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Statin drugs are a class of drugs that lower cholesterol in the body and are prescribed to help prevent heart disease. These drugs work by preventing the production of a key element of cholesterol in the liver. By blocking this, an enzyme, LDL cholesterol, is not produced. LDL is known as the “bad cholesterol” because it can cause plaque. There is the possibility that statin drugs may have other positive health effects as well.
Researchers at the University of Michigan did a meta-analysis looking at how statin drugs affected colon cancer risk. The finding revealed that 12 percent of patients who took statin drugs over a long period of time had lower risk for colon cancer. Observational studies showed risk for other cancers as well including breast, prostate, lung, pancreas and liver. Note that statins drugs do have negative health effects as well including higher risks of liver dysfunction, kidney dysfunction or failure and muscle weakness.
I think it is always a good to find multiple uses for drug therapies. However there are several studies that show that a natural treatment, including the food that we eat, can effectively lower LDL and reduce the risk of colon cancer as well. Eating a high fiber diet is the healthy behavior that lowers cholesterol, reducing plague formation and cardiovascular disease. Fiber binds to the LDL cholesterol and pulls it out of the body. The reduction of the bad cholesterol lowers the risk for heart disease. High fiber diets have been proven to reduce the risk of colon cancer as well. Exercise has also been shown to help lower bad cholesterol and colon cancer. I want to be very clear that if you are not educated properly about how to use diet and exercise to help you monitor and maintain your health you need to seek out a qualified health care professional or naturopathic doctor. Using natural therapies sometimes require expert advice especially if you are trying to use them for a therapeutic or medical purpose. So with that understanding this is an example of how learning to eat a whole foods diet and appropriate exercise can help prevent serious diseases from developing in your body.
Live Vibrantly,
Dr. Dae
Dr. Dae's website: www.healthydaes.com
Dr. Dae's book: Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living can be purchased @ www.healthydaes.com
Dr. Dae's Bio:
“Dr. Dae" (pronounced Dr. Day) Daemon Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who completed her training at the University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is certified as a General Practitioner by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE). Dr. Dae provides tailored treatment to meet the unique needs of every individual she sees in her practice. She also provides specialized support for persons challenged by nutritional deficiencies, weight problems, hormonal and reproductive system disorders, attention deficit disorder and those experiencing chronic diseases. Dr. Dae is an adjunct faculty member for Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts. She is the author of Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living. Dr. Dae is a featured chef with www.myfoodmyhealth.com. Dr. Dae is a regularly featured writer for the Elite GoogleNews Website empowher.com where she shares her personal and professional vision for living whole and living well. To learn more about Dr. Dae, her products and services, please visit her on the Web at www.Healthydaes.com.
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I am very skeptical of statins. A number of my friends and family have had serious, debilitating side-effects that took months or years (after stopping the medication) to recover from, as a result of taking these medications. I think they are aggressively pushed by the pharmaceutical industry.
In my opinion, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to EVER take statins except as a last resort option, if one has already adjusted their diet appropriately, and undertaken a healthy aerobic exercise regime. Where statins have numerous dangerous side-effects, exercise and healthy diet have overall health benefits.
I have also seen recent research questioning whether or not statins or other cholesterol-lowering drugs do anything to lower mortality. The theory of high cholesterol as a cause of heart disease has been accepted as fact for so long, but the scientific consensus is breaking down, and new perspectives are being proposed. The theory that I find the most compelling is the idea that high cholesterol is a symptom, not a cause, of other health problems, which are in turn a cause of health disease. Statins thus treat the symptom without addressing the underlying cause--which is often a large amount of inflammation (known to cause both rising cholesterol levels and increased heart disease risk).
This article just adds icing on the cake. Don't take these drugs.
October 20, 2010 - 12:37pmThis Comment