Pharma Fouls Up Again!
Omega-3 fats are some of Mother Nature’s most potent medicines. They reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, as well as ease inflammation, asthma, and pain.
As positive research results on these healthy fats continue to mount, fish oil manufacturers and salmon purveyors have benefited from what has turned into a healthy trend. Now pharmaceutical companies are trying to get a slice of the omega pie.
Natural substances aren’t patentable, but GlaxoSmithKline has found a way around that. By chemically manipulating fish oil, they have created Lovaza – an omega-3 ethyl ester that can be prescribed for around $2.75 per pill.
Unlike real fish oil, though, Lovaza comes with a laundry list of “side effects,” the most common being infection, flu symptoms, and upset stomach. But they don’t end there. Enlarged abdomen, fecal incontinence, and suicide are also listed as risk factors in the prescribing literature.
Sound pretty scary? It may get scarier. Long-term side effects of any pharmaceutical are largely unknown when the drug is released to the public, and more often than not go unreported.
If that isn’t enough, here’s the kicker. Lovaza is approved for use in heart disease – as a cholesterol-lowering medication. Can you guess what the carrier of Lovaza’s fish oil might be? It’s partially hydrogenated soybean oil – a known promoter of heart disease.
Instead of “asking your doctor what Lovaza can do for you,” why don’t you ask your doctor what Lovaza actually does? If he is prescribing this poison, chances are he’s in the dark about its harmful side effects.
Find a new physician. And get your omega-3s – side effect free – by enjoying wild salmon, sardines, and taking Carlson’s fish oil.
Kelley Herring
Kelley Herring is the Founder & CEO of Healing Gourmet – a multimedia company that educates on how foods promote health and protect against disease. As a young adult, Kelley battled a debilitating health condition that went misdiagnosed by multiple doctors for more than a year. Finding no help from “modern medicine”, she turned to her own knowledge of biochemistry and her passion for health research. She soon learned that her symptoms were related to nutrition and within weeks, she charted a course back to health with nothing more than simple lifestyle changes and the power of the plate. The lessons she learned spawned the creation of Healing Gourmet. Kelley is a firm believer in vigorous exercise, moderate sun exposure and delicious, healthy, home-cooked meals. She is also the creator of Healing Gourmet’s Personalized Nutrition Software and Editor-in-Chief of the Healing Gourmet book series published by McGraw-Hill including Eat to Fight Cancer, Eat to Beat Diabetes, Eat to Lower Cholesterol and Eat to Boost Fertility.