.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has a program called the Heart-Check Mark, an "approval" process that permits a food manufacturer to affix the AHA logo and stamp of approval on various food products.

A company simply makes application to the AHA. The application and product details are reviewed and then approved or turned down.

To date, 106 companies have obtained the AHA stamp of approval on 768 products. What kinds of products are on the approved list? Here's a sample:

--Honey Bunches of Oats

--Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats

--Cocoa Puffs cereal

--Cookie Crisp cereal ("The great taste of chocolate chips in every bite!")

There are 764 others. If you doubt this, just go to the store and take a look at the product containers.

What the heck is going on here? Most of us with any judgment know that these products are pure sugar. They may contain "no more" than 15-40 grams sugar per sugar, but the principal products--corn, wheat, fructose--mean that these products are, in effect, nearly pure sugar. Yet they carry the AHA stamp of approval.

What do products like this cause? It's a long list but the major effects include:

--Obesity

--Diabetes

--Drop in HDL

--Rise in triglycerides

--Small LDL particles

--Heightened inflammation (i.e., C-reactive protein)

--Mental cloudiness

Need I go on? Why are products like these and many others deserving of the AHA heart-check approval? Because they lack high fat and saturated fat (3.0 grams, 1.0 grams respectively, by AHA criteria). In other words, just lacking these ingredients means that, to the AHA, they qualify as "heart healthy."

By that same line of reasoning, many candy bars are "heart healthy", as are many cookies and cupcakes.

What's the reason behind this extraordinary absurdity? Is the AHA stupid?

There may be many reasons, but one very suspicious fact becomes immediately obvious when you realize these endorsements product a substantial revenue source for the AHA, since companies must pay for the right to use the heart-check approval mark. Also, just look at the major contributors (millions of dollars) to the AHA: ConAgra, General Mills, Kraft, etc.) You get the picture.

Does this make the AHA evil? Not necessarily. But it seriously erodes credibility. it also should make you very leery of any advice that comes from such an agency that is reluctant to bite the food manufacturer hands that feed it.

In my view, we simply cannot rely on the AHA for genuine, unbiased heart health advice.

Charles was visibly confused.

He'd gotten his CT heart scan after hearing one of the local scan center's ads on the radio. His score 2773, obviously in the 99th percentile for any age.

"Do you think the score means anything? My primary doctor said that it was meaningless because it was all in the deep wall of the artery. He said that it has nothing to do with risk for heart attack. As long as I feel good, he says don't do anything."

What exactly did his doctor mean, in the "deep wall of the artery"?

What the doctor is referring to is the fact that some people with a long history (many years) of diabetes or kidney failure (also for many years) tend to develop calcium deposits in the media, or muscular layer of arteries. The media is the tissue thin layer just below the intima, the most inner layer of arteries that we usually associate with atherosclerotic plaque and the layer that is most prone to calcium accumulation that we score on heart scans.

Aging, generally into your late 70s, 80s, and onwards, also increases the likelihood of medial calcification. Lastly, longstanding deficiency of vitamin D encourages medial calcification.

Is there any way to distinguish intimal vs medial calcification on a heart scan? No, there is not. Having read many thousands of CT heart scans, I can tell you that there is no practical way in 2007 to tell the difference.

Then how did this doctor "know" that Charles' calcium was "deep walled" or medial? Simple: He didn't. This was yet another example of ignorance based on old thinking. Unfortunately, he did Charles a serious disservice by dismissing his heart scan score that predicted a 25% per year risk for heart attack.

Interestingly, whether calcium is intimal as in atherosclerotic plaque, or medial, both are strongly associated with risk for heart attack. In other words, if calcium is confined to the intima, heart disease risk is present. If calcium is limited to the media, risk is still present.

In all practicality, the only difference we make of the intima vs. media argument (that is, when the distinction has been made by some other means like intracoronary ultrasound, the test that is truly necessary to distinguish the two patterns) is that medial calcification may be more powerfully related to vitamin D deficiency. Thus, someone with heavy medial calcification may require closer attention to maintaining a perfect year-round blood level of 25-OH-vitamin D3. But that's the only practical difference.

"My primary care doctor said to stop the vitamin D because it's toxic. So I stopped it and I just take a multivitamin. He said that a multivitamin and two glasses of milk a day was all I needed."

So proclaimed Eleanor to me. This happens around once every week by doctors frightened of the vitamin D.

So I reminded Eleanor that, before starting vitamin D supplementation, her blood level of 25-OH-vitamin D3 had been 17 ng/ml--severe deficiency.

On 4000 units per day (oil-based gelcap), her blood level had been 37 ng/ml--still deficient, below the desirable range of 50-60 ng/ml. That's the dose Eleanor's doctor had declared "toxic."

When exactly does deficiency develop? There's not full agreement on this, but Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University, among the most experienced and insightful authorities on vitamin D, states that toxicity is more likely when blood levels exceed 150 ng/ml (Nutr Clin Pract. 2007 Jun;22(3):297-304).

In other words, Eleanor and her doctor should not be concerned with toxicity, but with the persistent levels of deficiency she is suffering.

Some authorities call the behavior of vitamin D "bi-phasic": Deficiency is toxic, excessive levels are toxic. We're really just trying to achieve a middle ground in vitamin D levels that are above deficiency but below toxicity.

In reality, deficiency is exceptionally common. In fact, it's the rule around here (northern U.S.), with >95% of everybody we check severely deficient in winter, mildly-moderately deficient in summer. Very few people approach normal levels year round without supplementation.

Toxicity, on the other hand, is exceedingly rare. I have seen it once in a woman who was taking a toxic dose of 50,000 units a day on the instructions of her (mis-guided) doctor. Thankfully, no ill-effects developed from this little "experiment."

So, it's not toxicity that is the overwhelmingly common worry, but deficiency, severe and sustained.

Take a look at your local hospital and you're likely to notice several curious things:

1) It is likely non-profit, meaning it enjoys a non-profit status with the Internal Revenue Service and enjoys the tax benefits of not paying taxes on profits. This provides an advantage to tax-protected hospitals. 70% or more of hospitals in the U.S. are "non-profit."

