Why Taking Statins Can Make a Bad Situation Worse.
Most prescription drugs deplete our bodies of essential nutrients. This depletion sets us up for another ‘disease’ in the future. This explains why so many people are on at least two to three prescription drugs by the time they reach their mid-sixties.
A Statin’s basic function is to block the synthesis of bad cholesterol (LDL) and total cholesterol in the liver and but it also lowers levels of a necessary nutrient, called CoQ10. CoQ10 is a very powerful antioxidant, which protects the heart and brain. Interesting how a drug, like a statin, that is prescribed to prevent heart disease, also blocks the production of an essential nutrient that naturally protects the heart from heart disease. While there’s currently, no requirement by the FDA to warn of CoQ10 depletion, it’s well established that Statins do deplete CoQ10. And I continue to be amazed at how many clients come into my office, taking Statins and have not been told to supplement with CoQ10!!!
Statins also damage the mitochondria by depleting the nutrients it needs to function properly. Mitochondria are those very important little energy powerhouses in our cells. Why are your thousands of mitochondria so important to keep around and healthy? Think energy to your brain, energy throughout your entire body, and mood stability. If you’re taking a Statin, it’s essential to get additional nutrients to support the mitochondria, including Zinc, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Magnesium, and again CoQ10. A few more support nutrients that I like to include are Resveratrol and Sulforaphane (broccoli seed extract).
The side effects of Statins, include the following:
- Increased blood sugar or type 2 diabetes
- Increased triglycerides
- Depression
- Liver damage and an increase in liver enzymes
- Neurological side effects
- Muscle wasting and aches
These side effects are often costly on many levels, especially to quality of life.
Statins can bring cholesterol levels below 100 mg/dl which can actually do harm. Less is not necessarily more in this case and here’s why:
Cholesterol and saturated fats are essential for healthy cell membranes, hormones and brains, yet they have been discounted and lowered to unhealthy levels by statins. These fats are needed to help keep our cell membranes from becoming stiff and rigid, to allow the attachment of hormones to the membranes.
Hormones have to be able to hook up with our cell membranes in order for them to perform their life sustaining roles. That means, if the hormone insulin (yes, insulin is a hormone) can not attach itself to the cell membrane, there will be increased insulin resistance and higher blood sugar levels. If cholesterol levels dip below 150mg/dl there is a chance for type 2 diabetes to appear or become worse.
Prescription drugs are not known for curing or reversing chronic disease. We are often told that once we have a disease or condition, we have to live with it and take medication to manage it for the rest of our lives. Medications often mask symptoms, they do not reverse the condition, and again, they often set us up for additional ‘disease.’
A great resource that covers nutrient depletion and specific drugs is the book, Drug Muggers, by Suzy Cohen, RPh. Below is a link to a PDF of many drugs and the nutrients they deplete, also from Ms. Cohen.
Finding the root cause of disease or imbalance is essential to real healing. Often the root cause is due to dietary and lifestyle blunders (lack of sleep, too much stress) but sometimes it’s a compromised digestive system and/or an overloaded detoxification system.
I hope this has been helpful. If you have any comments or experiences that you’d like to share, I would love to hear from you.
Note: If you or someone in your life is taking Statins and has a hard time taking supplements and/or their diet needs a little help, here’s a solution that I find works very well. Dr. David Perlmutter, the author of the Grain Brain, formulated a great tasting shake that is an easy delivery system for the nutrients needed to support the brain and heart. It is also an excellent a meal replacement.
The shake is called Brain Sustain (for a very good reason) and is available through Xymogen and by using the following link, you may set up your own account to purchase the shake and CoQ10 as well. https://store.xymogen.com/PatientSignup.aspx Your code is: alivingbalance and practitioner’s name, dupuie. If you are interested in purchasing the shake directly from me please contact me via e-mail [email protected]
To Your Health,
Cindy Dupuie, CN
Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3096178/
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus13.pdf