Chili Sesame Crackers

3. May 2012 William Davis (0)
Looking for something hot and crunchy?

These chili sesame crackers are perfect for dipping into hummus or salsa. As written, the recipe yields a moderately spicy cracker that you can modify readily by increasing or decreasing quantities of cayenne pepper and Tabasco sauce.

This recipe uses sesame seeds as the "flour." Either brown sesame seeds or the lighter version work, though the lighter seeds yield a slightly less bitter flavor with the spices.

For ease of baking, a shallow baking pan measuring 11 x 17 inches works best, as it allows the batter to fill the pan and spread to a cracker thickness. With a smaller pan, you may have to bake in two batches.

Makes approximately 30 chips

2 cups raw sesame seeds
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1¼ cups water

Preheat oven to 350º F.

In food chopper or food processor, grind 1¼ cups sesame seeds to fine meal. Remove and place in large bowl.

Place shredded Parmesan cheese in food chopper or food processor and pulse briefly until reduced to granular consistency. Add to sesame seed meal and mix. Stir in olive oil.

Add remaining (unground) sesame seeds, chili powder, cayenne pepper, onion and garlic powder, mustard, sea salt and mix thoroughly. Add Tabasco sauce and water and mix. Add additional water, if necessary, one tablespoon at a time, to obtain a consistency similar to pancake batter.

Pour mixture into baking pan and smooth to fill pan and obtain a thickness of a cracker. If too thick, remove some batter and re-smooth. Optionally, roll a clean cylindrical glass or bottle over top to smooth and yield a consistent thickness.

Bake for 30 minutes or until edges browned and center firm. If a dry, extra crunchy cracker is designed, bake an additional 10-15 minutes at 250 degrees F.

Remove and allow to cool. Cut with pizza cutter to desired size.
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CRP House of Cards

CRP House of Cards

4. May 2009 William Davis (15)
Lew has coronary plaque with a heart scan score of 393. At age 53, that's in the 90th percentile (higher score than 90% of men in his age group).

On our search for causes of his coronary plaque, we identify low HDL of 41 mg/dl, high triglycerides of 202 mg/dl, small LDL (83% of total), calculated LDL of 133 mg/dl, and severe vitamin D deficiency with a starting blood level of 25-hydroxy vitamin D of 19 ng/ml.

His c-reactive protein: 4.1 mg/dl--above the cut-off of 2.0 mg/dl that the pharmaceutical industry is targeting as a mandate for statin therapy, particularly given the JUPITER data.

Lew instead eliminates wheat and other small LDL-provoking foods and, as a result, loses 28 lbs in 3 months; adds omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil; supplements vitamin D sufficient to increase his blood level to 70 ng/ml.

Along with dramatic correction of his starting abnormalities, his c-reactive protein: 0.4 mg/dl--no statin drug.

In my view, increased CRP is nothing more than a surrogate for the inflammatory phenomena that arise from high-carbohydrate diets, overweight, and small LDL. Correct those and CRP drops off a cliff. In fact, it is exceptionally rare for CRP to not drop to very low levels following this formula.

I believe that CRP is one more item on the list of reasons--the house of cards--the pharmaceutical industry is building to persuade us to take more and more statin drugs. LDL not low enough? Take more statin. Diabetic with low cholesterol? Take a statin. Inflammation? Take a statin.

Enough already.
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Comments (15) -

  • Scott W

    5/4/2009 2:23:00 PM |

    Dr. Davis:

    Wondering if you could clarify your thoughts a bit. You promote elimination of wheat and corn starch (which I fully believe in) but then also comment on the elimination of carbohydrate (in the aggregate) as being a key factor for health. I'm not convinced that all carb is problematic for a person with a normal metabolism. Of course, it doesn't hurt anything; just wondering at your experience with those who don't go low carb but do drop the wheat.

    Thanks.

    Scott

  • JPB

    5/4/2009 3:59:00 PM |

    So why have so many doctors bought into this whole statin thing?  If you question the need for a statin, you are first bullied to take them and second shown the door if you continue to resist!

  • Ricardo

    5/4/2009 4:02:00 PM |

    Dear Dr. Davis, the improvement you describe for Mr. Lew is mainly because of wheat elimination, fish oil supplements or 25-hydroxy vitamin D increased levels? Or is just because of the significant weight loss and hypocaloric diet? In other words, from your experience, would you expect similar results in other people, for example, with the same approach but with no weight loss at all?