2) Non-profit or no, many hospitals operate under the guise of a religious affiliation, e.g., St. Mary's Hospital, Trinity Hospital, All Saints', Jewish Hospital, etc.

3) Executives in non-profit hospitals can make capitalistic salaries. One CEO of a Milwaukee hospital took home $3.7 million dollars in salary last year. That's not including the very substantial perks and business interests in the spin-off businesses the hospital owns, including pharmacies, drug and medical device disitributors, even a venture capital division. "Non-profit" does not have to mean that executives within the operation can't benefit handsomely.

That same hospital system spends over $10 million dollars in a year in local marketing for TV ads, print advertising, etc. Ads are slick and professionally produced.

Make no bones about it: These are "non-profit" for tax purposes only . They are for-profit in every other sense of the phrase, including rich rewards for the insiders.

Guess how those fat executive salaries and large marketing budgets are paid for? That's right: the 12-inch incision in your chest; the four stents, defibrillator, and repeated nuclear stress tests; the revolving door of hospitalization after hospitalization that typifies the "heart patient" experience.

See the hospital for what it is: In the 21st century, it is no longer a charitable operation worthy of your volunteer time and donations. It is a business no different than Home Depot, IBM, or--Enron. Yes, they do perform needed services, as well. But the perverse equation that often determines who needs hospitalization and who doesn't, who needs a heart procedure and who doesn't, is not always based on necessity but on financial return. Just ask the CEO.

Confusion often stems from the simplest of calculations: dose of fish oil.

Actually, you and I don't take fish oil for fish oil. We take fish oil for its content of omega-3 fatty acids, the dominant ones being EPA and DHA. The contents of fish oil outside of its EPA + DHA content likely exert little or no benefit (beyond that of other dietary oils).

To determine what you are currently taking, simply examine the back of your fish oil bottle and look for the EPA + DHA composition. This should be clearly and prominently labeled. If not, don't buy that brand again. Add up the EPA + DHA content per capsule, then multiply by the number of capsules you take per day. That yields your daily EPA + DHA intake.

The only other substantial source of omega-3 fatty acids is fish. Other food sources, such as non-fish meats, eggs, etc., contribute little or none. Processed foods that bear health claims of "contains heart healthy omega-3" often contain linolenic acid or flaxseed oil, which contributes very little to total EPA + DHA, or contain relatively trivial quantities of DHA. What are you doing eating processed foods, anyway?

What should the total daily dose of EPA + DHA dose be? That depends on what your goals are.

If your goal is to modestly reduce the risk of dying from heart attack, then just eating fish a couple of times per month will begin to exert an effect, or just taking a dose of 300 mg EPA + DHA per day from a low-potency capsule will do it. However, that's an awfully unambitious goal.

Our starting omega-3 dose in the Track Your Plaque program has, over the years, increased and now stands at 1800 mg EPA + DHA per day. However, the dose for 1) full reduction of triglycerides and/or triglyceride-containing abnormal lipoproteins, 2) reduction of Lp(a), and 3) the ideal dose for coronary and carotid plaque control are substantially higher.

But once you know your desired daily target of total EPA + DHA, you can easily determine the quantity of capsules to take by doing the above arithemetic, totaling the EPA + DHA per capsule. For example, if you have been instructed to take 6000 mg per day EPA + DHA, and your capsule contains 750 mg EPA + DHA, then you will need to take 8 capsules per day (6000/750).

When I go to the hospital, I am continually amazed at some of the hospital staff: 5 ft 4 inch nurses weighing over 200 lbs, etc.

But what I find particularly bothersome are some (not all) hospital dietitans--presumably experts at the day-to-day of healthy eating--who waddle through the halls, easily 40, 50, or more pounds overweight. It is, to say the least, credibility-challenging for an obese dietitian to be providing nutritional advice to men or women recovering after bypass or stent while clearly not in command of nutritional health herself.

What's behind this perverse situation? How can a person charged to dispense "healthy" nutritional information clearly display such clear-cut evidence of poor nutrition?

How would you view a success coach dressed in rags? Or a reading coach who can barely read a sentence?

Easy: She follows her own advice.

Hospital dietitians are essentially forced to adhere to nutritional guidelines of "official" organizations, such as the American Heart Association and the USDA. There is some reason behind this. Imagine a rogue dietitian decides to advocate some crazy diet that yields dangerous effects, e.g., high-potassium diets in people with kidney disease. There is a role for oversite on the information any hospital staff member dispenses.

The problem, of course, doesn't lie with the dietitian, but with the organizations drafting the guidelines. For years, the mantra of hospital diets was "low-fat." More recently, this dated message has begun--only begun--to falter, but now replaced with the "healthy, whole grain" mantra. And that is the advice the hapless dietitian follows herself, unwittingly indulging in foods that make us fat.

Sadly, the "healthy, whole grain" message also contributes to heart disease via drop in HDL, increased triglycerides, a huge surge in small LDL, rise in blood sugar, increased resistance to insulin, tummy fat, and diabetes. Yes, the diet provided to survivors of heart attack increases risk.

The "healthy, whole grain" message also enjoys apparent "validation" through the enormous proliferation of commercial products cleverly disguised as healthy: Cheerios, Raisin Bran, whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, etc. The "healthy, whole grain" message, while a health disaster, is undoubtedly a commercial success.

I'll bet that our fat dietitian friend enjoys a breakfast of healthy, whole grains in skim milk, followed by a lunch of low-fat chicken breast on two slices of whole grain bread, and ends her day with a healthy meal of whole wheat pasta. She then ascribes her continually climbing weight and size 16 figure to slow metabolism, lack of exercise, or the once-a-week piece of chocolate.

Wheat has no role in the Track Your Plaque program for coronary plaque control and reversal. In fact, my personal view is that wheat has no role in the human diet whatsoever.

More on this concept can be found at:

What's worse than sugar?

The Wheat-Deficiency Syndrome

Nutritional approaches: Large vs. Small LDL

Are you wheat-free?

I sense a growing revolt against the intrusion of statin drugs into our lives.

No doubt, the statin drug industry is, at least from an economic perspective, a huge success: $27 billion annual revenues at last accounting. The latest big plug for more and more statins was the JUPITER trial that showed reduced cardiovascular events on Crestor in people with "normal" LDL cholesterol levels and increased c-reactive protein.

