Misdirection of Scientific Research

Maryanne Demasi (10 minutes)

Published by: MAHA Institute - 8 Nov 2025

Maryanne P Demasi, Ph.D. is an award-winning investigative journalist from Australia. For more than a decade, she worked as a filmmaker and television presenter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and has received three national press club awards for excellence in health journalism.

Part of the text reproduced here

For today's panel on the weaponization of science I will be discussing how science itself has become distorted and manipulated and how it's often used as a tool to control the narrative. And I've seen this play out in my career, how evidence is produced. It's; it's not really just a few bad actors. It it's an entire system that's built on, commercial interests. Once you start to pull the thread and you look at who funds the research, who controls the data, and who polices the outcomes, you quickly realize that the corruption of science is structural and systemic.

In 2018 I published a journal article called, "Staten Wars. Have we been misled by the evidence?" And in that piece, I revealed that all of the raw data that underpins the major clinical trials for statins is actually held by a single group in Oxford called the cholesterol treatment trialists. Now, this group has struck a deal with the statin manufacturers and agreed to never share the raw data with outside researchers.

So we now have a situation where the trials that underpin statins have never been independently scrutinized by outside researchers despite the fact that millions of people are taking this drug.

The BMJ's Peter Doshi investigated a popular anti- clotting drug called "tyicagalore" in the pivotal Plato trial which was the trial that the drug was approved. He found major irregularities and unexplained deaths. But when he took it to the journal circulation, they ignored his concerns and to this day the journal refuses to investigate these irregularities.

The weaponization of science isn't just about suppressing ideas and inconvenient studies. It's about punishing the scientists who don't fall into line. During the "Vio" scandal, internal MC emails revealed that the company literally held a hit list of doctors who criticized their drug. The executives wrote that they would quote, "Seek them out and destroy them where they live. So, it's become just too dangerous to challenge the scientific narrative. When companies conceal harms, they pay fines and then they move on. After "Vio", which was linked to tens of thousands of deaths, not one executive went to jail.

So, what's the solution? I think if we're serious about restoring trust, executives who knowingly hide or market unsafe drugs should face criminal penalties, not just corporate fines, because fines are not enough of a deterrent.

I think regulators must also be rebuilt, publicly funded, insulated from corporate money, and supported by genuine political will. Finally, we need to revive the principle that science is not about consensus, it's about contestability. If we can't test claims, challenge data, or uncomfortable questions without fear, then we no longer have science, we have marketing.

Comedian George Carlin (11 minutes)

Published by: Official George Carlin

Life Is Worth Losing, stand-up comedian George Carlin's 13th HBO comedy special, was recorded at New York's Beacon Theatre in 2005. The special was simultaneously broadcast live. The special was nominated for Best Comedy Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards.

George Carlin was a social commentator who challenged conventional wisdom and brought us face-to-face with our ingrained hypocrisies. There was no topic off limits to his keen observation, wordplay, goofy jabs and rants, whether it was drugs, war, politics, the accumulation of stuff or the way in which we use words.

The full show lasts for over an hour, and is available here. Life is Worth Losing

(27 minutes)

Published by: Analyze & Optimize - 23 Mar 2020

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the largest organization of dietitians in America and has a huge responsibility to educate people on making the right choices. They could be making a huge difference for a country that is plagued with chronic disease, stemming from poor nutrition. They should be giving advice that is backed by science and results, but as they say, "the money is always right." Instead, this so-called nonprofit is really just a vehicle for processed food and big pharmaceutical companies to promote their products as healthy. We discuss how the Academy has been going about this for decades, and why you should never trust these supposed experts with your health.

(16 minutes)

Published by: Low Carb Downunder - 26 Jan 2025 WYNDHAM SAN DIEGO BAYSIDE

Studies in the Lecture

The Minnesota Coronary Survey

The Women's Health Initiative Randomised Controlled Dietary Modification Trial

The Jupiter Trial (Statins)

Treating to New Targets Study (Statins)

Data Sharing Denied to Cochran Group

Evoloccumab clinical Trial

FOURIER Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial

Repatha

Discussion

Relative Risk V Absolute Risk

Triglycerides to HDL Ratio

Low Carb Dietary Studies

Access to Health Search on Google

Run in Periods

Risk Calculators Overestimate Risk

Public Comment on this Lecture

Abuse of statins formed the first crack in my absolute respect for and obedience to doctors. Years ago I was on an expensive statin when I lost my job, so I didn't refill the prescription. (That's when I realized the source of my brain fog.) My doctor saw my blood test and asked, so I told him I needed to save money till I found a job. He didn't care. He heartlessly said if I don't take the statin he wouldn't be my doctor. So I left him and found another. I've never taken a statin since.

Even before that though I was alarmed. While on the statin, I had to go into his office every three months for a blood test to see if it was damaging my liver. I think back in horror that I was subjected to a substance that needed to be closely monitored to see if it was harming me. But those extra office visits were lucrative for him. I now realize I was preyed upon for profit.

I have seen the manipulation of records firsthand... And it was deliberate with complete disregard for my life... They just wanted another "participant" in their "research study". Shame on every "doctor" that has a part in this... We shall see how much the State Board of Medical Examiners care about the manipulation of medical records...

I have been to a couple Dr visits with my daughter in the past 8 months or so. Both “functional” off insurance plan and a traditional doctor. They are each brainwashed completely to the lean meat, pro carb, Mediterranean, and specifically anti-keto dogma. This is an excellent presentation and will help me gather some reading materials to leave with this latest doctor we met. I will give him a copy of The Big Fat Surprise and a small stack of studies not of observational design.