  • Roger

    5/4/2009 4:49:00 PM |

    Dr. Davis,

    Are you still recommending Niacin?  I haven't seen it mentioned for low HDL in a while.

  • Nick

    5/4/2009 8:41:00 PM |

    It would be interesting to know how long Lew's dietary/supplemental changes were in effect before his hsCRP impressively dropped from 4.1 mg/dl to .4 mg/dl?

    Two months into a LC diet and two weeks without grains my hsCRP was 2.43 mg/dl, HDL-75, TGs-82, calculated LDL-105, VLDL-16. Yes, my doctor advised me to go on a statin and a low-fat, high fiber diet to lower my LDL number to <75 (not going to happen). In my case, I do not need to lose weight, just manage blood sugar.

    Still, it would be interesting to know when to expect a lowering of CRP and what other factors beside coronary plaque determine the measured hsCRP when one is mimicking Lew's strategy?

  • Anne

    5/4/2009 11:51:00 PM |

    I have had a dramatic improvement in my hs-CRP, but it occurred slowly. Nine years ago my hs-CRP was over 13 and I was having one stent after another and ultimately bypass. As I made lifestyle changes, my hs-CRP started to fall a little. In 2003 I stopped eating gluten(wheat, barley and rye) and by 2005 my hs-CRP dropped to 4.98.

    Now I have given up all grains because of blood sugar issues and my hs-CRP is 2.19 - not perfect but heading in the right direction. My vitamin D is now 54ng/ml instead of 24. I do take fish oil.

    I doubt a statin could lower hs-CRP from 13 to 2.19

  • steve

    5/5/2009 1:25:00 AM |

    i have been looking to join the track your plaque website,but the site that asks for a credit card does not appear to be secure/encrypted; it is not an https site for example.  Therefore any data you put in for a credit card is out there in cyber space.  any suggestions?

  • Dr. William Davis

    5/5/2009 1:42:00 AM |

    Great results, Anne!

    In general, CRP reductions occur over several months. The phenomenon that both exerts profound effects but can slow the process down is WEIGHT LOSS.

    Scott--It depends on whether there are metabolic measures that reflect intolerance to wheat and other carbohydrates, such as small LDL or increased CRP.

  • vin

    5/5/2009 8:19:00 AM |

    Dr. Davis,

    when you say eliminate wheat and other food that cause small LDL : which other foods are you referring to? Is it all simple carbs such as sugars, processed foods etc. or something else?

    Thanks.

  • Dr. William Davis

    5/5/2009 10:38:00 AM |

    Vin--

    Eliminating wheat means just that: anything made with wheat. Otherwise, the effect does not kick in.

  • Anonymous

    5/5/2009 9:25:00 PM |

    The ml/dl units for CRP levels are likely a typo, one that is widely found in the medical literature and confusing for the novice attempting to determine normal serum CRP levels.  Levels above 2 or 3 mg/L are often cited as indicative of increased cardiac risk and levels at or above 2 mg/L (0.2 mg/dl) were required for eligibility in the Jupiter study.

  • Anonymous

    5/6/2009 4:54:00 AM |

    Dr Davis,

    I've been on a Low carb diet for the last six months.  My triglycerides is 60, HDL 61 but my direct LDL is 174, APOPROTEIN B is 119. My CRP was .6.  Should I be worried about the APOPROTEIN B score of 119?  My doctor recommended that I take a Statin drug....with the high LDL score and APO_B score.  I don't eat any grains and currently taking fish oil, niacin and vitamin D gel based pills.  I would like to stay away from statins....but I'm getting frustrated in not being able to lower my LDLs through diet.

  • Anna

    5/10/2009 3:59:00 PM |

    To those of you who have eliminated grains; reduced your fear of naturally saturated fat (be wary of trans fats and most vegetable oils, though); have seen your HDL go up; etc., but are still worried about what seems like an elevated LDL (remember, it's probably just a calculated number, not a direct measurement), then consider that few primary care docs even see people who eat like that, so  they don't know what to do with the unusual profile that comes up.  They rec a statin as a knee-jerk reaction to any "elevated" LDL number, despite all the other "risk factors" that look fine - it's to cover their you know whats (one doc even said that to me).