It seems that not one day passes that doesn't include some news story about the "benefits" of statin drugs: reduction in heart attack, stroke, colon cancer, osteoporosis, heart failure, etc.

Ironically, the overwhelming economic success of the statin drug industry also seems to be encouraging a grassroots revolt.

More and more people are coming to the office, more people commenting on the web over how they want to avoid statin drugs, stop a drug they are already taking, or at least reduce the dose of an ongoing drug.

My day-to-day experience with coronary plaque control and reversal is that, while statin drugs are helpful tools, they are not necessary tools for full benefit of a prevention program. "Need" for statin drugs can differ by the patterns measured, though not the usual patterns suggested by the drug industry. For instance, using C-reactive protein, a la JUPITER, as justification for statin prescription is, in my view, totally absurd and makes no sense whatsoever, since inflammatory responses can be effective reduced with plenty of other strategies besides statin drugs. Conventional LDL, likewise, is a fictitious number that often bear little or no resemblance to the true and genuine measured value (apoprotein B or LDL particle number).

So here are a number of strategies that can help reduce or eliminate the "need" for a statin drug:

--Elimination of wheat and cornstarch--This is no namby-pamby dietary strategy, as low-fat diets were. This is a powerful, enormously effective strategy, particularly if LDL is in the small category. Small LDL drops like a stone when these foods are eliminated. This means no breads, pasta, breakfast cereals, pretzels, crackers, chips, tacos, wraps, etc.
--Non-wheat fibers--Especially raw nuts, ground flaxseed, and oat bran.
--Vitamin D restoration
--Fish oil
--Weight loss
--Niacin

There are additional strategies that focus on specific subsets of LDL cholesterol (e.g., Lp(a) masquerading as LDL). But the above list can reduce LDL cholesterol substantially, reducing the apparent "need" for a statin drug.

You will notice that there are few money makers in the above list, compared to the billions of dollars reaped by the statin drug industry. There is therefore little incentive to allow a pretty sales rep to go to your doctor and pitch the use of over-the-counter vitamin D or make changes in diet.

Statin drugs in my view need to be shoved back into their more limited role as drugs to be used on occasion when necessary (e.g., heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia with LDL cholesterol values of 250 mg/dl in a person with measurable coronary plaque). These should never have achieved the "celebrity" status they enjoy, complete with gushing endorsements by TV personalities, daily news stories, and back-to-back TV commercials.

Join the revolt!

Lovaza is GlaxoSmithKline's prescription fish oil, an ethyl ester modification to allow higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA + DHA, per capsule. Each capsule contains 840 mg EPA + DHA.

It is FDA-approved for treatment of high triglycerides (>500 mg/dl). In their marketing, they claim "Unlike LOVAZA, dietary supplements are not FDA approved to treat any disease." They also highlight the "patented five-step" purification process that eliminates any concerns over mercury or pesticide residues.

What does Lovaza cost? In Milwaukee, it costs about $70 per capsule per month (PCPM). Most people are taking four capsules per day: $280 per month, or $3360 per year to obtain 3360 mg of EPA + DHA per day. (Funny coincidence with the numbers.)

Did you catch that? $3360 per year, just for one person to take Lovaza.

What if I instead went to Costco and bought their high-potency fish oil. This is also an ethyl ester form. It costs $14.99 for 180 capsules, or $2.50 PCPM; each capsule contains 684 mg EPA + DHA. I would therefore have to take five capsules per day to obtain the same 3360 mg EPA + DHA per day. This would cost me 5 x $2.50 = $12.50 per month, or $150 per year.

$3360 per year vs. $150 per year to obtain the same dose of omega-3 fatty acids, or a 22.4-fold difference.

Lovaza is FDA-approved for treatment of high triglycerides. But I am seeing more and more people take it for other reasons at this four-capsule-per-day dose. Regardless, this "drug" is adding $3360 per year costs to our healthcare. A school teacher, for instance, recently commented to me that she didn't care about the costs, since her insurance (in Milwaukee county, teachers have unbelievably generous healthcare coverage) covers Lovaza. I've heard this from others: insurance covers it, so they don't care how much it costs.

Guess who eventually has to pay the $3360 per year per person costs? Yup, you and me. We all bitch and moan about the costs of healthcare and health insurance, but many of us are more than willing to shift the costs to our friends and neighbors to save a few bucks. You think Lipitor makes a bundle of money for Pfizer at about $120 per month? Lovaza is making a bundle of money for GlaxoSmithKline, and all because people are cheap and willing to selfishly shift costs to other people.

Keep in mind that $3360 per year is just for fish oil. It's not for surgery, it's not for hospital care, it's just for stinking fish oil.

Maybe your teenagers no longer believe in Santa Claus, but I assure you: Not only is he alive, I believe that we have evidence that he works for the drug industry!

Psshaww! you say. Yet another rant from that kook, Davis. Who can he pick on next? What other imagined "conspiracies" can he uncover?

Let me recount the evidence and I'll let you decide how damning it all is:

--Christmas is a culture of excess, overeating, celebration: Cookies, candy canes, pie, chocolate, egg nog, more cookies . . . A virtual wheat and sugar frenzy!

--Wheat and sugars make us diabetic!

--What does a diabetic look like? How about big protuberant abdomen, florid cheeks, baggy eyes (from sleep apnea)? The red outfit and beard is optional, of course. Could you think of a better representation of what happens to a person when they eat goodies all the time?

I therefore submit that Santa Claus is at the root of a campaign to cultivate diabetes! Diabetes: a growth industry that is raking in billions of dollars for the drug companies!

I'd bet that Mr. Claus would agree with the dietary advice dispensed by the folks at the American Diabetes Association website:

A place to start is at about 45-60 grams of carbohydrate at a meal. You may need more or less carbohydrate at meals depending on how you manage your diabetes.

Eat more carbohydrates, get fatter in the abdomen, require more medication to keep sugar low. Then start over: eat more carbohydrates, get fatter, more medicines. Kaching!

"You may need more?" Personally, I'd be rendered comatose and helpless if I indulged in such carbohydrate gluttony.

