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The accuracy of information regarding Dr.
Siguel's degrees, education, training, experience, professional integrity, and publications
has been investigated by government agencies in order to qualify for various
professional licenses.
Licenses. To get a medical license, a doctor must have a medical degree, pass multiple
exams, and be evaluated for professional integrity. The license itself is proof
of having successfully passed such an investigation and provides adequate proof
of degrees, test results by independent organizations (which carefully verify
identity when they take exams), etc. You can find this information from the
Medical Boards (many, like Massachusetts, have a web site with mandatory
medical profiles), and the American Medical Association member profile. Dr.
Siguel is also a member of the Bar, Federal District Court, and Appeals Court.
To achieve such recognition, he had to have a law degree, pass various exams,
and be evaluated for character, professional integrity, etc. Verification of
this information is available from the Bar Association of the appropriate
state(s).
Publications and patents. Verification that the publications exist and are in
his name is available from many web sites sponsored by government agencies,
such as Medline (search for "Siguel" to find his publications and
related information). Patents by Dr. Siguel are listed with the US Patent
Office and with other web sites that maintain lists of public patents (search
for "Siguel" to find his patent and to find other patents which
reference his work).
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Search for listing of Dr. Siguel's publications -- abstracts are available through the National Library of Science's PubMed service; full-text may be purchased at an additional cost. |
About Edward Siguel
Dr. Siguel is a medical doctor and pioneering biochemical researcher who studies the role of essential fats (EFs) and trans-fatty acids (TFAs) in health and disease. He evaluated the EF levels of subjects in the Framingham Heart Study (which produced many of our current recommendations for cholesterol and heart disease), and discovered that EFA abnormalities were over 1000 times more prevalent than previously known.
Dr. Siguel invented a state-of-the-art blood test to diagnose fatty acid abnormalities and EF deficiencies, for which he was awarded the only US Patent of its kind. Using his new methods, he identified the fat imbalances which contribute to cardiovascular disease, elevated cholesterol, low HDL, hypertension, loss of memory, dermatitis, complications from diabetes, and many other conditions. He developed new nutritional therapies to treat these conditions.
Dr. Siguel discovered that a diet deficient in EFs is probably the most significant nutritional factor in cardiovascular disease, malabsorption conditions, and impaired brain function. Dr. Siguel pushes the frontiers of nutrition, explaining that the modern trend towards low-fat diets is likely to be counterproductive. He has shown that low-fat diets can lead to insufficient levels of EFs in the blood and subsequent disease, including behavioral problems in children and brain injury in adults. He described defects in nutrition policy and the USDA-sponsored food pyramid, which were published in an exchange of letters with the USDA in several issues of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1994, 1995).
Dr. Siguel's scientific articles have appeared in Cardiovascular World News, American J. of Cardiology, Clinical Chemistry, Metabolism, Clinical Nutrition, Archives of Pathology and Lab Medicine, Nutrition and Cancer, Nutrition Support Services, American J. of Clinical Nutrition, Lipids, Circulation, J. of the American Medical Association, Medical Lab Observer, Comprehensive Therapy, Natural Health Journal, Lipid Technology, J. of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and many more.
He has been interviewed by CNN, CBS Dateline, local and national TV, National Public Radio, syndicated radio news, and other news media. He was featured in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, Time magazine, The Boston Herald, Self magazine, Allure, Longevity magazine, Vegetarian Times, Family Circle, American Health, Natural Health Journal, Delicious magazine, Natural Food Merchandising, Nutrition Post, Business Week, Your Health, Modern Medicine, and others in Latin America (i.e., La Razon, Noticias, Pagina 12, Argentinean newspapers and magazines) and Europe.
Dr. Siguel developed educational programs on nutrition, cholesterol, and fat for health professionals and medical societies. He is a reviewer for scientific journals, including Metabolism, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, Medical Lab Observer, and others.
Dr. Siguel is a Fellow of the Am. Assoc. for the Advancement of Science (publisher of the journal Science), a member of the Am. Medical Assoc., the Massachusetts Medical Society, the Am. Society of Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition, and others. His research on the role of EFs in HDL and cholesterol was the subject of a press conference by the American College of Cardiology (3/14/94). He was the featured "Clinician of the month" (2/94) in Preventive Medicine Update.