    I ran into this with my endo who noted in my file the high calculated LDL and total cholesterol numbers (but the ratios and triglyc are great and far better than they were 5 ya before I got my BG under control by restricting carbs, then eliminating wheat).  

    In response to the suggestion I consider a statin, despite no other reason besides the high "calculated" (estimated) LDL number, I said, "then let's take a closer look at that LDL.  Please order a detailed cholesterol lipoprotein panel [same as TYP recommends] to directly count and measure the LDL particles, because I think it's highly likely the LDL will be few in number plus will be the large fluffy kind not associated with CVD."  At that point I did know that my atypical high fat, low carb diet that I followed to manage my BG tended to promote the right LDL and minimize the small dense LDL particle formation.  So I wasn't worried at all about the LDL number, but probably most people are conditioned to worry about LDL these days.

    That was before I knew about heart scans.  Now that I've had a heart scan with an unsurprising 0 score.  So if I get another statin recommendation (prob less likely now),  I'll say that "there is no measurable plaque in my coronary arteries,  so no thanks" (not to mention the questionable benefit of statins for women, anyway).  

    These days, before I consider taking *any* treatment that wasn't needed on an emergency basis, I look into it thoroughly
    from ALL angles and make sure no stone is unturned - to be sure I truly will benefit from it and not be harmed (and that means a direct look at the so-called risk factors and side effects or undesireable outcomes, not just an estimate or calculation.  We've been programmed to fear any high LDL number, but we need LDL; that's why we make it -  it serves a physiological function.  We just have to get past the oversimplification of "good and bad" cholesterol and make sure we make the the healthier forms.

  • Trinkwasser

    5/16/2009 12:59:00 PM |

    Good going Anna!

    The cluefulness factor varies a lot between doctors. One of mine noted "weird" lipids without relating them to what was obvious "diabetic dyslipidemia". Many in the UK will only look at TChol.

    My current one is more competent than many, she agrees that my slightly high LDL is not dangerous since my trigs and HDL have become so good. But she is adamant that I cannot have CRP or homocysteine tested and lipoprotein panel is totally unavailable. Not entirely her fault, it's those accountants.

    I'm trying to educate her into the benefits of carb lowering. She's coming round to understanding my point of view but is restricted by protocols from recommending it to others. I'm getting through better with the nurses who seem more able to suggest useful techniques without fear of being disciplined or losing their jobs.

  • AE

    1/6/2012 9:11:49 PM |

    Hello Dr. Davis,

    I'm on a ketogenic diet and in the process of weight loss. Went to the doc and got my blood test to find out that my cholesterol numbers were good, however, I had high CRP (5.5). The doctor immediately suggested statins. No additional tests to rule out an infection or other strategies to determine the cause of the inflammation.

    I'm aware that during weight loss the blood test results can be skewed. (You talk about this here: http://www.trackyourplaque.com/blog/2011/09/what-is-this-wacky-thing-called-weight-loss.html) However, given that my cholesterol results are good, I'm wondering why the CRP would be high.

    You can get a more detailed background about my case here (which includes blood test results): http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comments/o4lk8/bloodwork_after_3_months_of_keto/

    Sincerely,

    A.E.

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"Fish oil is stupid"

"Fish oil is stupid"

3. April 2007 William Davis (13)
"Fish oil is a waste of time and money. It's stupid. Just stop it."

So a patient of mine was advised by another physician when he complained that he occasionally experienced a fishy aftertaste.

This attitude perplexes me. After all the confirmatory data that support the enormous health benefits of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, including the 11,000 participant GISSI-Prevenzione Trial, you'd think this attitude would be history. What's a little fish aftertaste when heart attack risk is slashed 28%?

Perhaps the tendency to pooh-pooh fish oil is because it's available as a nutritional supplement. This shouldn't make fish oil appear inconsequential. Far from it.

If you witness the extraordinary power for fish oil to reduce triglycerides, you will be immediately convinced of its effectiveness. The ability of omega-3 fatty acids from fish to eliminate intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), the persistent abnormal lipoprotein which signals an inability to clear dietary fats from the blood, can also convince you. More than 90% of people with excessive IDL have it completely eliminated by 4000-6000 mg of fish oil (providing 1200-1800 mg EPA + DHA) per day.

The fact that fish oil is available as a prescription "medication," as well as an over-the-counter supplement, causes some physicians to dismiss the power of the supplemental form. This is nonsense. The over-the-counter form is every bit as effective as the prescription form.