If Mr. Claus were, instead, interested in our health and keeping us non-diabetic, Christmas would be a time for pistachios, almonds, dark chocolates, and tea.

You want health advice? Don't ask Santa Claus!

I watched Seth's aortic valve deteriorate over a two year period.

I was first consulted in 2004 to offer an opinion on Seth's heart scan score of 779 and flagrantly abnormal cholesterol patterns, including triglycerides in the 400 mg/dl range. But I heard a murmur, as well, a murmur of a leaky aortic valve, "aortic valve insufficiency."

Over the next two years, I watched Seth's aortic valve worsen, going from mild leakiness to severe.

In 2006-2007, I tiptoed into vitamin D replacement and asked Seth to add some vitamin D. Time passed and Seth's aortic valve got progressively worse.

Over the past year, However, he's maintained a truly healthy level of vitamin D, with blood levels consistently in the 60-70 ng/ml range.

While Seth's last echocardiogram showed a severely leaky aortic valve, the most recent echo showed mild leakiness ("mild aortic insufficiency")--a dramatic reduction.

I continue to see this in many, though not all, patients with aortic valve disease. Though I've more frequently witnessed either stalled progression or reversal of aortic valve stenosis (stiffness), I've now seen a handful of people with aortic valve leakiness (insufficiency) also reverse.

I've posted about this peculiar phenomenon previously:

Aortic valve disease and vitamin D
More on aortic valve disease and vitamin D

Prior to vitamin D, I had NEVER witnessed any aortic valve disease stop or reverse.

A formal trial at some point would be invaluable.

At last: After talking about the new Track Your Plaque community tools for the last year, our data tracking software is now available!

Track Your Plaque is, admittedly, somewhat data-intensive. The basic concept relies on the fact that we track heart scan scores, cholesterol values, lipoprotein values like percent small LDL and Lp(a), vitamin D blood levels, intake of omega-3 fatty acids, etc. Our new data tracking tools will help Members track their data over time.

Even more interesting, you can allow other Members (not required) to view your data for comments and feedback. You can also view the program data of other Members (if they choose to make their data "public") to learn how they are going about stopping and reversing their coronary plaque.

In other words, our graphic data tracking tools are yet another way we are using to acquire a collective wisdom on how to put a stop to coronary heart disease, heart attack, and perverse "let's make money with heart procedures" hospital solutions.

One of the aspects that helps make this work is the sharing of data. So far, the people who have begun to enter their data have all made their information "public." It's not truly "public," but viewable only by other Track Your Plaque Members. Also, Members can, in effect, anonymize their data simply by using a nickname, e.g., heartprotection or hearthawk.

The data tracking tools are in beta-test version, so there are bound to be a few glitches. But we're eager to hear from our Members' experiences on how to improve these tools. Report any problems or make your suggestions on the Track Your Plaque Member Forum--Technical Support.

Have you seen the Corn Refiners Association commercial campaigns to educate the American public on the safety of fructose? If you haven't, you can view these interesting specimens on You Tube:

"Get the facts--You're in for a sweet surprise: Fructose is safe in moderation!"

Two Moms

Two lovers

Beyond the fact that fructose stimulates liver production of glycerol, which thereby increases liver VLDL production and raises blood levels of triglycerides; likely stimulates appetite; increases cholesterol levels; fructose has also been clearly implicated in increasing blood levels of uric acid.

Uric acid is the substance that, in some people, precipitates in joints and causes gout, the painful inflammatory arthritis that has been increasing in prevalence over the last four decades since the introduction of fructose in 1967. While blood levels of uric acid in the early part of the 20th century averaged 3.5 mg/dl, more recent population assessments have averaged 6.0 mg/dl or higher. (Non-human mammals who don't eat processed foods, drink fruit drinks or beer, and don't eat candy have uric acid levels of <2.0 mg/dl.)

Uric acid is looking like it may prove to be an important risk factor for coronary disease and atherosclerotic plaque. It is no news that people with higher blood levels of uric acid are more likely to experience adverse cardiovascular events like heart attack. People with features of the metabolic syndrome also have higher uric acid blood levels; the more characteristics they have, the higher the uric acid level. However, the prevailing view has been that uric acid is simply an accompaniment of these processes, but not causal.

However, more recent observations suggest that increased levels of uric acid may instead be a cause of metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure.

Increased blood levels of uric acid have been shown to:

--Increase blood pressure
--Induce kidney damage (even in the absence of uric acid kidney stones)
--Antagonize insulin responses

A diagnosis of gout is not required to experience all of the adverse phenomena associated with uric acid. (For not entirely clear reasons, some people, perhaps based on pH or other factors, are more prone to trigger crystallization of uric acid in joints, similar to the phenomena of sugar crystallization when making rock candy.)

Which brings us back to fructose, a sweetener that clearly substantially increases uric acid levels. I suppose that the mothers and lovers in the Corn Refiners' commercials are right to a degree: Our kids will survive, as will you and I, despite increases in triglycerides, enhanced diabetic tendencies, amplified appetites, and increased uric acid due to fructose in our diet. We will also likely survive despite being 100 lbs overweight, partly due to the effects of fructose.

But if long-term health is your desire for you and your family, fructose has no role whatsoever to play.

Interestingly, the obviously expensive and slick ad campaigns from the Corn Refiners' videos have triggered some helpful video counterarguments:

High-fructose corn syrup
Conspiracy for Fat America
High-fructose corn syrup truth

A full discussion of uric acid, the scientific data behind uric acid as a coronary risk factor, and the nutritional means to reduce uric acid will be the topic of a thorough discussion in an upcoming Special Report on the Track Your Plaque website.

Richard Nikoley from the Free the Animal Blog contributes this informative comment:

'Bout 18 months ago, I was at 230 (5'10) and looked awful. I was on Omeprezole for years for gastric reflux, a variety of prescription meds since early 20s for seasonal sinus allergies, culminating finally in the daily, year round squirts of Flonase-esque sprays (the best for control without noticeable side-effects), and finally, Levothroid for about the last 7 years or so, as I had elevated TSH (around 9ish).

My BP was regularly 145-160 / 95-110.

