Free Republic

Pfizer’s cholesterol-lowering statin drug Lipitor is one of the most profitable medications of all time. Globally, the lucrative statin market is projected to reach $32 billion by 2032. Yet, for years, there have been published studies reporting that statin drugs lead to profound memory loss and diabetes, and, overall, are entirely worthless. As such, the studies have supplied the basis for reevaluating the guidelines for prescribing statins and theories on cholesterol in general. After all, cholesterol is essential to the human body—if you had none, you would be dead. The studies have likewise questioned why more focus isn’t put on...

Americans nibble their way through more than 3 million tons of chocolate each year, savoring the aromatic bitterness that only the seeds of the cacao plant can deliver. To make the signature flavor palatable as a sweet treat, chocolate manufacturers combine a paste made from cacao seeds with sugar. Lots and lots of sugar – often enough to rival all the other ingredients combined, in fact. Together with significant amounts of saturated fatty acids, provided by the addition of cocoa butter from the fruit, the few health benefits provided by the chocolate bean are swamped by ingredients that increase the...

The Japanese scientist whose pioneering work led to the creation of statins, the life-saving drugs used by millions, has died at the age of 90. Akira Endo's pivotal work has been likened to the discovery of penicillin. The biochemist is said to have been inspired by Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin, prompting him to study mould, or fungi, in his quest to find new medicines. In 1973, Prof Endo found the first cholesterol-lowering compound able to reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes.

NATIONAL GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY On June 11 we celebrate the delicious food holiday known as National German Chocolate Cake Day! We can't think of a better way to learn about a cake with American roots and get our chocolate fix for the day at the same time! #GermanChocolateCakeDay Although the name may sound like the cake originated in Germany, German chocolate cake did not. In fact, the cake's roots can be traced back to 1852 when American Sam German made a type of dark baking chocolate for the American Baker’s Chocolate Company. Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate’s brand was named...