12 November 2009

Two New Articles

I have put two new articles on my Second Opinions website in the last two day. Both of them support what I have written in Trick and Treat (up to a point :-))

I have been thinking of the first, about Biblical guidance that instructs the faithful of three religions - Jews, Christians and Muslims - that they should eat meat, for some time. This is because, with a world where religion is becoming more and more fundamental, it seemed like a good idea. Then when Prince Philip gave world religious leaders a vegan meal a couple of weeks ago, I couldn't resist it.

The second is a result of big changes in the murky world of prescription drugs - and cholesterol-lowering statins in particular - and drugs regulation. At long last, a regulatory body has woken up to the fact (that many of us have known for several years) that statins are not the benign panaceas they are made out to be.

Both are indexed on my home page

Tomorrow I should have an interview with Dr Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD, a longtime cholesterol sceptic.

5 comments:

Megan said...

Barry, have you seen today's Daily Mail ??

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1228760/Drug-halve-heart-attacks-healthy-Statins-unprecedented-cut-risk-say-doctors.html

Barry Groves said...

Hi Megan

I know of the JUPITER study. It's not that good. This is media hype.

I'm on holiday at present. I'll try to cobble together something on Jupiter in the next day or so.

Barry

Unknown said...

Hi Barry

Not sure where else to ask you this - in Trick and Treat you write about what a gallbladder does. Do you have any dietary suggestions for those of us who have no gallbladder any more?

Also - in one chapter you mention the negatives of using suntan lotion - what is your suggestion for New Zealand (and probably Australia) with the problem of the Ozone hole - I definitely burn here in New Zealand whereas I don't in the UK. I don't use sun lotion in the UK.

In New Zealand we are told to stay out of the midday sun (not being mad dogs or Englishmen), i.e. after 11 am to at least 2 pm. If I do go out into the garden then and stay out for a couple of hours (once summer actually comes) I will be really burnt.

Are there any studies that clarify the New Zealand and Australian situation re sun burn and the ozone hole?

Thanks

Justine

Barry Groves said...

Hi Justine

Not having a gallbladder needn't be too big a problem. Unless you have had the shpincter at the end of it removed, which would be very unusual, your bile duct will still store some bile. And that bile will released into the intestine as needed. There just won't be so much of it. For this reason, you might not digest fats as well as before. But you should notice if this is the case as the water in your toilet will have an oily sheen on it after a motion if this is the case.

Unless it is giving you discomfort, I wouldn't worry; if it is, you could eat smaller amounts of fat, and more frequently.

Don't worry about the ozone hole. I* understand that healed up several years ago. And I don't think it affected NZ or Australia even when it was there.

Barry

Megan said...

Thanks Barry - I'll watch out for it.

Incidetally, my gall bladder was removed when I had my liver transplant almost fifteen years ago, as well as a bile duct reconstruction a few months later, and it's made absolutely no difference to my ability to eat fat - fortunately!!