I decided to get busy. I modified diet somewhat, cutting lots of junk carbs, and began working out -- brief, intense, heavy twice per week. BP began coming down immediately, such that within only a couple of weeks I was borderline rather than full blown high. Then after about six months, a year ago, I went to full blown low-carb, high fat, cutting out all grains, sugar, veg oils, etc, and replacing with animal fats, coconut, olive oil. You know the drill. Then, first of the year I felt great and simply stopped all meds, including the thyroid. I also began intermittent fasting, twice per week, and for a twist, I always do my weight lifting in some degree of fast, even as much as 30 hours.

That's when the weight really started pouring off. Take a look:

http://www.freetheanimal.com/root/2008/09/periodic-photo-progress-update.html

http://www.freetheanimal.com/root/2008/08/faceoff.html

In July I figured it's about time for a physical. Here's the lipid panel, demonstrating am HDL of 106 and Try of 47, great ratios all around:

http://www.freetheanimal.com/root/2008/07/lipid-pannel.html

However, my TSH was even higher -- 16ish. It seems odd that I was able to lose 40-50 pounds of fat (10-15 pounds of lean gain for a 30 pound net loss at that time -- now an additional 10 pounds net loss).

One disclosure is that I was drinking too much, almost daily, and quite a bit (gotta save some vices...). Anyway, I'm at the point now where I want to drill down. I know I need to see an endocrinologist and have T3 and T4 looked at, but in advance, I wanted to see if the recent changes I've made could make a difference:

1. Stopped all alcohol.
2. Stopped most dairy, except ghee and heavy cream, and cheese is now used as a "spice," i.e., tiny quantities -- no more milk.
3. 6,000 IU Vit D per day.
4. 3 grams salmon oil, 2 grams cod liver oil.
5. Vit K2 Menatetrenone (MK-4) -- side story: getting off grains reversed gum disease for which I have had two surgeries, then supplementing the K2 DISSOLVED calculus on my teeth within days -- hygienist and dentist are dumbfounded. Stephan (Whole Health Source), who comments here, has an amazing series on K2.

If you view his photos, you'll appreciate just how far he has come.

Overall, Richard's program is wonderful and his pictures clearly display his success. However, Richard, thyroid function is indeed a problem, a problem that needs to be fixed ASAP. Remember, low thyroid function used to be diagnosed at autopsy at which time the coronary arteries and other arteries of the body were found to be packed solid with atherosclerotic plaque, even in young people.

I'd recommend:

1) Consider 200 mcg Iodine per day from kelp if you do not use iodized salt.

2) Seeing your doctor right away for thyroid replacement, hopefully with consideration of your T3 status.

3) A heart scan--Not to lead to procedures, but something for you to track over time as your program improves and thyroid function is restored.

Beyond this, keep up the great work. Great blog, too!

Having now tested the thyroid status of several hundred patients over the last few months, I have come to appreciate:

1) That thyroid dysfunction is rampant, affecting at least 25% of everyone I see.
2) It is an enormously effective means to reduce cardiovascular risk.

I'm not talking about flagrant low thyroid dysfunction, the sort that triggers weight gain of 30 lbs, gallons of water retention, baggy eyes, sleeping 14 hours a day. I'm talking about the opposite extreme: the earliest, subtle, and often asymptomatic degrees of thyroid dysfunction that raises LDL cholesterol, lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a), a huge effect!), and adds to coronary plaque growth.

Correcting the subtle levels of low thyroid:

1) Makes LDL reduction much easier

2) Facilitates weight loss

3) Reduces Lp(a)--best with inclusion of the T3 fraction of thyroid hormone.

Recall that, 100 years ago, the heart implications of low thyroid weren't appreciated until autopsy, when the unfortunate victim would be found to have coronary arteries packed solid with atherosclerotic plaque. It takes years of low thyroid function to do this. I advise you to not wait until you get to this point or anywhere near it.

I find it fascinating that many of the most potent strategies we are now employing in the Track Your Plaque process are hormonal: thyroid hormones, T3 and T4; vitamin D (the hormone cholecalciferol); testosterone; progesterone; DHEA, pregnenolone. Omega-3 fatty acids, while not hormones themselves, exert many of their beneficial effects via the eicosanoid hormone pathway. Elimination of wheat and cornstarch exert their benefits via a reduction in the hormone insulin's wide fluctuations.

We haven't yet had sufficient time to gauge an effect on coronary plaque and heart scan scores. In other words, will perfect thyroid function increase our success rate in stopping or reversing coronary plaque? I don't know for sure, but I predict that it will. In fact, I believe that we are filling a large "hole" in the program by adding this new aspect.

This is an update of a post I made about a year ago. However, I'm reposting it since the question comes up so often.

How can I get my lipoproteins tested?
This question came up on our recent online chat session and comes up frequently phone calls and e-mails.

If lipoprotein testing is the best way to uncover hidden causes of coronary heart disease, but your doctor is unable, unknowledgeable, or unwilling to help you, then what can you do?

There are several options:

1) Get the names of physicians who will obtain and interpret the test for you. That’s the best way. However, it is also the most difficult. Lipoprotein testing, despite over a decade of considerable scientific exploration and validation in thousands of research publications, still remains a sophisticated tool that only specialists in lipids will use. But this provides you with the best information on you’re your lipoproteins mean.
2) If you don’t have a doctor who can provide lipoprotein testing and interpretation, go to the websites for the three labs that actually perform the lipoprotein tests: www.liposcience.com (NMR); www.berkeleyheartlab.com (electropheresis or GGE); www.atherotech.com (ultracentrifugation). None of them will provide you with the names of actual physicians. They can provide you with the name of a local representative who will know (should know) which doctors in your area are well-acquainted with their technology. I prefer this route to just having a representative identify a laboratory in your area where the blood sample can be drawn, because you will still need a physician to interpret the results¾this is crucial. The test is of no use to you unless someone interprets it intelligently and understands the range of treatment possibilities available. Don’t be persuaded by your doctor if he/she agrees to have the blood drawn but has never seen the test before. This will be a waste of your time. That’s like hoping the kid next door can fix your car just because he says he fixed his Mom’s car once. Interpretation of lipoproteins takes time, education, and experience.