The makers of prescription Omacor also make the claim that their preparation is safer and purer. That may be true, but I'd like to see independent verification from the FDA, USDA, or an unbiased organization like Consumer Reports before I accept their marketing as fact--particularly at $120 to $240 per month! If Omacor proves to contain substantially less mercury and pesticide residues, then that will need to be factored in. (Please note that both Consumer Reports and Consumer Labs measured no substantial mercury or pesticide residues in their analyses of 16 and 41 brands, respectively.)

I try to persuade my colleagues that the idea of taking supplements is a wonderful trend that allows people to express ownership of their own health. What people need is guidance, not salesmanship for a more expensive version, nor dismissal of nutritional preparations that actually possess considerable benefits.
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Comments (13) -

  • Cindy

    4/3/2007 1:24:00 AM |

    I've heard that fishy burps means the fish oil is rancid and should be thrown out!? I've also been advised to cut open and taste a capsule every once in a while (I do it weekly) and to throw it out if it tastes or smells fishy.

  • Dr. Davis

    4/3/2007 1:49:00 AM |

    Cindy--
    You're brave. My experience is that virtually all fish oil is fishy to one degree or another. The Consumer Lab analysis is probably the most enlightening on this question: they found that only 2 of 41 preparations had any rancidity breakdown products present. That's pretty good. Neither of the two preparations that flunked their analysis were popular brands.

  • JJ

    4/3/2007 7:15:00 PM |

    Can you help interpret EBT scan results.  50 y/o male with 3rd EBT scan now indicates a decrease:  
    '05 152;
    '06 417;
    '07 350.  
    Is this common?  An error? Please advise.  Thanks you.

  • Dr. Davis

    4/3/2007 7:35:00 PM |

    JJ--
    I'd advise you to see the website, www.trackyourplaque.com. We discuss these issues extensively here. Or go to my book, Track Your Plaque, available on Amazon. From what little you've told me, it could be true or it could be an error, i.e., scanner inaccuracy, depending on the type of scanner used. However, the entire Track Your Plaque concept is built on the idea of trying to gain control over your heart scan score.

  • Anonymous

    5/22/2007 5:03:00 PM |

    Your last paragraph makes perfect sense and is logical. I think that this is exactly what the pharma companies dont want is for the patient to express ownership of their health or realize that otc supplements have any merit. I applaud you for sticking to the facts that you find not just the data and marketing that the pharma companies and reps feed the doctors.

  • Fr. Gregory

    8/17/2007 1:28:00 PM |

    Fish oil is immensely beneficial for many reasons.  The challenge is that most manufacturers of fish oil are not held to any standards, so as Cindy says above, if you are having problems with "fishy heartburn" or the like, chances are it is rancid.  Norway is one country that has strict standards for the production of fish oil.  Hence, Nordic Naturals is a good brand, because it is produced there.  My two cents worth: use Norwegian Fish oil products.  Be wary of product in America.  The "taste test" is a good way to note if the fish oil is of quality.  Rancid fish oil, I've been told, can be worse for you than no fish oil at all.

  • mill

    9/23/2007 6:53:00 PM |

    I know of so many people who have lowered their cholestral but after 6 months of taking 6 caps of 1250 mg daily mine actually went up a few points. I called the company (Res-Q) and they said that happens to some people. What is your opinion?

  • Dr. Davis

    9/23/2007 11:39:00 PM |

    I have never seen anyone reduce LDL cholesterol with fish oil, but that is not its purpose.

    Fish oil 1) reduced triglycerides, 2) reduces lipoprotein patterns like VLDL and IDL, and 3) reduces heart attack and other heart events.

    The only way fish oil can reduce LDL cholesterol is by reducing triglycerides and thereby providing the appearance of a drop in LDL, since LDL is calculated with values that include triglycerides.

  • Mark

    3/18/2008 11:44:00 PM |

    I think it is quite ignorant of you to claim that a dietary supplement is the same as a prescription medication.

    There is a reason that manufacturers need to place a disclaimer on their products "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."  Simply put, manufacturers can put whatever they like in a supplement, as long as they put their precious disclaimer on the bottle.

    By the way, there is no such thing as an "over the counter" fish oil.  OTC implies that a product, at one time, was available with a prescription (i.e. Claritin), and is now available without a prescription.

