Statin Benefits Don’t Outweigh the Risks

Public Citizen’s Newsletter titled, Worst Pills, Best Pills News, published an eye-opening  article earlier this year on the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. The newsletter reported: “The majority of statin users are subjected to the risks of these [statin] drugs without the benefits.” And, they had compelling research to back up their claim from one of America’s most prestigious medical journals. They reported:

“In 2012, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published an article by Dr. Rita Redberg, editor of JAMA Internal Medicine, and her colleague Dr. Mitchell Katz, with an intriguing but commonsense headline: Healthy Men Should Not Take Statins.… When asked if potential benefits of statins outweigh their risks, the authors concluded: For every 100 patients with elevated cholesterol levels who take statins for 5 years, a myocardial infarction will be prevented in 1 or 2 patients. Preventing a heart attack is a meaningful outcome. However, by taking statins, 1 or more patients will develop diabetes and 20% or more will experience disabling symptoms, including muscle weakness, fatigue, and memory loss.” 

Wow! Those are shocking statistics because the statin manufacturers claim a much lower side effect incident rate! It’s no wonder people now more than ever are looking for a more-natural approach to reducing cholesterol. Two options to consider include:

1. Regularly eating foods that help lower LDL cholesterol levels.
2. Taking supplements to lower LDL cholesterol levels that have been proven by medical research and are consistently utilized by integrative physicians for their own patients.

Foods that Lower LDL Cholesterol

Do you have a history of heart disease in your family? Do you have high cholesterol levels? Or, do you have high blood pressure or diabetes? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re probably scared about your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. And, you should be… these are major risk factors. But, the truth is: You can either choose to eat foods today that will lower your LDL cholesterol or you can choose to eat foods today that will make your cholesterol numbers worse. The choice is yours. Why not decrease your heart attack risk starting with your next meal! Below are a few options for you to consider.

CNN recently reported on the top foods that help lower LDL “bad” cholesterol levels. These include:

• Garlic
• Walnuts and almonds
• Cold-water fish such as salmon or tuna

Cacao Shows Extraordinary Benefits on Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and More

Aside from the aforementioned foods, NaturalNews.com recently reported on the many health benefits of consuming cacao regularly: lowers blood pressure, reduces inflammation, improves platelet function, raises HDL “good” cholesterol, and decrease LDL oxidation

What is cacao?

“If you like chocolate, you’re not alone. People have been enjoying cacao, the source of original cocoa, for thousands of years. This delicious and nutritious superfood has a long, rich history among the peoples of the tropical regions of the Americas. It was used as a food, a medicine, and a currency. Some of us still use it in these ways today.

The perfect food, cacao has more than 300 phytochemicals, including vitamins, minerals, and dietary nutrients such as: fat, carbohydrates, fiber, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur. It also has quercetin, flavonoids, flavanols, xanthenes, polyphenols, caffeine, theobromine, phenylethylamine, and anandamide, among others.

The consumption and therapeutic use of chocolate, and its bioactive compounds, is thought to increase plasma antioxidant capacity, diminish platelet inflammation, decrease blood pressure, thereby lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. Another way chocolate benefits heart health is through stress reduction. Cocoa polyphenols’ effects on plasma metabolites, hormones, and oxidative stress after exercise were studied and found to increase mobilization of free fatty acids and reduce oxidative stress markers.”

But remember that eating chocolate cake, chocolate cookies, chocolate candy, or chocolate ice cream is hardly a benefit to your health. These contain little chocolate and loads of highly processed carbs full of sugar and additives. For the real health benefits, you should enjoy small amounts of dark chocolate products that contain at least 60% cacao content.

Learn more about the amazing heart-healthy benefits of chocolate here: Study: Chocolate Helps Lower LDL Naturally

How to Reduce Cholesterol with Supplements

Aside from eating your way to lower cholesterol levels, consider taking nutritional supplements to boost your heart health. Here are a few resources to help you get started:

• Grape Seed Extract
• Niacin (vitamin B3)
• CoQ10
• Berberine
• Psyllium Fiber

For a more thorough and in-depth look at how to lower your cholesterol levels naturally, you can download our comprehensive guide, Natural Cholesterol Control: Achieve Healthy Cholesterol Levels Without Drugs. The different natural healing strategies presented in this guide will allow you to choose the route that seems best for you. The guide will also give you details on supplement doses and other specifics you will need to know to effectively implement the strategies – all in one place.

*Never start, discontinue or change the dose of a medication without speaking with your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional. If you are taking any prescription medications, talk with an integrative physician before takings supplements. To find an integrative physician near your home, utilize our Doctor Directory.