3) Seek out a lipidologist. Lipidologists are the new breed of physician who has sought out additional training and certification in lipid and lipoprotein disorders. Sometimes they’re listed in the yellow pages, or you can search online in your area. One drawback: Most lipidologists have been heavily brainwashed by the statin industry and tend to be heavy drug users.

4) Contact us. I frankly don’t like doing this because I feel that I can only provide limited information through this method and, frankly, it is very time consuming. I provide a written discussion of the implications and choices for treatment with the caveat to discuss them with your doctor, since I can’t provide medical advice without a formal medical relationship. We also charge $75 for the interpretation. But it’s better than nothing.

5) Make do with basic testing. Basic lipids along with a lipoprotein(a), C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and homocysteine would provide a reasonable facsimile of lipoprotein testing. You’ll still lack small LDL and postprandial (after-eating) information, but you can still do reasonably well if you try to achieve the Track Your Plaque targets of 60-60-60. It’s sometimes a necessary compromise.

Our discussions on the Track Your Plaque Forum have impressed me with the difficulty many people encounter in getting lipoproteins drawn and interpreted. Some of our Members have been very resourceful identifying blood draw laboratories around the country, such as Lab Safe, that will at least provide the blood draw service.

I wish it was easier and we are working on some ideas to facilitate this nationwide. It will take time.

In 20 years, this will be a lot easier when doctors more commonly use lipoprotein testing. But for now, you can still obtain reasonably good results choosing one of the above alternatives.

Wayne, a 61-year old retired school superintendent, had been an exercise fanatic all his adult life. If not running long distances and occasional marathons, he'd bike up to 70 miles a day. He did this year-round. In cold weather, he set his bicycle up on an indoor device and also ran on a treadmill and added weight training.

That's why it was kind of surprising that he sported a large belly. At 5 ft 8 inch and 190 lbs, that put his Body Mass Index (BMI) also high at 28.8 (desirable <25). You'd think that vigorous, almost extreme, exercise like this would guarantee a slender build.

Wayne also had lipoproteins to match: triglycerides 205 mg/dl, LDL 176 mg/dl but LDL particle number much higher at 2403 nmol/l (an effective LDL of 240 mg/dl); 75% of LDL particles were small.

I asked Wayne about his diet. "I eat healthy. Cheerios for breakfast usually. Some days I'll skip breakfast. Lunch is almost always a sandwich: tuna, turkey, something like that on whole wheat bread or a whole wheat bagel. Chips, too, but I guess that's not too healthy. Dinners vary and we eat pretty healthy. Almost never pizza or junk like that."

"Pasta?" I asked.

"Oh. sure. Two or three tiems a week. Always whole wheat. With a salad."

Wayne was well aware of the conventional advice for whole grains and, indeed, had been trying to increase his intake, particularly since his basic cholesterol numbers had been high in past. To his surprise, the more he tried at diet, the more LDL seemed to go up, as did triglycerides.

I see this situation every day: The obsession with processed carbohydrate foods, worsened by the message perpetuated by the American Heart Association, the USDA Food Pyramid, Kraft, Kelloggs, Post, etc. Eat more fiber, eat whole grains.

NY Times columnist, Jane Brody, chronicles her (embarassing) mis-adventure following the same mis-guided advice in Cutting Cholesterol, an Uphill Battle.

According to the USDA Food Pyramid, Wayne is not getting enough grains and whole grains, particularly since he is highly physically active. Consistent with the message given by the food industry: "Eat more!"

The food industry-supported Whole Grain Council advises:

Whole Grains at Every Meal
The US Dietary Guidelines recommend meeting the daily requirement by eating three "ounce-equivalents" of breads, rolls, cereals or other grain foods made with 100% whole grains. A slice of bread or a serving of breakfast cereal usually weighs about an ounce.

Want an easier way to think about it? Just look at your plate at each meal, and make sure you've included some source of whole grains. That's why our slogan is "Whole Grains at Every Meal."

By this scheme, if you are overweight, it's because you lack fiber and you're too inactive. "Get up and go!" It's not the diet, they say, it's you!

See through this for what it is: Nonsense. Wayne was overweight, packing 20 extra pounds in his abdomen from his over-dependence on processsed carbohydrates--"whole grains"--not from inactivity.

What if reversal of heart disease--regression of coronary atherosclerotic plaque--were achievable instantly? Just add water and--voila!!

To my knowledge, it is not--yet. But I sometimes play with this idea in my head. I could imagine that such a program would consist of a few essential elements:

--A fast or semi-fast, or at least a very spare diet, over a period like 10 days to promote net catabolism. It is also supremely anti-inflammatory to restrict calories.

--High-dose vitamin D, e.g., 20,000 units per day of D3 to fully replenish depleted stores and achieve all the metabolism-correcting effects of D3 restoration.

--EPA + DHA at a higher than usual dose with frequent throughout-the-day dosing to encourage replacement of cellular lipid constituents with the more stable omega-3 fraction of fatty acids.

Beyond this, I'm uncertain. What role l-arginine, statins, niacin . . . conjugated linoleic acid? ApoA1 Milano infusions?

This is simply whimsical at this point. I don't know if such an approach would work. But if it did, you might imagine that it would offer an opportunity--for the properly motivated--as an alternative treatment for angina, advanced coronary disease, a means to pull someone back from the brink.

With the insights gained from our slow-but-powerful Track Your Plaque approach, perhaps we will also gain insights into how to accelerate such a process of reversal so that it is achievable in days, rather than months or years.

Ten years ago, small LDL was fairly common, affecting approximately 50% of the patients I'd see. For instance, an LDL particle number of 1800 nmol/l would be 40-50% small LDL in about half the people.

But in the last few years, I've witnessed an explosion in the proportion of people with small LDL, which now exceeds 80-90% of people. The people who show small LDL also show more severe patterns. 80-90% small LDL is not uncommon.

Why the surge in the small LDL pattern? Two reasons: 1) The extraordinary surge in excess weight and obesity, both of which favor formation of small LDL particles, and 2) over-reliance on processed carbohydrates, especially wheat-based convenience foods.