Dr. Siguel has been a popular speaker on the role of foods and EFs at lay and professional meetings such as the Natural Products Expo East (9/94, 9/95, 9/97), West (3/95, 3/97), National Nutritional Food Association, Flax Institute Annual meeting, 2nd Intl. Symposium on Functional Medicine, AHA annual meeting, Am Oil Chemistry Society symposiums (designing EFA-rich foods, low fat diets, measuring fatty acids, and others), Am College Adv Medicine (ACAM), Am. Acad. Env. Med (AAEM), International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids, Am. Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, Canadian Government health/food policy, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Drug Abuse, and many more. He has given professional talks at the Nutrition Dept of the Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard HMO, Mass. General Hospital, Lahey Clinic, Harvard Community Health Care, New England Medical Center Hospital, Boston Univ. Medical Center, dietitians involved with Dr. Ornish's program, and many more national and international conferences.
Dr Siguel has written extensively on the design of healthier foods rich on EFAs, and has lectured and consulted on these topics to leading food companies and researchers, including Archer Daniels Midland, Pilgrim's Pride, Spectrum Naturals, Dr. Ornish, retail natural health food stores, and many more.
In addition to his medical degree, Dr. Siguel has a Ph.D. with expertise in experimental design and data analysis, which qualifies him to understand complex statistical methods. He has received one of the highest US Public Health Service awards for his work in health statistics and other commendations for his work for the Public Health Service. He worked as a consultant to the White House and Office of Management and Budget on an evaluation of the management of federal programs. He has supervised the evaluation of Health Maintenance Organizations, drug abuse treatment programs, and alternative health care reform proposals. In his spare time, he pursues his interest in computer applications in medicine and management. He has a passion for chocolate, flowers, playing the stock market, and writing humorous anecdotes.
EDUCATION
M.D. Medicine, Laboratory Medicine, Nutrition, Lipids.
Ph.D. Computers, Statistics, Experimental Design, Mathematical Psychology.
MS. Mathematics, Computers, Physics.
PRESENT
Research on EFAs; design of EFA-rich foods; development of new blood tests for diagnosing fatty acid abnormalities. Developing new nutritional therapies for cardiovascular disease, dermatitis (dry skin, etc.), hair-loss prevention, cancer, high cholesterol, hypertension, malabsorption, cystic fibrosis, Crohn's disease, diabetes, neurological disorders, obesity, brain disorders, improving IQ.
PAST MAJOR POSITIONS
Scientific Staff, Boston (University) Medical Center. Nutrition, Fatty acid analysis. Principal investigator, NIH Grant: "Patterns of fatty acids in Framingham Offspring". Diagnosis and treatment of fatty acid and lipid abnormalities. Member of hospital committee dealing with nutrition.
Chief Statistician, Drug Abuse Epidemiologist. Chief, Computer Center; Act. Div. Dir. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA/ ADAMHA/ PHS). Analyzed > 1,500 clinics; > 100K cases/month. Designed, evaluated, and supervised very large data base system to monitor clinics and treatment effectiveness. Responsible for major improvements in timeliness, accuracy, and responsiveness of drug evaluation systems. This was one of the largest health care data systems in the public health service.
Special assistant to a senior official at NIH, FDA, SSA. Work on alternative health care plans, FDA regulations, research planning.
Consultant for evaluation of HMOs, grant reviews, cost/benefit analysis. Health Maintenance Org. Service (HMOs) at PHS. Developed evaluation plan for HMOs. Developed new methods for cost/benefit analyses of HMOs, pricing structure, costs of alternative health care programs. Prepared evaluations for Congress on alternative health care programs and impact of HMOs. Outcomes research.
Statistical Consultant on Employment Discrimination, evaluation of OFCCP, EEOC, Civil Service system for the White House, OMB. Review operations of civil service, EEOC, OFCCP.
Sample of methods: Exp. design, Math. models, Survey design, Computer programming, Statistical analysis, planning, evaluation, econometrics. Decision theory, measurement, and statistics.
Examples of work: consultant to professors and students working on Ph.D. theses; evaluation of alternative welfare reform proposals (Ex: SSI) and National Health Insurance; development and evaluation of PSRO's/econometric models of income transfer programs/taxes. Reviewed, wrote, and supervised grants and contracts. Participated in all major health data systems committees.
HONORS
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (publishers of Science); ex-Full Member, Operations Research Society of America.
Principal Investigator, NIH Grant To Study Fatty Acids In Framingham Offspring Heart Study.
Am. Men & Women of Science: designed a poster which was chosen, among thousands, for a press conference by the Am. College of Cardiology (3/14/94) for identifying the fatty acids that correlate with TC/HDLC, and indicating that USDA guidelines for foods are misleading because they encourage eating foods deprived of EFAs (such as breads, cereals and pasta).
Dr. Siguel has received one of the highest US Public Health Service awards and other commendations for his work in health statistics. He has supervised the evaluation of HMOs, drug abuse treatment programs, and alternative health care reform proposals.
