The President’s Physician

Column #127

Dr. Ronny Jackson, White House physician to the president, has cared for three presidents since joining the White House medical unit in 2006. In 2013 President Obama formally named him physician to the president.

On January 16, 2018 he presented his findings on President Trump’s health status and mental acuity. His bottom line was that Trump is in excellent health and had a perfect score on a cognitive exam.

What’s most interesting about Jackson’s briefing is his conformity to conventional wisdom. That reminded me of the physicians who treated George Washington during his last hours. An historical account is:

The bleedings inflicted by Washington’s doctors hastened his end. Some 80 ounces of blood were removed in 12 hours (this is 0.63 gallons, or about 35% of all the blood in his body).

A British physician of the era, John Reid, estimated that up to 90 ounces had been removed, and sarcastically remarked that the “current of blood” drained from Washington reflected the mighty currents of American rivers. Reid also criticized the heavy dosing of calomel plus the administration of emetics, vinegar vapors, and blistering to a man in his late 60s.

Bleeding to liberate harmful toxins was a standard medical practice 200 years ago and it took over 100 years to discredit it. When it comes to treating chronic diseases, will it take 100 years before the medical community recognizes the many discoveries made by today’s leading scientists in biology and nutrition?

Research has proven that chronic diseases are mostly caused by diet and can be suppressed by diet. And experience has taught us that drugs and operations, which have side effects over time, rarely cure and come at great cost. So let’s examine the advise of our nation’s leading doctor.

Jackson provided this summary. President Trump is 6'3" and weighs 239 pounds. His heart exam was normal with a total cholesterol of 223, a resting heart rate of 68, and blood pressure of 122 over 74. He got a perfect score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Trump’s medications include Crestor for lowering cholesterol, aspirin for blood flow, Propecia for male pattern hair loss, cream for rosacea, and a multivitamin. He said Trump sleeps four to five hours a night and occasionally on long trips takes Ambien. The president’s overall health is excellent probably due to a lifetime of abstinence from tobacco and alcohol.

Dr. Jackson said Trump should shed 10 to 15 pounds, that he’d benefit from a lower fat diet, and that he’d like to lower Trump’s LDL cholesterol. He remarked that Trump’s good report was because he has “incredibly good genes.”

Trump, at 71 years of age, is borderline obese and has rosacea. Both of his visible chronic diseases are associated with many other chronic diseases. In spite of claiming Trump is really healthy, the doctor is prescribing medications (which have side effects) to balance his HDL and LDL, maintain blood flow, suppress rosacea (an autoimmune disease), and supplement nutrient deficiencies.

The first evidence of the role Omega-3 has in the diet came from epidemiologic observations in 1979. Since then nutritional research has also built a strong case against the cholesterol and fat myths that have dominated medical advice during the past 60 years. They have also shown that bodies fueled with fat are leaner than those fueled with sugars, carbohydrates, and diets high in Omega-6 fatty acids.

Year after year scientists have advanced their understanding of how the ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) impacts heart health and all autoimmune diseases such rosacea. Ratios exceeding 4:1 are associated with autoimmune diseases, impairment of the nervous system, and mental issues. Ratios of 1:1 are associated with optimal health. The average American’s ratio is about 15:1.

Apparently Dr. Jackson, who is a medical community standout, is totally unaware of the importance of the EFA ratio. Instead of telling Trump to change his diet and lower his EFA ratio, he’s prescribing drugs to change Trump’s fat profile and thin his blood. He wants him to avoid eating fat to lose weight rather than cut out sugar and carbohydrates. He is prescribing a multivitamin rather than nutrient dense and diverse foods such as grass-fed meats, wild-caught seafood, Omega-3 meats, and vegetables. So, just like bleeding Washington, his recommendations will not cure Trump but will make him worse and keep him drug dependent.

What Trump needs to do is ignore his physician and do some self study on real nutritional science. If he learned about the importance of balancing his EFAs and fueling his body with fat, he could cure his severe case of rosacea, eliminate the need for blood thinners and fat profile drugs, drop 40-50 pounds, and improve his overall health since autoimmune diseases rarely come without additional health issues.

The lesson learned here is that we can’t rely on doctors to provide the best advice for addressing chronic diseases. Instead we must study nutritional research on our own and take appropriate action.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

For additional reading:

The Role of Omega-3 Dietary Supplementation in Blepharitis and Rosacea Meibomian Gland Dysfunction by Marian S. Macsai MD

Researchers Find Potential Links Between Rosacea & Autoimmune Disease from National Rosacea Society

Physician to the President from Wikipedia

George Washington: Eyewitness Account of his Death

Montreal Cognitive Assessment from Wikipedia

Normal Weight Ranges: Body Mass Index (BMI)

Crestor Side Effects by Likelihood and Severity from WebMD

Aspirin Tablet Side Effects by Likelihood and Severity from WebMD

Propecia Side Effects from Drugs.com

Serious Ambien Side Effects: Memory, Depression, and More from American Addiction Centers

Daily Aspirin Therapy: Understand the Benefits and Risks by Mayo Clinic Staff