The constant media din that parrots such nonsense as the report on CNN Health website, Healthful Breakfast Tips to Keep You Fueled All Day, helps perpetuate this misguided advice. The dietitian they quote states:

"If you don't like what you're eating, you won't stick with it. If your choices aren't the most nutritious, small tweaks can make them more healthful. For example, if you have a sweet tooth in the morning, try a piece of nutty whole-grain bread spread with a tablespoon each of almond butter (it's slightly sweeter than peanut butter) and fruit preserves instead of eating foods that offer sweetness but little nutritional benefit, like doughnuts or muffins. If you enjoy egg dishes but don't have time to prepare your favorite before work, try microwaving an egg while toasting two slices whole wheat or rye (whole-grain) bread. Add a slice of low-fat cheese for a healthful breakfast sandwich that's ready in minutes. And don't overlook leftovers. If you feel like cold pizza (which contains antioxidant-filled tomato sauce, calcium-rich cheese, and lots of veggies), have it. It's a good breakfast that's better than no breakfast at all."

It sure sounds healthy, but it's same worn advice that has resulted in a nation drowning in obesity. The food choices advocated by this dietitian keep us fat. It also perpetuates this epidemic of small LDL particles.

If you have small LDL and its good friend, low HDL, it's time for elimination of wheat products, not some politically-correct silliness about increasing fiber by eating whole grains. Whole grains create small LDL! Or, I should say, what passes as whole grains on the supermarket shelves.

For some helpful commentary on this issue, see Fanatic Cook's latest post, Playing with Grains.

I caught this little news report in the online edition of Canyon News , an LA paper, under the title Cedars-Sinai Develops Test to Prevent Heart Attacks .

They report that Dr. Daniel S. Berman M.D., chief of Cardiac Imaging and Nuclear Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai, reports that a new method of performing CT coronary angiography, "mini-dose CTA," has been developed that allows both coronary calcium scoring as well as CT coronary angiography (CTA) at a dose as low as 10% of standard dose. No technical details were provided.

Now, that may be worth knowing more about. If this is true, then CTA may indeed be useful as a "screening" procedure. However, we are going to need to know more: What devices are capable of doing this, what settings on the devices were used, etc. It does indeed come from a reputable source in Dr. Dan Berman, who is well known in nuclear cardiology circles.

We will try and dig for info. Stay tuned.

With a heart scan score of 1222, Leslie could be in deep trouble in short order.

At 64 years old, Leslie had gained nearly 40 lbs since she'd given up a lot of her activities caring for a husband who'd developed psychological difficulties and stopped contributing to the household duties. A tall woman at 5 ft 9 inches, she held her 202 lbs well, but her lipoprotein patterns were a disaster:

--LDL particle number 2482 nmol/l--an equivalent LDL cholesterol of 248 mg/dl (drop the last digit)
--HDL 38 mg/dl
--Triglycerides 241 mg/dl
--90% of LDL particles were small
--Lipoprotein(a) 240 nmol/l

Blood sugar was in the pre-diabetic range at 112 mg/dl, C-reactive protein was high at 3.0 mg/l, blood pressure was somewhat high at 140/84.

Now, with the exception of lipoprotein(a), these patterns are exquisitely weight-sensitive. A reduction in weight would yield effects superior to any medication I could give her.

Processed wheat products were a big problem for Leslie: whole wheat bread, pretzels for snacks, whole wheat pasta. Yes, they sound healthy, even endorsed by the American Heart Association, often bearing "heart healthy" labels on the packages. Don't you believe it.

In particular, Leslie had the number one cause for heart disease in America: small LDL particles, a pattern that is magnified 30-70% by wheat products. Endorsed by the Heart Association? (As I often tell people, if you want heart disease, follow the diet advocated by the American Heart Association.)

Leslie was skeptical, worried that she would be hungry all the time and would have virtually nothing left to eat. Instead, when she returned to the office three months later, she reported that eating was easy, finding healthy foods not containing wheat was easier than she thought, she felt great, finding more energy than she'd had in years.

She'd also shed 30 lbs.

Leslie's lipoprotein patterns also reflected the weight loss. She achieved her 60:60:60 Track Your Plaque lipid targets, small LDL shrunk dramatically, blood sugar and blood pressure were back in normal ranges.

I see results like Leslie's several times every week. For those of us with patterns like Leslie's, or just obesity that accumulates in the abdomen, going wheat-free is among the most powerful single strategies I know of.

If you need convincing, try an experiment. Eliminate--not reduce, but eliminate wheat products from your diet, whether or not the fancy label on the package says it's healthy, high in fiber, a "healthy low-fat snack", etc. This means no bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, breads, chips, pancakes, waffles, breading on chicken, rolls, bagels, cakes, breakfast cereal. I find elimination of wheat easier than just cutting back. I believe this is because wheat is powerfully addictive. It's very similar to telling an alcoholic that a drink now and then is okay--it just doesn't work. They need to be alcohol-free. Most of us need to be wheat-free, not just cut back.

You won't be hungry if you replace the lost calories with plenty of raw almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds; more liberal use of healthy olive oil, canola oil and flaxseed oil; adding ground flaxseed and oat bran to yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.; and more lean proteins like lean beef, chicken, turkey, fish, and eggs.

The majority of people who go wheat-free lose weight, sometimes dramatically. Most people also feel better: more energy, more alert, better sleep, less mood swings. Time and again, people who try this will tell me that the daytime grogginess they've suffered and lived with for years, and would treat with loads of caffeine, is suddenly gone. They cruise through their day with extra energy.

Even without weight loss, going wheat-free usually raises HDL, reduces the dreaded small LDL dramtically. It also reduces triglycerides, blood sugar, C-reactive protein, blood pressure. Blood sugar control in diabetics is far easier, with less fluctuations and sharp rises in blood sugar.

Success at this also yields great advantage for your heart scan score control and reversal efforts.

As public consciousness and knowledge about health issues grows, thanks to the internet and other media, I predict that:

1) Hospitals will recede into a role of acute and catastrophic care ONLY, dropping the charade of providing health, which they do NOT.

2) Doctors and other health professionals will begin to see themselves as providers of acute and catastrophic care, also. They will stop providing day to day care, such as treating high blood pressure, cholesterol, breast exams, and other preventive maintenance.

