Newsflash: Ibuprofen has now achieved rock star supplement status!
A new “study” planned for presentation at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting in April 2011 suggests that those who use ibuprofen may reduce their risk of Parkinson’s disease by close to 40%.
Here’s the kicker: those who took the most ibuprofen tablets on a weekly basis had the greatest protection from this dreaded neurological disease!
Before you run out and buy a case of Motrin and add a tablet or two to your morning breakfast routine, consider the disclaimer at the end of the article:
The study’s results don’t establish a direct cause-effect relationship between ibuprofen and Parkinson’s disease. Ibuprofen, like other NSAIDs, can cause gastrointestinal bleeding and affect the kidneys. The researchers conclude that more study is needed to determine whether ibuprofen can offer prevention against Parkinson’s.
Do most people read this far into the article?
Unfortunately, no they do not. This blatant prostitution of WebMD for the benefit of increasing sales of ibuprofen is all about the power of the headline.
Not surprisingly, there is no mention of who funded this “study” either. My guess would be, hmmm, that’s a hard one – a pharmaceutical company that makes ibuprofen?
The marketing geniuses working for Big Pharma know that most folks will read the headline and that’s it. They won’t bother to read the entire story and see that there really is no cause and effect relationship between ibuprofen use and reduced risk of Parkinson’s disease. Nor will they read the fine print to see the incredible downside to taking ibuprofen on a frequent basis for years on end.
When I told my husband last evening about this study, he laughed and said, “Yeah, the folks who took all that ibuprofen had a lowered Parkinson’s disease risk because they died of something else before they contracted it!”
This sarcastic and humorous comment made us both giggle, but it is exactly on target. NSAID use can indeed trigger serious health issues if used frequently over a long period of time and even the mercenary study above indicated as much.
Reduced risk for Parkinson’s in exchange for your kidney health? I don’t think that’s a very good trade at all, thank you!
Another very serious side effect of using ibuprofen is that it decimates beneficial gut flora and stimulates grown of haemolytic (iron loving) forms of bacteria and Campylobacter in the gut. An overgrowth of these iron loving bacteria brings along with it mild to severe anemia e,specially pregnancy anemia, which is not easily rectified by eating iron rich foods or supplements.
Anemia is not something to be taken lightly: it brings with it a constant feeling of tiredness, lack of concentration and ability to learn/complete tasks as well as an overall lack of energy and stamina for daily living. It sucks the life out of your life. Even if there was a direct relationship between taking ibuprofen and a reduced risk of Parkinson’s (which there is not), it would not be worth the compromise to gut health and all the associated risks for many, many very serious autoimmune disorders such as MS, cancer, lupus, and the list goes on and on.
Unfortunately, the attention grabbing headline that ibuprofen use “may” reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease is all that will stick in the minds of most folks who come across it. Those who are skeptical and read between the lines will quickly discount the ridiculousness of this assertion, but the majority will not. And, for those who are not able to see through the propaganda, sales of ibuprofen will increase.
Big Pharma mission accomplished.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Source:
WebMd, Ibuprofen May Reduce Risk of Parkinson’s
What a joke! This is like people who heard that resveratrol in wine was good for its anti-aging properties, and now they think it’s okay to drink like a lush. Hello! What about all the negative effects of alcohol on the body?
Here’s another great one from today’s episode of “The Doctors” on home remedies: They told a mom to give her child gummy bears to soothe a sore throat with the glycerin in the candy. What about all that sugar, corn syrup, and food coloring? What effect will those things have on the child’s health? Stupid stupid stupid.
Oh my, and to think that show is so highly rated. That is not saying much for the discernment abilities of our culture, is it? Very sad.
I can’t stand that show. It is propaganda designed to get people to blindly trust doctors.
Gummy Bears!?
I have read though, that plain honey has been proven to reduce symptoms of cough/ sore throat as much as medicated cough syrup or cough lozenges, which really are mostly sugar and coloring anyways. Apparently the effective thing is sugar, so this is probably why gummy bears were suggested.
