BIG ME 0 I (I N E: WHO S E HE A LT H ARE THE Y PRO TE CT IN G? 335should be giving my heart patients beta blockers and ACE inhibitors,
two classes of heart drugs, I don't know whether it's true. I honestly don't
know if its true because {drug research] is so tainted."
Do you think the following headlines are related?
"Schools report research interest conflicts" (between drug companies
and researchers)2 8
"Prescription use by children multiplying, study says" 29
"Survey: Many guidelines written by doctors with ties to companies"3o
"Correctly Prescribed Drugs Take Heavy Toll; Millions Affected by
Toxic Reactions"3lWe pay a high price for allowing these medical biases. A recent study
found that one in five new drugs will either get a "black box warning,"
indicating a previously unknown serious adverse reaction that may re-
sult in death or serious injury, or will be withdrawn from the market
within twenty-five years.^32 Twenty percent of all new drugs have serious
unknown side effects, and more than 100 ,000 Americans die every year
from correctly taking their properly prescribed medication?3 This is one
of the leading causes of death in America!
DR. MCDOUGALL'S FATEWhen Dr. John McDougall finished his formal medical education, he set
up a practice on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. He began writing books
about nutrition and health and established a national reputation. In the
mid-1980s John was contacted by St. Helena Hospital in Napa Valley,
California, and asked if he would accept a position running its health
center. The hospital was a Seventh-day Adventist hospital; if you recall
from chapter seven, the Seventh-day Adventists encourage followers to
eat a vegetarian diet (even though they consume higher-than-average
amounts of dairy products). It was an opportunity too good to pass up,
and John left Hawaii and headed for California.
John had a good home at St. Helena for a number of years. He taught
nutrition and used nutrition to treat sick patients, which he did with
fantastic success. He treated over 2,000 very sick patients, and over the
course of sixteen years, he has never been sued or even had a letter of
complaint. Perhaps more importantly, John saw these patients get well.
Throughout this time, he continued his publishing activity, maintaining
a national reputation. But as time passed, he realized that things weren't
quite the same as when he first arrived. His discontent was growing.