    Lastly, your idea about Consumer Reports doing a comparison of dietary supplements versus Lovaza/Omacor is a valid one.  However, it seems to me it would be easier to simply compare the EPA and DHA contents of the product to get an idea of their efficacy.  In my experience, there are no products in the market that can match the potency of the prescription product.

  • mill

    6/27/2008 12:36:00 PM |

    Dr Davis
    I've been on 2 naicin tabs daily and my cholestral is done from 240 to 164!!!!it's amazing. Can i go back to taking just one daily  now?
    Thanks so much!

  • mill

    7/9/2008 9:39:00 PM |

    How much naicin is bad for the liver?

  • lizzi

    8/25/2008 3:05:00 PM |

    I worry about omnacor (Lovaza) because they chemically altered fish oil, (made it an ester, I think) in order to increase stability.  I just hope this doesn't ruin its good effects.  The process reminds me of the creation of transfat to enhance the stability of margarine in the 1950's.  It took us 40 plus years to figure out that was a big mistake.  Anyone else worried about this?

  • Mary P

    4/27/2009 2:03:00 PM |

    I have concerns about the amount of fish that it takes to produce supplements.

    If you don't want to take a fish oil supplement and are not in one of the demographics that should limit the consumption of oily fish - is there a daily consumption of dietary fish that would meet nutritional needs? E.g., 80g of sardines or mackerel?

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Sun green tea

Sun green tea

21. July 2011 William Davis (11)
Here's a great way to enjoy the health benefits of green tea during the summer: sun green tea.


I dropped two green tea bags into approximately one-half gallon of cold water in a clear glass jar. I placed the jar in the sun (with top on) for four hours, then brought it into the kitchen. I served it as iced tea with a slice of lemon and mint leaf.

The sun green tea was a smoother than standard green tea brewed with hot water. Ordinarily, if you brew hot green tea for more than 3-5 minutes, it becomes more bitter or tannic. This sun green tea, despite steeping for four hours, was not the least bit bitter or tannic.

The green tea lasted well for about 48 hours, more than enough to enjoy several glasses per day.
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Comments (11) -

  • Eric

    7/21/2011 1:53:59 AM |

    Isn't there some bacteria that grows in sun tea?

  • Shreela

    7/21/2011 2:41:53 AM |

    I believe Eric is correct, although sinus problems tell me not to search for it right now LOL
    Try overnight tea in the fridge instead.
    http://www.theyummylife.com/blog/2010/08/22/How+to+Make+Refrigerator+Iced+Tea

  • Againstthegrain

    7/21/2011 6:46:21 AM |

    I have to agree with Shreela, as I have had the misfortune of drinking sun tea that had been at room temp for too long during warm weather.  Steep and store the tea cold in the fridge and discard it after two or three days if it isn't consumed, or at the first sign of anything floating in the tea.  The bacteria that grows in tea brewed at room temp (or warmer) can cause an unpleasantly strong attack of the "runs".  

    More info about this issue:
    http://www.snopes.com/food/prepare/suntea.asp

  • Joe E O

    7/21/2011 11:28:19 AM |

    Dr. Davis care to comment:

    Study: Boosting Good Cholesterol With Niacin Did Not Cut Heart Risks:
    http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/05/28/136678665/study-boosting-good-cholesterol-with-niacin-did-not-cut-heart-risks?ft=1&f=1001

    Peace
    Joe E O

  • Kent

    7/21/2011 3:10:50 PM |

    Joe E O,  I would investigate the numerous other studies that have proven the effectiveness and benefits of Niacin, before dicounting it due to skewed and flawed study you reference. Keep in mind that anytime something shows benefit over the Statin Machine, it is going to have a full out assault launched against it.

  • Randy

    7/21/2011 3:18:29 PM |

    Also good with a couple of mint tea bags thrown with the green tea. Safeway Select is very good.

  • Randy

    7/21/2011 3:19:55 PM |

    Is a warm or cold extraction as effective at pulling the antioxidants out of the tea and into the water?

  • Chris B

    7/21/2011 5:58:35 PM |

    I would second the refrigerator tea suggestion over sun tea.
    Also, the reason green tea can be bitter so often is that does not like water as hot as black tea and if it is brewed with the same boiling water, that is too hot for it. If you try letting it cool just a little first or not quite get to boiling, you will get a better brew. There are sites out there that will tell you proper temperatures, but I generally don't feel like pulling out the thermometer so I usually just wing it.

