Jul
18
Written by:
Dr. Cherniawski
7/18/2008 11:01 AM
Heart disease is the leading killer of Americans and many believe high cholesterol levels are to blame. Despite the fact that cholesterol lowering medications are the number 2 most commonly taken drugs for chronic health conditions (blood pressure lowering medications are number 1), Americans still suffer in record numbers with the life threatening disease.
It begs to questions, are we targeting the right culprit?
What many people do not realize is that we NEED cholesterol to be healthy. Cholesterol is in every cell of the body and helps to produce cell membranes, steroid and sex hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids. It is also vital for proper neurological function and for cell repair. Quite simply, without cholesterol, you'd be dead.
So why the fuss? Some would argue that "high cholesterol" is an invented disease that only emerged when we learned how to measure it in the blood. In fact, if your cholesterol is high, it is high for a reason: inflammation. Inflammation due to chronic disease damages tissue in the body. Cholesterol is necessary to repair the damage. Lowering cholesterol does not cure the underlying cause of chronic disease.
And what happens if cholesterol is too low? Depression and increased risk of cancer and Parkinson's disease are some of the dangers that research is revealing. Despite these findings, doctors who develop cholesterol guidelines, many of whom receive drug company salaries, keep lowering cholesterol guidelines. This means that many people need 1 or more cholesterol lowering medications to achieve these low levels.
What many do not realize is the risk and side effects of these medications. They include depletion of the vital nutrient CoQ10 which is beneficial to heart and muscle function, fatigue, muscle weakness, soreness, heart failure, nerve damage, hand and foot pain, trouble walking, dizziness, memory loss, increased risk for cancer, decreased immune function, depression, and liver problems.
And get this: studies have revealed that these medications don't even work to prevent heart attacks by any significant degree!
So what is the answer to reducing your risk for chronic inflammation and heart disease? Eating a diet full of fresh produce, lean meat, fish, and water; reducing processed foods that contain trans fats, corn syrup, white flour, artificial sweeteners and other lab created synthetic chemicals; doing a combination of aerobic and weight bearing exercise; cleansing the body of inflammatory toxins; and getting regular chiropractic care to naturally, safely, and effectively lower blood pressure and decrease inflammation of the body.
In summary, you may not need cholesterol lowering medication to be healthy. You do, however, need to live a healthy lifestyle and to consult your medical physician before making changes to any of your medications and your wellness physician when lifestyle changes alone do not produce the desired effect on your health.
2 comment(s) so far...
Re: Do You Need Your Cholesterol Medication?
Hello Dr. Cherniawski,
A slightly elevated cholesterol count is something I've had since God knows when. Everytime I had bloodwork done, it was brought up by the doctors. It's not super high, just a little over their 'high' rating. But you know what, I've always been healthy, I eat healthy, never had issues, am not obese, and to tell you the truth, I really don't think high cholesterol is an issue for me. Thank you for your research and comments, it makes me feel better that cholesterol is a good thing.
Sincerely,
Laura Spinnett
By Laura Spinnett on
7/22/2008 4:22 AM
|
Re: Do You Need Your Cholesterol Medication?
Very informative. Just so I understand, the build up of fats in a blood vessel is inflammation due to eating the wrong foods and not taking care of your diet and excersissing properly, correct? So we do want to stay away from these medications and just take care of ourselves better and receive regular chiropractic care!?!?!?! Thank you for the research.
By Shawn Lock on
7/22/2008 6:29 AM
|