Great presentation you always do a great job at presenting facts in a simple way that I can understand. I finally fired my cardiologist last year because he told me I needed additional monitoring because I am at greater risk because I refused to be on Statin.

Cannot believe any research now even in prestigious journals like The Lancet or BMJ it’s very disappointing how they ignore the negative in trials which is just as important if not more than the positive. This is a really disgusting corruption of science. Thanks for speaking up regarding this.

Dr. Paul Mason (7 minutes)

Published by: Low Carb Downunder - September, 2024

Public Comments

Thanks Paul. I was flabbergasted when I saw this published in the Sixty Minutes Australia Documentary. As a GP I’ve been gently suggesting to patients they switch their cooking oils from Canola or rice bran to virgin olive oil, they come back a few months later and some actually give me a hug they are so happy they feel so much better and have lost often 10-15kg.

Love your work Dr Mason. You are a voice of reason in a sea of dangerous misinformation. I cured my type 2 diabetes by going strict ketovore. 2 years ago I was peeing constantly and had blurry vision after a busy Christmas season of food and drink. I knew the signs for diabetes so I tested my blood sugar and it was 9 to 11 on my glucose monitor and would not go down. In fact it kept rising due to out of control gluconeogenesis.. even on zero carbs. I was fully diabetic.
In just one month on a strict ketovore diet my blood sugar normalized and I was insulin sensitive again and my liver wasn't metabolically deranged anymore and was not constantly pumping out glucose. After just 2 weeks my glucose flatlined and at 4 weeks my CGM showed a normal response to a test bolus of carbs. A normal , expected spike then flatline blood glucose after a few hours. Subsequent periodic testing of carb loading showed the same response. I pity the poor souls who fall into the corporate Medical model of diabetes treatment and get put on insulin and metformin. The solution is easier than anyone can imagine. I did use a course of berberine and various supplements to support and reboot my liver and down regulate gluconeogenesis but it was the ketovore diet that did the heavy lifting. Meat and eggs cured me. Natures superfoods. Keep up the good work. I look forward to all of your presentations.

I'm not a doctor and don't know if any of these diets cause diabetes, but what I do know is that I have had type 2 diabetes for years. I've been on medication and insulin and still it was not where it should be. I went on a low carb diet, used olive oil and some butter and pure cream in my coffer. In 4 months I lost 17kgs, which is about 30 lbs, and my blood sugar came down from 30 to 5. In Australia that is how we measure blood sugar and my Doc said you should be no higher than around 7. I was up to 30, and even on insulin between 12 and 15. Nothing helped me lose weight or bring my blood sugar down except low carb. My doctor was shock. He asked me what I was doing? I told him low carb. GP told me to keep it up. I don't have to take insulin any more.

I am a scientist but not in the medical field. And of course one cannot extrapolate the experience of a single subject to a whole population. Yet I will share my personal experience for what it's worth:
* In 2010 I had T2D, high LDL & triglycerides, low HDL, as well as IBSD, acid reflux, chronic low-grade inflammation, and lower back pain (due to the transversal force my gut exerted upon my spine). I was taking 6 medications.
* In March of that year I decided to go low-carb, stop snacking, and stop drinking alcohol.
* Within 8 months I had discontinued ALL 6 medications.
* At the end of the year I had lost exactly 39.5 kg.
* 14 years later I still do low-carb, have not gained a single kg back, and still take no medication.
* During a medical for a new job the head nurse was impressed with my blood work and commented that I had "the blood profile of a teenager". Then, very unexpectedly, she asked me if I was on a keto diet. I was surprised because I had not mentioned this at all.
* To summarize: 14 years ago I barely had enough energy to get out of bed. Today I run 10 km races competitively. Low-carb has given me my life back.

None of the MD's I saw to treat my symptoms and illnesses ever suggested a low-carb diet. YouTube wasn't much of a thing back then. I got there by reading many, many articles in medical journals. One of the doctors I was seeing was the same age as me, obese and in ill health - he had a stroke and later passed away from a heart attack.

Dr. Paul Mason (35 minutes)

Published by: Low Carb Downunder - 12 Jan 2025

Public Comments

As a doctor I totally agree. Big Pharma doesn't care about people, they only care about revenue. There is very little difference between the industry of illegal drugs and the industry of legal drugs. But aside from that, in medicine, there are still a lot of myths in health issues. This is also a large industry in it self. I like the phrase "experts and expertise is all about the person, not the subject."

Dr Paul, you mention trust… alas, all trust is gone. All of it. It becomes very uncomfortable when you can’t trust any politicians, governments, scientists, academics, medical authorities, doctors, doctors societies, police forces, big businesses, small businesses, insurance companies, hospitals, all main stream media, or scientific journals. We live in information-rich times. Alas, that leads to loss of trust when you see what’s really going on.

A wonderful overview and illustrates how medical science even when done as it should be, is constantly changing! Horrifying to think of how many medical papers are flawed. A real challenge to find information that reflects the truth as our knowledge stands at this moment in time.

As someone who taught statistics and research methods for 30 years, I have long known that a great many people cannot interpret research findings—particularly those who report it in the media. What has become very clear to me in the last few years is that most doctors I meet cannot do so either. They don’t know statistics (I had an optometrist, who, when I asked him to interpret my scores on one of my tests told me that he didn't do well in statistics class!) and they don’t even look at research findings, much less know how to interpret them. They take the path of least resistance and use protocols given them, and treat you like you are ignorant if you question them. It is a very, very scary world to me, when it comes to medicine. What is the use of having “evidence-based medicine” if the so-called experts don’t know what to do with it?