  • Againstthegrain

    7/31/2011 9:41:24 PM |

    Dr. Davis,

    Most of the time, brewing tea in the sun will probably be fine, especially if the tea is consumed quickly and stored in the refrigerator.  But there definitely is *potential* for problems, especially when brewing during warmer weather or prolonged storage time out of the refrigerator.  That's what happened with one batch I made a couple summers ago -  I kept the pitcher on the counter for a few days due to lack of refrigerator space, adding ice to chill the tea when I filled my glass (or just drinking the tea at room temp).  I had at least three tea refills before I connected the tea consumption to the frequent "just-in-time" trips to the loo that day.  Upon further inspection, the tea had a slightly cloudy appearance, with a large thing floating in it.    The runs stopped after I dumped the tea and switched to drinking water.  

    Now when I "cold-brew" tea I either make it in on the counter during cooler weather or in the refrigerator during warmer weather, never in the sun where the water will become warm.  I dump leftover tea after a few days if it isn't consumed, and I thoroughly wash the container.

  • Yvonne

    8/2/2011 9:38:14 AM |

    I think I'll make the sun tea the same way Dr. Davis did, so as to get that smooth green tea flavor; but I'll add the lemon to the brewed tea after I remove it from the sun (to boost its natural acidity), and decant it in smaller jars in the refrigerator. Thanks for this recipe, Dr. Davis!

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Heart health for stupid people

Heart health for stupid people

4. October 2007 William Davis (3)
I'm kidding.

What I'm referring to is the incredibly lame information I come across that passes as "heart health" on the internet, magazines, and other media. Just to keep abreast of what is being said, I subscribe to multiple newsletters and magazines and I witness the sorts of advice offered to the reading public.

A recent long-winded article on a popular website listed the "exciting" strategies available for a healthy heart:

Eat healthy--by eating a "balanced" diet low in saturated fat

Don't smoke

Exercise

Don't ignore chest pain symptoms or breathlessness

Know your numbers! meaning your cholesterol numbers. "If your cholesterol is high, you may need to speak to your doctor about medication to reduce it."


Surely they must all believe we're stupid. Otherwise, why would they repeat the same obvious information over and over again? Quit smoking? Gee, you think so?

How about some real heart healthy advice:

Get a heart scan--since we have to accept that cholesterol values are a miserable failure in detecting hidden heart disease. So is waiting for symptoms to appear.

If you have any measure of coronary plaque, ask your doctor to assess lipoproteins, not lipids (cholesterol).

Take fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids--At a dose of 1000 mg or more of EPA + DHA, heart attack risk is reduced by at least 28%.

Eliminate wheat and other processed carbohydrates --Small LDL has emerged as the number one cause of coronary plaque, not high cholesterol from saturated fat.

Get vitamin D assessed--The effects are huge--HUGE. There's already a study in a kidney disease population that showed a substantial reduction in mortality with vitamin D supplementation. More data are coming, including our own.


That's a start--truly effective, practical heart healthy strategies that go way beyond the conventional bland advice.


Copyright 2007 William Davis, MD
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Comments (3) -

  • Anonymous

    10/4/2007 3:27:00 AM |

    Completely OT but I was wondering if you have
    an opinion on the cardio health claims for "selba" ?

    Thanks

    gene m

  • Anonymous

    10/4/2007 3:53:00 PM |

    I'm sorry Doc; I meant salba- a seed from Peru that some health practitioners are claiming as the new
    super food.

  • Dr. Davis

    10/4/2007 3:56:00 PM |

    Sorry. No opinion.

    But I'd like to know more.

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"Drug no cure for gluttony"

"Drug no cure for gluttony"

24. May 2007 William Davis (0)
That's the headline I'd like to see associated with rosiglitazone, brand name Avandia.

The recent negative press, whether deserved or not, surrounding the prescription drug rosiglitazone for pre-diabetes and diabetes highlights the fact that drugs never--never--substitute for what we can achieve with lifestyle changes.

Typically, rosiglitazone reduces blood sugar a few milligrams, reduces C-reactive protein, and very modestly reduces triglycerides and its associated evil lipoprotein friends. It also causes an average weight gain of 8 lb in the first year of use.

