Somewhere around 20 years ago..
My Internal Medicine practice included a small sub segment of anti-aging medicine. Most of the patients came to me for hormone replacement- men and women.
My colleagues at the time were not enamored by my behavior. When I asked why the answer was “Because there are no studies!”. When I pointed out there were tons of European studies, I got the usual “Europe is NOT America!” Some even suggested I move there!
The main difference they were referring to was something they were not even aware of. In their minds European Science and medicine were inferior to the way we do things here. Despite the fact that 6 of the top ten Health Care Rankings by nation are European countries.
The U.S. is ranked 39th! In spite of having at least 50% higher health care expenditures than every other nation.
What my colleagues were really discussing without them knowing it is the complete dominance of Big Pharma in the United States. This includes the control of where research dollars are spent, advertising and the subsidization of other poorer nations’ drug costs by artificially pricing ours the highest in the world.
The hormone replacement used in Europe in those studies was compounded not branded by Big Pharma. When that became common knowledge, Big Pharma launched an all-out campaign to regulate compounding pharmacies and to discredit hormone therapy in general. A 1 billioin dallar collective advertising budget goes a long long way!
My prediction to my colleagues was “as soon as Big Pharma can control these things by prescription, it will become acceptable treatment.” I was only half right because the testosterone patches came out 4 years later, but the study of horse piss derived estrogen replacement (Premarin) pretty much destroyed easy access for women to hormone replacement. Doctors were frightened by the impending legal action that would follow anything bad that happens.
Once again women were screwed.
I am telling you this bit of history because the exact same thing has happened predictably with Omega 3 fish oil.
Big Pharma has patented yet another slightly modified form of Fish Oil called Vascepa and now all of a sudden “fish oil” is good for heart disease. But not just any fish oil. Only Vascepa.
They spent 10’s of millions on studies to prove what was already known and buried under the politics of money in this country. To their credit they fought hard and long to get this indication and to be ranked right up there if not above (personally I am sure they are better) than statins.
So, DON’T TAKE FISH OIL for heart disease. Do what they tell you and get your doctor to write a prescription for a non natural form of Omega 3 for heaven’s sake.
Now as far as all the other things fish oil is good for that are buried under the politics ….
I continue to take my Fish Oil every day Because of the hundreds of millions to billions of dollars at stake it is reasonably sure to expect a “Don’t take fish oil only take drugs!” campaign soon.
That is until Big Pharma takes over the Omega 3 industry!!!!
Doc
PS 90% of store bought multi-vites are made by subsidiaries of Big Pharma. If you want one that is guaranteed NOT TO BE, go here.
PSS Interesting reading and more old truths!