Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Vitamin B3 beats Big Pharma's Zetia cholesterol drug
Natural News ^

Posted on 03/30/2010 8:24:19 AM PDT by Scythian

(NaturalNews) The utter worthlessness of Big Pharma's cholesterol drugs was demonstrated recently by a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which showed that niacin (a low-cost B vitamin) out-performs Merck's drug Zetia for preventing the build-up of arterial plaque, a symptom of cardiovascular disease.

As the study reveals, Zetia failed miserably. Patients taking niacin showed a "significant shrinkage" in artery wall thickness, while those on Zetia showed no such improvement. At the same time, the rate of "cardiovascular events" in the niacin group was only one-fifth that in the Zetia group, demonstrating that niacin is far more effective at preventing heart attacks and other similar events than Zetia.

But curiously, as soon as niacin started to show a real benefit over Zetia, researchers cancelled the study. The premature ending of the clinical trial stopped the process by which even more useful information about the benefits of niacin might have been learned.

5,800% higher price than niacin

Merck, the maker of Zetia, was likely horrified to learn that a low-cost B vitamin out-performed its blockbuster drug. Sales of its Zetia drug are reportedly over $5 billion. It's no wonder: Zetia sells for as much as $3.89 per pill.

Niacin, on the other hand, costs as little as 6.7 cents per pill, even in a "no-flush" time-release formula from a quality source like the NSI brand from Vitacost: http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-No-Flus...

These price differences make Zetia 5,800% more expensive than niacin. And yet niacin works better.

So if niacin works better, and if modern medicine claims to be serving patients instead of profits, why don't doctors recommend B vitamins instead of expensive cholesterol drugs? As you have already guessed, the reason is because Zetia earns all kinds of ridiculous profits for Big Pharma and B vitamins don't.

The fact that doctors continue to prescribe Zetia, in fact, demonstrates how thoroughly our modern medical system has failed to recognize and embrace things that work to help patients rather than things that make the most money for powerful drug companies. If our modern system were actually based on what works, doctors would be prescribing various vitamins, minerals, herbs, superfoods and nutritional supplements (including anti-cancer mushroms).

But no... our system isn't based on what helps patients. It's based on what makes the most money, and so patients are put on dangerous (even deadly) pharmaceuticals that can cost 5,800% more than low-cost natural remedies that actually work better!

The big question: Does modern medicine help society at all?

It really makes you wonder: Beyond emergency treatments and critical care, does modern medicine offer any net benefit to society at all? More and more people are now coming to the conclusion that no, modern medicine harms far more people than it helps.

The key question to ask is this: What if our medical system disappeared tomorrow? Would we be better off or worse off?

The startling (but true) answer is that we would be better off. Without cancer screening, for example, breast cancer rates would plummet (because screening causes cancer). Without cholesterol drugs, blood pressure drugs, diabetes drugs and chemotherapy, people would live far longer, with less liver damage, kidney damage and brain damage.

In all, pharmaceuticals do not save lives. They destroy lives while making huge profits for drug companies. And yet much of western medicine is based on the administration of these dangerous, over-priced chemicals.

There's a fascinating book entitled What if Medicine Disappeared? by Gerald Markle and Frances McCrea. (http://www.amazon.com/What-Medicine...)

This book explains why modern medicine does far more harm than good. It doesn't explain, however, why doctors who think they're so smart continue to prescribe a patented medication that's 5,800% more expensive than a nutritional solution that works better.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cholesterol; niacin; nutraceuticals; nutriceuticals; statins; vitamins
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-105 next last

1 posted on 03/30/2010 8:24:19 AM PDT by Scythian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Scythian

bump


2 posted on 03/30/2010 8:28:18 AM PDT by Scythian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

now you know why McCain wants to regulate Vitamins and supplements.


3 posted on 03/30/2010 8:28:42 AM PDT by Walkingfeather
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

Bump for later.


4 posted on 03/30/2010 8:29:16 AM PDT by An American in Turkiye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

but but but BIG GOVT wants to regulate and shut down the natural foods markets and create an exclusive market for the FDA controlled drug companies.


5 posted on 03/30/2010 8:29:21 AM PDT by George from New England (Escaped CT in 2006, now living north of Tampa)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

I thought these commercials were on TV in the early hours of the morning or on weekends?


6 posted on 03/30/2010 8:30:43 AM PDT by vetvetdoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Walkingfeather

MCCain the filthy liar who gave us McCain Feingold and wants to give us amnesty - hates vitamin supplements.

