ADDRESSING THE CHOLESTEROL CONSPIRACY
Over the past several weeks, we reviewed every supplement we sell at our office. In weeks 20 and 31, we featured Superior Omega-3, COQ10 & Red Yeast Rice, supplements used to oxidize free radicals and help lower cholesterol levels. We briefly discussed cholesterol, but never went into detail. In this week’s blog, we will further expand on cholesterol and medication.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is produced by the liver. Normal levels of cholesterol are essential for making several vital hormones and digesting fatty foods. When there is too much cholesterol in the blood, plaque slowly builds in the arteries, resulting in further complications such as heart disease, heart attack, stroke, or death.
What Are Triglycerides?
Triglycerides are fats found in the blood. In early 2023, we did a blog on nutrition and daily requirements. Fat is an essential macronutrient needed for optimal organ function and should make up 10%-25% of daily requirements. Good fats are essential for heart function, muscle fuel, and body heat.
Therefore, there should always be low traces of triglycerides in the blood if we are following recommended daily requirements. Normal range numbers should be below 150. If a diet includes a high number of bad fats, triglycerides in the blood elevate over time and can cause result in further complications such as high cholesterol, heart disease, heart attack, stroke, or death.
Types of Cholesterol
- Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL)– Also known as “bad” cholesterol, LDL is the main cause of cholesterol buildup in arteries. High levels of LDL can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. LDL normal range numbers should be below 100.
- High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)- Also known as “good” cholesterol, HDL helps remove cholesterol from arteries and can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. HDL normal range numbers should be 60 and above.
- Total Cholesterol- The total amount of cholesterol in the blood, which includes LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. Total cholesterol normal range numbers should be below 200.
What Are Statins?
Statins are drugs that slow the production of cholesterol in effort to lower cholesterol levels. They also help stabilize cholesterol levels to prevent further blockage to arteries and reduce inflammation to arterial walls. Common statin drugs include Lipitor, Crestor or Zocor.
Just like other drugs, statins come with several adverse effects including headache, nausea, dizziness, digestive distress, body aches, confusion, memory loss and/or kidney damage.
The biggest controversy both patients and doctors question is whether statins actually are the answer to lowering cholesterol and the key to a healthy heart. We highly recommend reading the book, “The Cholesterol Conspiracy,” by Ladd McNamara, MD.
In his book, Dr. McNamara provides well over 200 medical references documenting a major underlying factor in the development of heart disease and atherosclerosis, oxidation, and inflammation. Many people are prescribed statin drugs to lower their cholesterol, and these drugs certainly lower LDL cholesterol, but at what cost, and to what benefit?
It has been shown time and time again that the benefits of statin drugs are dubious and are beneficial in only a select population of heart disease patients, not just people with high LDL cholesterol levels. Yet doctors prescribe statin drugs to patients with high LDL cholesterol as if there were no consequences to taking these drugs. This book will show you otherwise.
What Can We Do to Help?
We are not telling you to stop taking statin drugs. If you wish to proceed with reducing statin usage, talk to your primary care physician. We are highlighting facts from Dr. McNamara’s book which suggests seeking alternative factors may better a better route to pursue.
What we can do is to provide supplements, such as Superior Omega-3, COQ10 & Red Yeast Rice as studies show they can help lower cholesterol. For more information on these supplements, look back at our previous blogs. As always, remember to follow your doctors’ instructions and maintain a healthy diet and mild to moderate exercise routine to prevent further health complications.
If you have any questions about cholesterol or statins, please call us at (724) 547-3377 and check out our website at www.laurelmountainchiro.com for more content.
Yours In Health,
Brian M. Steinert, DC
Larry E. Wilkins, DC