[satx]

statins-for-cholesterol is a hugely profitable business pushed hard for decades by BigPharma, going back to a single faulty "study" in the 1950s, after Eisenhower's heart attack.

My opinion is that statins-for-cholesterol, obsession with cholesterol is as big of a medical scam, a BigPharma misdirection-for-profit, as BigFood's "low-fat" and "whole grain", and gluten scams.

Cholesterol is essential, so much so 90% is produced by the liver without any dietary consumption.

Cholesterol + lipids + calcium sticking to arteries is a reaction to an injury, mostly from systemic, low-grade inflammation. High blood pressure also injures arteries, also causing cholesterol plaque.

Some people with high cholesterol have no CVD, while some people with low cholesterol die from CVD. Maybe cholesterol isn't the problem?

Aspirin's help with CVD was initially thought to be due it blood-thinning effect, getting blood through narrowed arteries, but then its anti-inflammatory effect was more reasonable. btw, statins are also anti-inflammatory (aspirin and similar are cheaper).

Systemic inflammation reduced by aspirin (or statins), less injury to arteries, less plaque.

Systemic, low-grade inflammation also reduces insulin sensitivity, so the body produces more insulin, which is a really nasty hormone. result? adult-onset Type II diabetes.

So "I think" watching inflammatory bio-markers is more important than watching cholesterol, as one could take away from the New Yorker article.

An alkalizing, anti-inflammatory diet is key, complemented by both moderate resistance work and moderate cardio exercise, which also reduce inflammation.

"life-style" of diet and exercise is your best "Heal Thyself" strategy, not BigPharma.

btw, chronic, systemic, low-grade inflammation causes chronic high-levels of cortisone (derived from cholesterol) to reduce the inflammation, and wreaks havoc on the immune system, which of course causes inflammation as a response to injury or foreign matter.

[beagle3]

> An alkalizing, anti-inflammatory diet is key

Can anyone cite a peer reviewed study / documentation of "alkalizing" diets? I've attempted to trace this idea back to anything scientific, and always eventually came up with "well, someone I trust once told me ...".

[satx]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid%E2%80%93base_homeostasis

one of the nasty results of a acid diet (sugar, mammal/fowl products, etc) is that the body will buffer the serum pH on the low side to stay within the body's healthy pH range by robbing calcium from bones and teeth.

[beagle3]

Thanks, but that's not what I'm after - let me rephrase my question.

Acid/Base homeostasis is obviously important, and the body works hard to maintain it, no question about it. However, there is a claim (e.g. the one you made) that an "alkalizing diet" is healthier in some way than a "common" diet -- and I'm looking for a reference for that.

I have found references saying that ingesting sodium bicarb (the ultimate alkalizing agent) was shown to help with very controlled amounts and strenuous exercise, and was otherwise either useless or harmful. I have found many claims, but not one properly supported by an experiment, that an "alkalizing diet" (which often includes acids like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in those descriptions with some hand waving) is good for you.

So, my question is: I am trying to understand the origin of the "alkalizing diet" argument, and see whether it is science, pseudo-science or myth; can you help me with that?

[DrScump]

"statins-for-cholesterol is a hugely profitable business pushed hard for decades by BigPharma"

The vast majority of statin scripts are generics, and quite cheap. "Big Pharma" now lacks a profit motive there.

[jeremyswank]

What are your credentials for making these statements?

[satx]

I can read, and I read a lot