Harmful Cholestrol drugs and natural ways to reduce cholestrol

[Guest guest]

Why cholestrol drugs are more harmful than being beneficial and how to naturally reduce cholestrol.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/06/06/Tips-to-Lower-Cholesterol-Naturally.aspx

When I first started practicing in the mid-80s, after finishing my

residency program, I was already very interested in preventive medicine

and checked cholesterol levels on nearly every patient I saw. A large

number of people, I found, had elevated levels of cholesterol. But

surprisingly, a fair number of them took their results back to their

previous doctors (since I was the new kid on the block, no doubt) who

reassured them their levels were normal.

Well, the problem was that the ranges of “normal” were, and still

are, very misleading as they are a measure of what’s average -- based

on mostly sick people.

It’s important to realize that there’s a big difference between

average and healthy cholesterol levels. It’s very similar to what we’re

now seeing with vitamin D levels.

Today, however, with respect to cholesterol, the pendulum has shifted the opposite way with ever lower levels of cholesterol being recommended, primarily due to the significant influence of the drug industry.

 

 

Profit, Not Health, is the Driving Factor Behind Current Cholesterol Recommendations

 

The pharmaceutical industry quickly realized what an enormous market they could capture with cholesterol lowering drugs.

And they could do this very effectively with a drug that you’d have to

take for years on end, and which, for the most part, wasn’t toxic or

dangerous enough to kill you quickly.

Cholesterol lowering drugs (statins) now generate profits to the tune of tens of billions of dollars a year.

They were also able to leverage their marketing efforts by selecting

experts in the medical community, and appointing them to government

panels that make recommendations adopted by nearly the entire medical

and health community.

On the last U.S. government's National Cholesterol Education Program panel there

were nine physicians, and eight of them had clear, direct ties to the

drug industry. Specifically to companies that make these kinds of

drugs. As a result, the panel revised the national guidelines, advising

those at risk for heart disease to attempt to reduce their LDL (bad)

cholesterol to very, very low, levels.

 

Before 2004, a 130 LDL cholesterol level was considered healthy. The

updated guidelines, however, recommended levels of less than 100, or

even less than 70 for patients at very high risk.

In order to achieve these outrageous and dangerously low targets,

you typically need to take multiple cholesterol-lowering drugs. So the

guidelines instantly increased the market for these dangerous drugs.

 

Please understand that you have not been told the whole truth about

cholesterol. Rather what you’re getting from most conventional health

practitioners is little more than cleverly distorted marketing.

 

Cholesterol is Not the Evil Villain You’ve Been Led to Believe

 

Cholesterol is essential and crucial for a wide variety of vital functions in your body.

It’s an integral part of your cell membranes, and it’s also the

precursor (the raw material) your body uses to make your steroid

hormones – one of which is vitamin D. Your skin contains cholesterol,

and when UVB rays from the sun hits your skin it converts that form of

cholesterol to vitamin D3, which is then transported to your blood.

Your body then further converts it into the active form of vitamin D.

But that’s not all. When your cholesterol levels go too low, a host of negative events occur in your body.

 

The Risks of Low Cholesterol

 

Cholesterol also essential for

optimal brain health. It helps in the formation of your memories and is

vital for neurological function. In fact, low cholesterol has been

linked to a variety of neurological problems, including memory loss.

 

Having too little of this beneficial compound also:

Increases your risk of depressionCan increase your risk of suicide

 

May lead to violent behavior and aggressionIncrease your risk of cancer and Parkinson’s disease

 

 

What is Too High?

 

Personally, I believe anything above 330 is likely too high. But

another powerful way to determine if you’re at risk from abnormal

cholesterol metabolism is to check your ratio of HDL, or “good”

cholesterol, and your total cholesterol.

Your HDL percentage is a very potent heart disease risk factor.

Simply divide your HDL level by

your cholesterol. That percentage should ideally be above 25 percent.

Typically, the higher the better, as there are no known side effects of

having too high good cholesterol.

If your ratio falls below 15-20

percent you are at high risk, and below 10 percent, it’s a significant

indicator of risk for heart disease.

 

How to Safely and Effectively Treat High Cholesterol

 

Fortunately, there are simple, basic strategies that can help you regulate your cholesterol.

First, please realize that simply lowering your dietary cholesterol intake is not an effective primary strategy.

Why?

Because 75 percent of your cholesterol is produced by your liver,

which is influenced by your insulin levels. Therefore, if you optimize

your insulin levels, you will also regulate your cholesterol levels.

One of the most powerful ways you can do that is by exercising, and

paying attention to the foods you eat. Foods that increase your insulin

levels will also contribute to high cholesterol by making your liver

produce more of it.

Here are my primary recommendations for safely lowering and regulating your cholesterol levels:

 

Get an appropriate amount of exercise.

 

Reduce, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars in your daily diet.

 

Eat the right foods for your nutritional type.

 

Eat a good portion of your food raw.

 

Make sure you’re getting plenty of high-quality, animal-based omega3-fats. I prefer those from krill oil.

 

Avoid excessive smoking and alcohol.

 

Address your emotional challenges.

 

I’ve treated between 20-30,000 patients, and I’ve only found about

five people who were unable to respond to the recommendations I’ve

given here. In these cases they likely had a condition called familial

hypercholesterolemia.

It is extremely rare, affecting about one in 1,000 people who are on

cholesterol lowering medication, but for those there may actually be

some benefit to taking a statin drug.

Some have asked me about taking red rice extract, and there is some

confusion on that issue. Please understand that red rice extract is

also a statin drug, with the same exact mechanism of action as other

statins, even though it’s available over the counter.

My Neighbor's Cholesterol Challenge Nearly Killed Him

 

 

On June 5 my old next door neighbor gave me a call and asked me if we could play tennis.

We used to play regularly before I moved two years ago. He used to beat

me in straight sets even though he was 70 years old, he was very good

in placing the ball.

Well when we played this time it was a bit different in that he was

much slower and I could easily hit balls straight past him. This time I

won in straight sets. Sure he was two years older and 72 now but that

could not possibly account for his decreased playing level. 

After our match he explained that he was tired all the time now

because his doctors put him on Zocor.  Foolishly they never put him on

ubiquinol  This should be medical malpractice.  In his case the statin

drug completely devastated my neighbor's health. His energy level and

quickness had been radically reduced.

Fortunately he was open to trying the ubiquinol and going on some

vitamin D.  I am hoping he will beat me in straight sets the next time

we play.

 

 

 

What You Must Know if You Chose to Take Cholesterol Medication 

 

 

If you chose to continue taking statin drugs, then it’s vital that you understand the mechanism of action of these drugs.

They typically work by reducing an enzyme in your liver, which not

only reduces the production of cholesterol, but it also reduces the

production of coenzyme Q10. When you lower the production of coQ10, you

increase your risk of a variety of different health problems.

Premature aging is one primary side effect of having too little

coQ10 because this essential vitamin recycles other antioxidants, such

as vitamin C and E.

CoQ10 deficiency also accelerates DNA damage. Therefore, it is

absolutely vital to supplement with coQ10 if you’re taking a statin

drug. Unfortunately, many doctors fail to inform their patients of this

fact.

If you’re over 40, I would highly recommend taking a reduced form of

coenzyme Q10 called ubiquinol, because it’s far more effectively

absorbed by your body.

Cholesterol is such an important issue, surrounded by so much confusion that I’m offering my Special Report on this topic FREE to all my readers. Simply click this link to download this in-depth report.