3) Instead, preventive care will be self-provided. The public will have acquired sufficient savvy and know-how to manage issues like blood pressure themselves. They will need the assistance of helpful information resources, web-based for the most part. Much preventive care can, in fact, be algorithm-driven, just like following a simple recipe.

All the worries about runaway health care costs will be much reduced, since excessive testing driven by liability worries will disappear, repeated office visits for day-to-day issues will go away. Yes, you will need a doctor and hospital for a broken leg, car accident, unexpected cancer, or non-compliance or neglect of prevention.

But osteoporosis, high blood pressure, nutrition, weight loss, hormone management, cholesterol issues, minor complaints will all be managed by people themselves with the assistance of web-based knowledge systems.

I already sense this sort of phenomeonon developing, though in its infancy, in venues like the Track Your Plaque Forum and other health portals, places where the information being discussed exceeds the quality of information you can obtain from your doctor. Over and over again, for instance, the sophistication and knowledge demonstrated by our Track Your Plaque Forum discussions shows that the public is capable of far more understanding of health issues than many previously believed. Most of our members could carry on a credible conversation with trained lipid experts. The knowledge base of our members exceeds that of 98% of most of my colleagues when it comes to heart scans, lipoproteins, and nutrition.

I am in awe of Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia. Five 20- and 30-somethings have created a knowledge base that has now eclipsed Encyclopedia Britannica in size and scope, with equivalent accuracy, and relatively little cost. I'd like to see the same phenomenon occur in health care information, helping to usurp the current paternalistic "I'll tell you what to do" model.

John is a gentleman.

At age 76, he continues to teach at a local college. He's a delight to talk to, having written several scholarly books on religious topics. He's a fountain of knowledge on religious history and the roots of faith.

John is one of those incurably optimistic people, always greeting me with a smile and a warm handshake. I can't help but linger for a hour or so to talk with John, unfortunately disrupting my office schedule miserably.

John is another Track Your Plaque success story. Though he didn't set any records in reduction of his heart scan score, he did it simply by adhering to the program over a period of two years, succeeding slowly but surely.

John's first heart scan score: 1190, a score that carries as much as a 25% annual risk for heart attack. Among the list of causes was an LDL cholesterol in the 170 mg/dl range, along with an LDL particle number that verified the accuracy of LDL.

Among John's suggested treatments was a statin drug, since I was not confident he could reduce LDL with diet and nutritional modifications sufficiently to safely reduce both LDL and his risk for heart attack. But he proved terribly intolerant to any dose of any statin, with incapacitating and strange side-effects, like head-to-toe itching, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. It was clear: John needed to do the program without benefit of a statin drug.

I therefore asked John to maximize all efforts that reduce LDL, 70% of which were small LDL paricles despite his very slender build. He used oat bran and ground flaxseed daily, raw nuts, a soy protein smoothie every morning, and eliminated wheat and other high-glycemic index foods (including the Oreos he loved to snack on). Because the mis-adventures with statin drugs wasted nearly a year, I asked John to undergo another heart scan. Score 2: 1383, a 16% increase.

I asked John to keep on going. Thankfully, he did manage to tolerate fish oil, niacin (though it required over a year just to get to a 1000 mg per day dose), and vitamin D. With all these efforts, he did reduce LDL to the 80-90 mg/dl range. Of course, John's unflagging optimism was crucial. He did express his occasional anxiety over his heart scan score, but dealt with it in a logical, philosophical way. He understood that there was no role for prophylactic stents or bypass, and he accepted that much of his program rested on his ability to adhere to the strategies we advised.

Another year later, a 3rd heart scan: 1210, a 12% reduction.

I'm very proud of John and his success. When you think about it, he succeeded in conquering heart disease with some very simple tools, minus statin drugs. It can be done, but requires consistency and patience--and an optimistic outlook.

Roger practically bounced in his chair vibrating with energy.

"It must be the vitamin D! I haven't felt like this in years. I can work around the yard all day and still have energy left over."

At age 84, Roger started out with pretty good health, despite a prosthetic valve and bypass surgery 5 years earlier. He looked 74, perhaps younger.

I've seen this effect now in about 20 octagenarians. A Track Your Plaque Member mentioned this same effect in his father-in-law in a discussion in our Forum. Most are taking around 6000-8000 units per day (gelcap, of course). The average dose of vitamin D tends to be higher in this age group, since by age 80, you've essentially lost the capacity to convert 7-hydrocholesterol to active vitamin D3 in the skin. Most octagenarians start with 25-OH-vitamin D3 levels of 10 ng/ml or less--profound deficiency.

I believe the effect is real, having now witnessed it multiple times. Unfortunately, my observations are too informal to qualify as a study. (I wouldn't even know how to quantify this. I suppose some sort of muscle and coordination testing might yield quantifiable measures.) However, there are some data emerging that show less fractures, falls, improved coordination, and perhaps improved memory and mentation with vitamin D supplementation, though doses often used in studies tend to be lower than what we are using in practice.

I haven't been so excited about the effects of a nutritional supplement in a long time. Vitamin D continues to yield surprises every day in its array of positive and powerful effects.

Could we say that vitamin D restores youthfulness?

More on the American Heart Association Check Mark program

More on the American Heart Association

Exercise and blood pressure

Cheese and vitamin K2

Vitamin D disappointment ahead

In search of truth

American Heart Association stamp of approval

"Your heart scan score means nothing"

Vitamin D toxicity?

Non-profit hospitals

Getting your dose of fish oil right

Flat tummy . . . or, Why your dietitian is fat

Statin drug revolt

Lovaza Rip-off

Santa Claus is alive . . . and works for the drug industry

Another case of aortic valve disease reduced with vitamin D

Track Your Plaque Program Data Tracking Tools

Yet another reason to avoid fructose

Free the Animal

Low Thyroid and Plaque

Lipoprotein testing

Is it exercise or diet?

Instant heart disease reversal

Whole wheat is brown

The small LDL epidemic

Mini-dose CTA?

Wheat-free and weight loss

Collective wisdom

Success--Slow but sure

Vitamin D and octagenarians