Shane
Ellison
quotes
Shane Ellison
I worked for Array Biopharma designing Tamoxifen derivatives for Eli Lilly. Because Tamoxifen was shown to ignite higher cancer rates among women, Eli Lilly hoped to replace it by developing a new "chemical cousin." We were unsuccessful in our attempts. Despite its known danger, Tamoxifen remained on the market. I noticed that ads from Eli Lilly for Tamoxifen insisted that it might decrease cancer risk. This was the exact opposite of what biochemists found in the lab and reported. [2006] Interview of Shane Ellison author of Health Myths Exposed
Top scientists at the FDA have financial conflicts of interest with respect to the drugs that come under their scrutiny. These ties are often in the form of stock options. Such conflicts are commonly waived and hidden from the general public. Allowing these conflicts of interest is a result of lobbying by drug companies. Additionally, as reported in the Washington Times, many scientists are pressured to design and recommend approval of a new drug despite reservations about its safety, effectiveness or quality. This has been going on for years. The results have been, and will continue to be, disastrous. [2006] Interview of Shane Ellison author of Health Myths Exposed
Drug companies do not look for "cause." The drug
company business model is based on "sustainability." Rather than find a cause
and cure, patients are simply sustained. There is not a single prescription drug
that offers a "cure" to any ailment. Curing a
disease versus treating its symptoms does not make "business sense" to drug
companies. Just like government can only profit from criminals, the drug
industry only makes money from sick people - sick people with insurance.
This business model enables
drug companies to make huge profits and guarantees dependency among users. This
dependency allows drug companies to pay for Direct-to-Consumer (DTC)
advertising, drug trials, university research, government lobbying, and "ghost
writers." Combined, these strategies are used to deceive the general public as
well as medical doctors. [2006]
Interview of Shane Ellison
author of Health Myths Exposed
To further increase profit, drug companies invent disease and subsequently,
offer a solution. Herein lies the origin of deadly health myths. Such myths
include, but are surely not limited to, that of high cholesterol being the
culprit of heart disease, insulin being the only treatment for diabetics and
that AIDS, rather than starvation, is killing Africans. Through "junk science"
and "ghost writing," the general public and some of the world's most respected
health experts have fallen victim to these myths.
Inventing disease is not a "far
out" conspiracy theory. It is a simple matter of finding ailments that naturally
occur due to poor lifestyle habits and labeling them as a disease. Once
"big-pharma" steals jurisdiction over the general public's common sense, they
convince them of the necessity of their drugs. [2006]
Interview of Shane Ellison
author of Health Myths Exposed
In reality, most so-called diseases can be remedied with lifestyle changes. That is why I stress that habits create and eradicate disease, not drugs. One such habit might be to stop taking FDA approved drugs, which are known to cause a myriad of afflictions. This fact is copiously documented in my book. The biggest health threat to Americans are FDA approved drugs and medical doctors who mandate prescription drug addiction for both adults and children. [2006] Interview of Shane Ellison author of Health Myths Exposed
As a side note, some would argue that antibiotics cure infection. This is almost true. Antibiotics make us feel better. Inevitably though, their use leads to other infections. And in the long run, man-made antibiotics act as a growth medium for producing stronger and deadlier bacteria. This is hardly a cure, especially when Chinese medicine has successfully and inexpensively cured bacterial and viral infections for thousands of years (see the shrub andrographis). [2006] Interview of Shane Ellison author of Health Myths Exposed
Unfortunately the word "cure" is the sole property of the drug companies. If a nutritional supplement company uses this term they are attacked judiciously. This often leads to bankruptcy. As a result, many natural cures are buried. [2006] Interview of Shane Ellison author of Health Myths Exposed
I called Vioxx™ the "silent killer". After 100,000 injuries, the dangers of this pain reliever became public. The FDA and Vioxx™ drug maker, Merck, knew of these dangers for at least 4 years prior to its removal. Instead of removing the drug immediately, they kept it on the drug market for matters of wealth not health. In this chapter, I document a myriad of drugs that were proven dangerous prior to their approval. These drugs are still on the market today. [2006] Interview of Shane Ellison author of Health Myths Exposed
The true definition of the FDA must be known. The FDA is an organization that is only qualified to dictate what is legal and illegal with respect to the business of prescription drugs. Despite what most people erroneously believe, this does not mean that the FDA properly defines what is right and wrong with respect to health. This is an import distinction. Drug laws do not dictate what is right and wrong. [2006] Interview of Shane Ellison author of Health Myths Exposed
To date, the gap or ignorance of FDA approved drugs has created
hypochondriacs. This can be seen by the fact that people now pay
exorbitant amounts of money on health insurance their entire lives to
ensure they have access to prescription drugs. Or, careers with paltry
wages are rationalized by having health insurance as a benefit. In this
case, health insurance acts as a "Velcro package" sticking people to a
false sense of security at the same time stripping them of their free
will. Having health insurance to obtain prescription drugs is not a
benefit, it is a liability. Simply because a poison is inexpensive via
health insurance doesn't mean it is good for you.
Health insurance is an illusion. In reality, it is a means by which
medical doctors and drug companies monopolize their power. It dictates
the use of prescription drugs and nothing else. When a person has
"health insurance" they must, by default, choose prescription drugs.
This is the only way their investment can be returned. Therefore, most
will never question doctor's orders or seek alternatives; they will
simply swallow the pill that makes them ill. Having health insurance
eliminates choice in health care.