I guess he wants us to drink more beer - so his wife and daughter canpromote gay marriage and sodomy.


7 posted on 03/30/2010 8:31:32 AM PDT by Frantzie (McCain=Obama's friend. McCain called AMERICANS against amnesty - "racists")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

All true. I wouldn’t give statins to my worst enemy.

Make sure you take B3 as actual NIACIN and not the “non-flush” types as they are worthless.

And also avoid “hydrogenated” anything along with oxidized vegetable oils. Animal fats have a far higher threshhold for “oxygenation”.


8 posted on 03/30/2010 8:31:35 AM PDT by traderrob6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: George from New England

John McCain is leading the charge.


9 posted on 03/30/2010 8:32:16 AM PDT by Frantzie (McCain=Obama's friend. McCain called AMERICANS against amnesty - "racists")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Scythian
In all, pharmaceuticals do not save lives. They destroy lives while making huge profits for drug companies.

This post is B.S. opinion wrapped in a news headline. Pharmaceuticals are responsible for me being able to lead a healthy, active life, and I'll fight anyone who wants to tear down the industry right down to my eyeteeth.

BTW, weren't you the one posting about being on your deathbed from "Morgellons"?

10 posted on 03/30/2010 8:32:46 AM PDT by Yossarian (A pro-life democrat is one who holds out for something in return for his pro-abortion vote.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: traderrob6

Have tried various niacins down through the years, flush and non-flush, OTC and prescription. Worthless to me. Great for when it works.


11 posted on 03/30/2010 8:34:49 AM PDT by handmade
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Yossarian

“This post is B.S. opinion wrapped in a news headline. Pharmaceuticals are responsible for me being able to lead a healthy, active life, and I’ll fight anyone who wants to tear down the industry right down to my eyeteeth.”

Some truly are Godsends, others, ie statins are, the opposite.


12 posted on 03/30/2010 8:34:58 AM PDT by traderrob6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: handmade

I take 500mg morning and evening and am thrilled with the results.

Private message me, I’ll explain.


13 posted on 03/30/2010 8:37:06 AM PDT by traderrob6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Yossarian
"This post is B.S. opinion wrapped in a news headline."

This is true of way too much stuff posted around here.

14 posted on 03/30/2010 8:37:37 AM PDT by verity (Obama Lies)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

I’ve been taking Niacin for a few months thanks to comments from a kind FReeper on one of these posts...possibly you. Thanks.


15 posted on 03/30/2010 8:39:10 AM PDT by spyone (ridiculum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: traderrob6

How much Niacin do you take a day. I took it for a few years when I had PADs. I helped a lot. I think they were 500mg.


16 posted on 03/30/2010 8:42:09 AM PDT by CJinVA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Scythian
(NaturalNews) The utter worthlessness of Big Pharma’s cholesterol drugs...

Oh now there an unbiased source. For your information I have been taking high B natural multivitamins for many years and still have high cholesterol levels. So I call BS on this “report”.

17 posted on 03/30/2010 8:42:43 AM PDT by McGruff (Don't criticize. Explain to me who I should support other than Sarah Palin.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

Big Pharma is a pet peeve of mine.

Yeah, I know “wonder drugs”, etc. No doubt some of them are.

But by and large these companies are in bed with the doctors to scam the public. I’ve had several instances of doctors changing my prescription to some new, vastly mroe expensive drug when the old one went off patent. Only to find out it’s simply a combination of two older drugs which, when combined, earns them a new patent.

And the price?

I used to use 2 spearate psoriasis ointments, which had been around for a while and costed about $80 / tube. The new stuff (those 2 mixed)? $1,200. Yeah, you read that right.

I asked the doctor “why not stay with the cheaper stuff?”

Her answer (no doubt right out of a drug company brochure) “Oh, they work better when mixed”.

For the record, at least in my case, No, they don’t.


18 posted on 03/30/2010 8:47:17 AM PDT by Pessimist (u)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Scythian

bump for later.


19 posted on 03/30/2010 8:48:53 AM PDT by BreitbartSentMe (Ex-Dem since 2001 *Folding@Home for the Gipper - Join the FReeper Folders*)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Walkingfeather
"now you know why McCain wants to regulate Vitamins and supplements. "

McCain's Folly



20 posted on 03/30/2010 8:49:35 AM PDT by FrankR (Those of us who love AMERICA far outnumber those who love obama - your choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-105 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson