Noted nutrition expert Parris Kidd, PhD joins us to talk about two very interesting substances that will be of interest to listeners who want to protect their brains, eyes, cardiovascular system, immune system, etc.: (1) Taurine, a very special amino acid that is required for life and (2) Pynogenol ®, an extract from French maritime pine bark that has been studied for over 40 years. Each of these has a wide range of benefits and there is obvious synergy in the combination. Click here to find podcasts, show archives and how to listen nationwide.

Wrong weapon / wrong target?
Would you take a cardiovascular pill that had potentially dangerous side effects if you knew that it would change numbers on your blood tests but, ultimately not protect you from strokes or death? Probably not. You may assume that I’m talking about niacin if you heard the evening news last night. It summarized the results of two journal articles into a sound bite that sounded something like this: “Niacin drug in use for 50 years does not protect against heart disease after all and it is dangerous.” Of course, there is more to that story and, here’s the shocker, I could just as easily have been asking that question about the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs (see list).

Before I discuss the news report, please understand that I have never recommended high-dose timed release niacin to reduce cholesterol. See the section below, “A closer look at niacin”.

One article reviewed side effects reported in a 2011 study of using niacin with statins and the other a large study of niacin combined with a third chemical and also used with statins.

 •   We (and most of our well-meaning doctors) have been trained (dare I say brainwashed) to believe that if we take drugs to reduce LDL cholesterol, we will protect ourselves from cardiac crisis. However, a growing body of science shows that cholesterol scores are a poor predictor of future events among otherwise healthy people. For example, 75% of those who die from heart attacks have normal cholesterol.

•   Cholesterol drugs seem to benefit (and modestly at that) mainly those with existing heart disease. (Oh, sooo many unanswered questions…when a person is diagnosed with heart disease and prescribed a statin, isn’t it just possible that much of the statistical improvement comes from the now-motivated patient having cleaned up his or her act a bit with a better diet and exercise?) Also, sadly, little to no attention is paid to the important beneficial roles of cholesterol or to the fact that the death rate from all causes is higher among those with the lowest total cholesterol levels. (All of this is discussed in my booklet Fat Free Folly accompanied by a lot of references.)

•   Populations with higher HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, are indeed healthier. It was theorized that raising HDL with drugs would therefore be protective. But, alas, scientists seem to be giving up that theory because they have failed to demonstrate such protection in clinical trials.  

•   High levels of the blood fat, triglycerides, are a risk factor for heart disease. But again, the results from using drugs to lower triglycerides have been quite disappointing in the saving lives department.

•   The Mayo Clinic previously liked niacin. And, according to the Boston Globe, “When niacin was used on its own before statins became widespread, studies found that it reduced heart attacks in men with heart disease.” It also reduces inflammation and blood pressure.

•   Niacin lowered LDL and triglycerides as well as raising HDL, but it was not shown to save lives. Niacin also caused a concerning rate of serious side effects including an increase in the risk of diabetes. BUT, that is also the story with the statins—they improve test numbers, cause horrid side effects (including increased diabetes risk) and there is scant evidence that they save lives except in certain high risk groups.

•   The pharmaceutical giant, Merck, sponsored the large international study using its niacin + laropiprant medication. Well over a year ago, when the results were bad, the firm said basically “oh well”. They ceased selling the drug overseas and stopped working for US approval. (Don’t feel too sorry for Merck. It has two other cholesterol drugs which are likely more profitable. Also, consumers can’t cut them out by buying a generic version at a health food store as they can with niacin.)

•   In both studies, Niacin was prescribed along with statin drugs and some critics wonder if these highly medicated folks were already basically maxed out on any potential benefit from lowering of cholesterol.

•   In the Merck study, the other chemical involved (laropiprant, now recalled) was used to reduce the flushing effect. One of the side effects noted was an increased risk of bleeding. Hmmm. Some people take aspirin to reduce the niacin flush and we know aspirin causes bleeding.  So, I have to wonder how much of the niacin negatives were really due the statins and other chemicals paired with it in these studies.

What is wrong with this whole picture? When people eat a good diet such as the Mediterranean Diet (a high-fat diet by the way), their blood tests results look good naturally and their rates of heart disease are dramatically lower than ours. However, when we take Americans (who are on a high-carbohydrate junky diet) and give them synthetic chemicals to force their test numbers into a preconceived “normal”, it just doesn’t produce the same long term health results. It would appear we may be confusing effect with cause and ignoring a lot of other factors.

A Closer Look at Niacin
At one time, niacin was just a plain old B-vitamin–one of the required nutrients. It is still recommended in doses of 14-18 mg for adults and the government says that 35 mg is the safe upper limit. However, when it became fashionable to blame cholesterol for heart disease and someone noticed that niacin tended to lower cholesterol, they started increasing the dosage. In the drug version, doses reached 1,000 milligrams. Because niacin can cause an uncomfortable skin flushing, the pills were then made into a timed-release version. I knew 25 years ago that slow release niacin was not good for the liver. Since the liver does hundreds of jobs, you really don’t want to annoy it. So, I never jumped on the high dose niacin for cholesterol bandwagon.

B vitamins, like so many other nutrients, should be used in complexes. When you take massive amounts of just one, you risk trouble. For example, vitamin B-6 is very helpful and safe in low doses or as part of a B complex. However, when you increase the dose to over 200 mg and don’t balance it with the other B’s, peripheral neuropathy can result. I believe that’s because, by flooding the system with just one B, you fill up the body’s capacity to absorb and transport, thereby creating an artificial shortage of other B’s.

Depression and Anxiety
Follow-up Note: On last week’s show, Dr. Pelton said that some 11% of Americans are on anti-depressants and that some of the depression drugs actually change what he calls the “architecture of the brain”. Because those meds reduce the number of receptors for the happy hormone, serotonin, getting back to normal may become more difficult. Again, a WARNING! DO NOT suddenly stop taking mood-altering medications! The side effects of doing so without professional supervision can be lethal. If you feel a bit anxious, try magnesium and the amino acid L-Threonine. Many nutrients help prevent depression, including vitamin D, fish oil, magnesium, B-vitamins, etc. One of these days I’d also like to do a show on the so-called “study drugs”. Meanwhile, for kids headed to college, consider telling them to try MemoryWorks before joining the medication fad.

Last Week Follow-up
LISTEN to that show in the archives.  Certified in both Nutrition and Life Coaching, Lori Shemek, PhD is a health expert for ABC’s Good Morning Texas. She is the author of FIRE-UP YOUR FAT BURN! Super Easy Quick Tips, Strategies and Goals for Fast Weight Loss (Kindle Edition…print version will soon be available on her website.) We will talk about weight loss. My second guest is Dr. Ross Pelton a PhD pharmacist and Certified Clinical Nutritionist (CCN). He will discuss the side effects of anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs as well as alternatives. (This is the subject of a webinar you can preregister for on his website.) He also answers a listener question about bio-identical hormones.

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MY BOOKS:

Fat-Free Folly. Challenges dangerous mainstream thinking about fats. Supported with generous amounts of current science and grounded in a common sense historical framework. Learn how to build health and lose weight while enjoying more delicious food.

Natural Alternatives to Nexium, Maalox, Tagamet, Prilosec & Other Acid Blockers. Subtitle: What to Use to Relieve Acid Reflux, Heartburn, and Gastric Ailments. Besides explaining the dangers of these medications and helping fix the real cause (which is seldom too much acid) this book is also helpful for solving other digestive problems.

Aloe Vera – Modern Science Sheds Light on an Ancient Herbal Remedy. Research shows that Aloe has benefit beyond skin and digestion–also for immune function, detoxification, nutrient absorption, blood antioxidant levels, blood sugar regulation and more. Learn how to pick the most potent brands.

The information contained in this newsletter has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The contents are for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Copyright 2014 Martie Whittekin, CCN