There are millions of people all over the world who take statins – specially designed drugs used to lower cholesterol levels. This drug alone creates an income of more than 29 billion dollars for the pharmaceutical industry every year. Most doctors recommend statin drugs for patients who want to prevent the emergence of stroke, heart attack, inflammation, and other illnesses.
Although cholesterol-lowering drugs are very popular, they are very inefficient and in most cases, they cannot prevent stroke or heart attack. In addition, their regular consumption often leads to cancer and other life-threatening health problems.
Justin Smith, a former personal trainer at the BBC, has created a documentary film called $29 Billion Reasons to Lie About Cholesterol in which he debunks the myth about the need and efficiency of these drugs. According to Smith, in the period between 1994 and 2006, the number of men between the ages of 65 and 74 diagnosed with high cholesterol levels has significantly decreased. However, the number of people dealing with heart disease has not changed.
In addition, different age groups have experienced more cases of heart disease.
Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Lead to Cancer
Numerous scientific studies have confirmed the relationship between the use of these drugs and different types of cancer.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association published in 1996, all cholesterol-lowering drugs including the two most used ones (the statins and the fibrates) lead to cancer in lab mice that were exposed to a similar amount of these drugs used in humans. Of course, this finding requires long-term clinical trials and scientific observance in the next decade to determine the connection between cholesterol-lowering drugs and cancer occurrence in men and women.
Until we get some solid results, many experts recommend avoiding this type of treatment and its use only in cases of a high risk of emergence of coronary heart disease.
In addition, in a study that was performed four years ago and published in the reputable Prostate Journal, men who used statin drugs regardless of their type are much more prone to experience prostate cancer compared to those who stay away from these drugs. According to the same study, men who have never taken statin drugs have about an 85% less chance of developing this type of cancer.
A Few Other Reasons To Stay Away from cholesterol-lowering drugs:
- Statins drain the levels of CoQ10 in your system. If you take statin drugs regularly and avoid taking CoQ10, you will expose your body to a serious health risk;
- Statins significantly increase the chances of developing chronic disease. Statin drugs affect insulin levels which leads to inflammation in the body and this is a clear sign of the vast majority of chronic diseases;
- Cholesterol-lowering drugs reduce the level of testosterone in men;
- Statin drugs can produce a negative impact on memory;
- Cholesterol-lowering drugs are associated with more than 300 different side effects. Some of these side effects include thyroid disruption, chronic fatigue, anemia, neuropathy, and certain diseases that are typical for the elderly like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.
It is good to point out that cholesterol doesn’t lead to heart disease. Cholesterol is a very important organic molecule that supports the work of many different organs in the body.
According to Dr. Stephen Sinatra, a well-known expert in natural cardiology and a certified cardiologist, cholesterol is something that the human body needs. If we take a closer look at the Multiple Risk Factor intervention trial study which included more than 180.000 men that were analyzed for more than 13 years, men with higher cholesterol levels have experienced fewer hemorrhagic strokes than those with cholesterol levels under 180.
In other words, a higher level of cholesterol will protect you from cases of hemorrhagic stroke. Of course, this doesn’t apply to cases of ischemic stroke.
Our body needs cholesterol to activate Vitamin D3 received through sunlight in the skin. In addition, people need cholesterol for many other things like the production of reproductive hormones, adrenal hormones, lubrication, proper neurotransmitter functioning in the brain, etc. It is no surprise that many patients with very low LDL levels suffer from certain memory problems and early symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Some of them experience total global amnesia too.
This is shocking and unfortunately, it is not rare. Many other factors affect our health and lead to stroke and heart attack and cholesterol is certainly not one of the main factors.
How To Reduce Bad Cholesterol Levels in a Natural Way
Luckily, there are some simple steps that each of us can take to balance and manage cholesterol levels. In addition to a healthy diet and physical activity regularly, you can also add some of these things to your everyday life:
- Include cinnamon in your diet – Scientists have confirmed that cinnamon can help the body reduce blood sugar levels, triglycerides, and cholesterol. In a recent study that included 60 patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, it was confirmed that ¼ teaspoon (or 1 gram) of cinnamon was able to reduce blood sugar by 25%, triglycerides up to 30%, and LDL cholesterol by 20%.
- Have one avocado a day – This tasty exotic fruit is a great source of monounsaturated fat which is good for health.
- Use lemongrass essential oil – A study conducted in 1989 by scientists from the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin, and published in the reputable Lipids Medical Journal, that lemongrass essential oil can reduce cholesterol levels. This oil is used externally. Buy it Mayo Clinic.