What will weight loss achieve, especially if accomplished through dramatic reduction or elimination of processed carbohydrates and wheat products, along with fish oil supplementation, vitamin D normalization, and exercise? Extraordinary benefits, far superior to what is achievable with this drug. In fact, while rosiglitazone is a Band-Aid for this process, the lifestyle changes can represent a cure in many or most instances.

It should come as no surprise that a drug that does nothing more than increase sensitivity to insulin cannot erase the devastating effects of an unhealthy life. Take rosiglitazone but neglect exercise, don't bother with vitamin D, indulge in pretzels and breakfast cereals, gain more weight . . . It serves the drug company's agenda better than it serves health.
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Can vitamin D be a SOLE risk factor?

Can vitamin D be a SOLE risk factor?

18. January 2007 William Davis (6)
Here's a crazy question. It occurred to me as I was talking to Drew, a slender, active 54-year old dentist with no bad habits including no smoking.

Drew's heart scan score was 222. His lipoprotein analysis mostly revealed a lot of nothing, which is unusual. The only pattern that showed up was a modestly high LDL of 122 mg/dl with a very slight excess of small LDL. That's it. I would not be satisfied that these were sufficient cause for Drew's level of coronary plaque.

Drew's 25-OH-vitamin D3 level: 15 ng/ml--severe deficiency--despite the fact that his doctor had suggested that he take a vitamin D2 preparation. In other words, Drew had been profoundly deficient, probably for years.

Given the unimpressive cholesterol and lipoprotein values, could vitamin D serve as a trigger for coronary plaque all by itself?

I don't have an answer and know of nobody else who does. However, my opinion is that vitamin D is indeed a potent risk that can cause heart disease as a sole risk factor.

Perhaps it's another piece of circumstantial evidence suggesting that vitamin D has an enormous influence on health, including coronary plaque. Interestingly, the only other health problem Drew has had is prostate cancer, treated a few years ago with prostate removal and radiation. Good evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency escalates risk of prostate cancer substantially.

By the way, I've seen people taking vitamin D2 preparations, called "ergocalciferol," who are every bit as deficient as those who take no vitamin D at all. Avoid D2 or ergocalciferol preparations: they're worthless.
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Comments (6) -

  • Regina W

    1/17/2007 10:20:00 PM |

    I'm probably way off here, but vitamin D derivatives are mainstays of topical therapy for chronic plaque psoriasis; I have to wonder if coronary plaque can form if vitamin D is deficient since vitamin D is involved with insulin regulation and insulin and hyperglycemia is also implicated in heart disease; often those with diabetes are found deficient in vitamin D, and they're a population most at risk for heart disease?  Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

  • Dr. Davis

    1/18/2007 1:08:00 AM |

    You're absolutely right. There is solid evidence that vitamin D deficiency increases diabetic patterns, including higher blood sugar and insulin levels. Whether this is part of the reason why vitamin D might exert benefits on coronary plaque remains uncertain. I suspect that there are many reasons, this being a major one.

  • Anonymous

    1/21/2007 1:46:00 PM |

    You may be interested in the following papers.
    The case against ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) as a vitamin supplement.
    http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/84/4/694
    Risk assessment for vitamin D
    http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/85/1/6
    http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/77/1/204
    Human serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol response to extended oral dosing with cholecalciferol

  • Rich

    11/12/2007 9:17:00 PM |

    Dr. Prendergast has posted today an astonishing story of benefit from D3. The patient was switched to D2 in an effort to move to generic alternatives and he went rapidly downhill toward death. The mistake was discovered, the patient was switched back to D3 and he immediately recovered.
    Here's the link to the short video:
    http://enews.endocrinemetabolic.com/2007/11/generic-wars.html

  • Dr. Davis

    11/12/2007 11:44:00 PM |

    Thanks for the heads-up, Rich. It is truly an astonishing story.

  • Neelesh

    12/5/2007 5:11:00 PM |

    Dr Davis!
       Sometime back I had posted a comment on your entry about wheat. And you had suggested that my Vitamin D3 levels might be low. Your diagnosis from 3000 miles away proved right! I had a 25-OH-D3 test and the value was less than 4ng/ml. I consulted my cardiologist and he brushed away the fact and asked me to drink more milk! I'm planning to switch doctors now.
       My copy of TYP reached me and I'm through cover to cover. The level of  details in the book is amazing and I've started correcting my lifestyle, food habits and medicines(of course, after discussing with the doctor).
       Many doctors here prefer a CT angiogram to a heart scan. My doctor was unable to give a good reason for why I should not have a heart scan but a CT angiogram. ("You are too young to have a heart scan"). So the situation here in India is no better.
      Many thanks!
    -Neelesh

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Getting your dose of fish oil right

Getting your dose of fish oil right

23. December 2008 William Davis (11)
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).
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Comments (11) -

  • JoeEO

    12/24/2008 4:27:00 PM |

    Merry Christmas, Dr. Davis!