Honey has compounds in it that kill germs and viruses. It also has anti inflammatory compounds that reduce soreness and irritation. I doubt that the sugar in candy does anything besides feed the bacteria, along with the other negative effects of processed sugar.
Just about every medication for children includes some kind of sweetener. The sweetener is their so the children will take the medicine.
What are the chances of getting Parkinson’s in the first place? Is it really that common of an ailment that people should/would be concerned about getting it in the first place? (ooooppps, sorry I guess those questions don’t go along with the fear mongering and paranoia the “study” was intended to play on.)
Unbelievable! It is sad that many people will probably read this and actually taking an unnecessary medication! Also sad because there have been studies (not funded by pharm companies) that have at least theoretically linked Parkinson to dietary factors, certain toxins and aluminum exposure.
I definitely agree with what your husband said! I bet their livers were ruined before they even had the chance of getting Parkinson’s if they were actually dumb enough to take a obviously Big Pharma-funded study seriously on WebMD. That website is little more than a marketing machine for the pharmaceutical companies.
I believe I’ve read somewhere that Parkinsons is caused by excessive heavy metal exposure that damages the nervous system, so doing a metal detox every year should be efficient to lower your chances of getting Parkisons without having to take a dangerous drug.
My guess is that Ibuprofen lowered their overall inflammation which would help protect against diseases. The kicker – people can lower their inflammation (even better than meds) by exercising and eating the right foods (and not too much of it!).
Of course, not many are willing to put in the work. So they take drug after drug. And in turn, we all take drug after drug since they are in our water supply. It’s horrid. Thanks for sharing these stories. 🙂
Can you recommend something to try other than ibuprofen for headache?? I’m assuming Tylenol probably isn’t any better for you…
Hi Jennifer, yes I’m working on a post on this. 🙂 In the meantime, here’s a post I wrote awhile back on how to best prevent headaches:
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/2010/11/headaches-a-most-likely-cause/
Yeah…old fashion cheap ASPIRIN…originally made from White Willow bark. The components of which are naturally found in many foods.
http://raypeat.com/articles/aging/aspirin-brain-cancer.shtml
-Jenn
Thanks for posting and sharing this information Sarah. Unfortunately it’s up to us as consumers and educators to provide people with the information as to what’s really going on.
How can a company make a claim like this and it be ok?!?!
WebMD is a disgrace. Too many people confuse it with PubMed (which is a fine site for information). While at my doctor’s office last week for some bloodwork, I noticed their magazine rack. WebMD even has magazines and it was about the only one in the rack at his office. A few Family Circle and a couple of travel magazine put out by pharma corps. I told the lady at the front desk it was appalling.
Of course, I also told her that most medical clinics, hospitals, etc., are in the business of selling disease and illness, not health. It seemed as though she’d never even considered this aspect before, because she got a look on her face that was priceless. Also clueless as to the real facts. I think I may have turned on a light bulb!
The headline is the essence of marketing. Most people will never pay attention to the disclaimers hidden in the article, and will wind up believing that they can safely get whatever benefit is touted in the headline. Articles and ads of this nature persuade huge numbers of people to use the product.
Thank you so much, Sarah, for exposing the truth and bringing attention to the buried disclaimers. You are doing a public service, much more than the government agencies that are supposed to protect us.
Thanks again, Sarah!
It is, unfortunately, all too often that headlines are written in such a way to “grab” the public. We have become a sound byte culture that watches video clips, sends text messages instead of letters, and reads manga novels instead of real books. I even find myself on email so much now instead of on the phone or in person w/ friends. So I have to watch myself too. There is so much information that it is hard to know what to dig into, but we really have to be discerning and cautious about believing what we read and hear.
I can’t say enough how impressed I am with your blog. The solid material, solid research and clear presentation is wonderful. Kudos!