Consumer choice is the solution to a flawed health care system fueled
by health insurance. Having insurance based on choice would enable
policyholders to use nutritional supplements, acupuncture, personal
trainers, and/or massage therapy in place of prescription drugs. If
done, drug companies would crumble and people would begin to see the
benefits of alternatives.
[2006] Interview of
Shane Ellison
author of Health Myths Exposed
Professional medicine reporting has no doubt tainted the once respected scientific method. Today, drug companies utilize a large majority of their profits to pay for and design their own studies. Additionally, "ghost writers" are hired to write favorable reviews of drugs despite their known dangers. These reviews are published in peer reviewed medical journals, which are used by medical doctors to get information on FDA approved drugs. Ultimately, doctors are hoodwinked into thinking that a given drug is safe and effective when, in reality, it poses great risk without benefit. [2006] Interview of Shane Ellison author of Health Myths Exposed
Myth 6 is dedicated to disproving the myth that high cholesterol is a
risk factor for heart disease. If low cholesterol levels prevent heart
disease, then victims of heart attacks should have high cholesterol.
This is not so. Over half of all heart attack victims (those who suffer
from heart disease) have low cholesterol. This logic is too simple.
Highly educated folks totally miss this one. Therefore, the entire
chapter reveals evidence, which disproves this myth. It also highlights
how to avoid early death from heart disease using scientifically proven,
natural approaches.
To further implement an attack on the cholesterol myth, I dedicated a
separate chapter to stress the importance of cholesterol. This is
chapter 7. According to studies over the last hundred years, the higher
our cholesterol, the longer we live. This might be a revelation for
most. As such, it will be hard to comprehend. Yet, science has
consistently shown this to be true.
The most widely respected medical journal, the Journal of the
American Medical Association, published a study entitled: Cholesterol
and Mortality. 30 Years of Follow-up from the Framingham study. Shocking
to most, this in-depth study showed that after the age of 50, there is
no increased overall death associated with high cholesterol! There was,
however, a direct association between low levels (or dropping levels) of
cholesterol and increased death. Specifically, medical researchers
reported that death rates increased by 14% for every 1mg/dl drop in
total cholesterol levels per year. These results, and many others, have
not stopped medical doctors from making blanket prescriptions for
cholesterol lowering drugs to anyone with a heart beat…This must be why
medical doctors carry a stethoscope around their neck (laughs).
[2006] Interview of
Shane Ellison
author of Health Myths Exposed
The "fibrate" drugs have been replaced by new cholesterol lowering
drugs known as "statins". These drugs ALSO show no correlation between
drug-induced low cholesterol and the prevention of heart disease!
Looking at 5 major statin drug trials, these being PROSPER, ALLHAT-LLT,
ASCOT-LLA, AFCAPS and WOSCOPS, statin drugs provided an Absolute Risk
Reduction in total mortality of 0.3%.
These facts go ignored. Medical doctors and drug companies hide the
truth with complexity and obscurity via statistical contortionists.
Don’t be fooled. It is the "spin" created by the media that has
convinced the masses that these drugs prevent heart disease, not the
science.
In reality, the only thing that cholesterol-lowering drugs do is
lower cholesterol. Users will have to face the negative side effects of
both the drug and of having low cholesterol. This is a crucial point!
Combined, these side effects include, but are not limited to, lack of
energy and sex drive, cancer, heart disease, and loss of short-term
memory. That people have relinquished their health to cholesterol
lowering drugs is a great reminder that advertising hype often
supercedes common sense.
[2006] Interview of
Shane Ellison
author of Health Myths Exposed
Interestingly, most of the negative side effects attributed to the plant ephedra were caused by the commonly used FDA approved drug ephedrine. This was well documented by the U.S. General Accounting Office. Ephedra posed huge competition for drug companies in the areas of obesity, asthma and bronchitis. Drug companies were losing millions of dollars, literally. Like all natural medicines that step on pharmaceutical turf, ephedra was banned. To date, there is not a single study which proves ephedra to be dangerous or that can document a single death from the use of ephedra. The same cannot be said for ephedrine. The ban of ephedra is a great example of how people are falsely convinced of dangers associated with natural medicine. [2006] Interview of Shane Ellison author of Health Myths Exposed
Activating thermogenesis is the most
effective way to lose fat, regardless of the cause. Doing so, allows a
person to burn fat without exercise. Activating thermogenesis can be
done by consuming certain foods or nutritional supplements.
The most important way to activate thermogenesis is by abstaining
from sugar (sucrose and fructose), artificial flavors (aspartame and
sucralose) and high glycemic index (GI) foods. To further simplify, a
person could simply stop drinking soda, this includes diet soda. All of
the aforementioned factors block your body's ability to burn fat. As a
result, your body only burns carbohydrates while storing fat. I call it
a biochemical nightmare. Over time, the nightmare is irreversible and
results in what is known as insulin resistance.
[2006] Interview of
Shane Ellison
author of Health Myths Exposed
The FDA should be banned all together. It is an example of an organization that has failed in its regulatory process......The FDA is accountable to the people yet they have failed in their sole objective of being the custodian of our health. We are the ones who have voted for their existence and they have failed to protect us...... As a reminder, their drugs kill over 100,000 people every year. This would be akin to the entire population of Buffalo, New York being wiped out every year. If a car company like Chevrolet were responsible for this death toll there would be blood in the streets. [2006] Interview of Shane Ellison author of Health Myths Exposed