    Peace

    Joe E O

  • Anonymous

    12/24/2008 5:15:00 PM |

    Now this I can understand! Thanks for blogging so clearly.

    Smile

    Stevie

  • rabagley

    12/24/2008 9:15:00 PM |

    I have no idea why people mess around with capsules when the bottled lemon-flavored fish oil is so much more palatable and easier to take.

    1.5 tablespoons of Carlson's finest fish oil (which is about what the large spoons in my kitchen drawer hold) contains:

    3600mg EPA
    2250mg DHA
    1350mg other O-3 fatty acids

    And all of that goes down in one smooth, lemon-flavored swallow.

    I take enough supplements as pills already without having to choke down six or nine more of those fish oil capsules.

  • Anonymous

    12/24/2008 9:43:00 PM |

    Dr Davis, I know you no longer post here, but I wanted you to know that you gave me a great Christmas present. Diagnosed with high LP(a) of 87 I couldn't get it below 35-45 even with 1500mg of Niacin daily. Reading your blogs I increased my Fish capsules to 1800 3 months ago along with the 1500 Niacin. Just got my blood workup back and after 6 yrs of trying my LP(a)is now "normal" at 11.
    I think the D helped too that I learned about on your blog.
    You deserve a Santa hat and my gratitude. Thank You and Happy holidays......... Over&Oout

  • Craig

    12/24/2008 11:22:00 PM |

    My fish oil has total 300mg. of epa/dha.  The label then indicates 300mg of omega 3's.  Do those count for any heart benefits?  The bottle label claims these are 1,000mg fish oil softgels but I can't find anything that adds up to
    1,000mgs.  So, my question is am I getting 300, 600, or 1,000mgs in one capsule?  Your posted explanation is very clear, but I need a bit more clarification.

    Thanks.

  • Rich

    12/25/2008 3:21:00 PM |

    I second the vote for the liquid fish oil - the only way to go if you are trying to take a therapeutic dose of fish oil.  I’ve been using various liquid brands for many years – also avoids the “burps” you get with some softgels.

    The only downside to the liquid is if you travel, as it needs to be kept refrigerated, which can be inconvenient.  I keep a small supply of softgels around for when I am travelling.

    In response  to Craig:  on your bottle, all you care about is the amount of EPA+DHA listed in the ingredients – in your case, apparently a total of 300 mg EPA+DHA per softgel.   So, for example, if you want a dose of 1800 mg EPA+DHA per day, you will need 6 softgels.

  • Jack Cameron

    12/27/2008 12:32:00 AM |

    In my opinion high vitamin cod liver oil is the best way to get a base amount of fish oil. One tablespoon provides about 1 mg of EPA + DHA and all the vitamin A and D you need. I use fish oil tablets to supplement the cod liver oil.

  • Anonymous

    1/2/2009 1:38:00 AM |

    I have posted a couple of times here and I guess I will join the TYP since I have found good guidance in general. When I started out at the end of 2002 with angina problems, I was encouraged by a U.Guelph study discussing the benefits of a combination of fish oil and Garlic (Adler et al) Here, on Track your Plaque, the mega-dose of fish oil is also recommended.
      
    BUT..... Chris Masterjohn, who appears to provide well researched and ref. articles, states clearly that it is only DHA that is desired and that excess EPA can inhibit the conversion of ALA....
    SO...... Good or bad, high fish oil intake with EPA ?

    are there any sources of just DHA?

  • Anonymous

    5/15/2009 12:21:00 AM |

    Cod liver oil has too much vitamin A.  Fish oils make a big contribution to overfishing, much more than eating fish.  You can get algae-derived DHA supplements, and two companies make a DHA/EPA product from algae :www.water4.net, maker of V-Pure; and www.source-omega.com, maker of Pure One.

  • buy jeans

    11/3/2010 10:33:05 PM |

    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.

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