Quality Step Increase at PHS. Recommended for outstanding rating at PHS. Us Dept Health, Educ & Welfare(DHEW) Citation,1974. Ratings As Health Scientist Adm. And Other GS-15 (Us Gov't)
Current and past committee membership
Member of Mass Medical Society committees (1998-99) (Medical Services Committee, Patient Safety Task Force);
American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Committees http://www.clinnutr.org/chapters/SECTIONS2.HTML
PUBLICATIONS
Original articles by Dr. Siguel who coined the words "Essential Fats", parents and daughters, now replaced with parents and children. Learn why the original terms were created, why Dr. Siguel changed them. EFA "insufficiency" (EFAI), to distinguish from EFA deficiency (EFAD), Relative EFA insufficiency and deficiency (REFAI, REFAD), absolute EFAI (AEFAI) or EFAD (AEFAD). Health problems associated with them.
Dr. Siguel invented a highly sensitive technique to diagnose deficiencies and imbalances of essential fats. Patent abstract, descriptions. Summaries of first studies that show that EFA deficiencies are far more prevalent than previously believed. "Missing link" between EFAs and heart disease (read about the original publications by Siguel). The controversy over low fats. The story in Time magazine that was considered controversial and is now accepted as common wisdom.
FINANCIAL RELATIONS, CONFLICTS AND BIAS
Dr. Siguel invented a new test to diagnose fatty acid and lipid abnormalities. He has a patent on that test and expects to be paid royalties from people who use his patent. He is writing other patents. He invented a healthier egg; some of his ideas were incorporated in EggsPlusÔ , an egg currently marketed by Pilgrim's Pride, Inc. Dr. Mary Van Elswyk stated that developers of the proprietary formulation include Edward Siguel (quoted from INFORM, Sept 1997; 8(9):971, J. Am. Oil Chemistry Society.) He later clarified his position by stating (INFORM, Oct 1998; (9)10:1017, J. Am. Oil Chemistry Society):
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Edward Siguel, MD PhD |
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Box 10187 Dept E, Gaithersburg, MD 20898 Editor, INFORM (J. Am. Oil
Chemistry Society). November
2, 1997 With regard to EggsPlus,
an egg currently sold by Pilgrim’s Pride, Inc:
I believe that the addendum
misrepresents the contributions of different people to the concept of EggsPlus.
Although a complete description of events cannot be made public at this time,
because of pending patent applications and related research work, it is my
opinion that I developed the idea that a better egg design would emphasize
the total profile of essential fats rather than w3
fats. Because of pending patent applications, it is important that the
innovative ideas of each person be clearly identified. My contribution was unique
and useful, and therefore I believe it meets the requirements for a US
Patent, independently of the alleged contributions of other parties. Whether
or not the contributions of the other individuals mentioned in the above
cited INFORM article also meet the requirements for a US patent is a
separate issue. However, it was obvious to me, as it probably is to other
experts in the field, that if you feed hens more PUFAs you want to
incorporate more antioxidants in the diet to protect the PUFAs from
oxidation. Several other aspects of egg creation are also obvious. For
example, an egg must taste good, otherwise people will not like to eat it.
The egg must look good or else people will not buy it. Designing an egg high in
both w3 and w6 essential fats runs counter to a
prevailing view that Americans eat too many w6s. Many of
the eggs under development by various companies or discussed at scientific
conferences seek to increase total w3 content (which often reduces w6
content). Thus, the reasons to produce eggs high in both w3
and w6 rather than an egg higher in w3
are not obvious. In particular, EggsPlus contain arachidonic acid
which some authors consider undesirable and potentially hazardous (see Barry
Sears’s comment on arachidonic acid in his best seller book The Zone). The National Institutes of
Health sponsored a conference (September, 1997) on how to increase the supply
of w3s. In scientific articles and in presentations at the
NIH conference, researchers seek to increase the amount of 3s and decrease
the amount of w6s in eggs. Thus, I believe my idea
to increase the levels of both w3s and w6s
is different from prevailing views. My scientific reasons are a trade secret
at this time, but relevant ideas are discussed in some of my articles. Thank you very much for
your consideration. Edward
Siguel, MD, PhD References |
Dr. Siguel helps companies design foods rich in essential fats. He writes about the dangers of low fat diets and the role of essential fats in health and disease.
Dr. Siguel wrote a book on essential fats and is writing other books on similar topics. He also regularly writes letters to journals and news media, and articles for presentation at scientific meetings or publication in scientific journals.
Dr. Siguel helps to diagnose abnormalities and deficiencies of EFs in research subjects and patients.
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© 1998 Edward Siguel.
All rights reserved |
modified
1/15/00 |