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The Cholesterol Myth
by Karen Asbury, MD
Cholesterol is not the bad guy and you don't have a deficiency of Lipitor!
If you value your brain and sexual function, listen up.
Have you been
told your cholesterol is too high? Or, even worse, were you given statin drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, Mevacor, Vytorin,
or others to lower your cholesterol? These drugs cause serious side effects. The most common is fatigue and muscle pain. Or,
maybe you're just a little tired and achy. More severe side effects include amnesia and memory loss, unusual ligament
and tendon rupture, heart failure, fatal muscle weakness, erectile dysfunction, and many others. Some people taking Lipitor
have had complete amnesia. There are reports of people driving, doing errands, etc. and not even remember the events that
transpired. The bottom line is there are airline pilots, airline traffic controllers and drivers on our high-speed highways
who are already balancing coffee, sandwiches and cell phones while on these drugs as they tool along at 75mph. We are in a
sea of dangerous minds that have had the cholesterol stolen from their brains.
These drugs work by poisoning the enzyme HMG CoA reductase. This not only robs the body of cholesterol needed for
hormones, neurotransmitters and other important constituents but the cholesterol we need for the fluidity of cell membranes
to prevent erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, depression, Alzheimer's brain rot, heart disease, cancers and more. Also
by poisoning this enzyme, we turn off the ability of the human body to make coenzyme Q10. As we accumulate a deficiency of
CoQ10, we slowly get depression, congestive heart failure, sexual dysfunction, loss of memory, brain-fog, loss of teeth, muscle
pain, fatigue, cancers and more.
Cholesterol is vitally important in
the body; it is not the culprit the drug companies and others have made it out to be. Elevated cholesterol is a symptom that
the body is trying to repair itself. It is not a cause. And yet, lab reports now determine that cholesterol is elevated if
it is over 200. The number used to be 220. This means more people are now taking cholesterol lowering drugs and more profits
for the drug companies.
Cholesterol is the precursor to important hormones
in the body including adrenal and sex hormones and hormones that influence water balance. Taking medication to lower cholesterol
interferes with these vitally important hormones and other important functions in the body and they can cause severe side
effects. Studies have shown that people with cholesterol under 160 mg/dL have double the risk of brain hemorrhage and increased
risk of cancers of the liver, lung, pancreas, and leukemia, plus cirrhosis. In another study, low cholesterol folks had more
than double the death rate from non-cardiac conditions. You cannot poison enzymes in the body's miraculous molecular biochemistry
and expect to get away with it, especially when you are poisoning the synthesis of a major constituent that goes into every
cell membrane in the body.
In general, I do not recommend cholesterol-lowering
medication. There are many ways to naturally lower cholesterol using diet, nutrition and supplements. It is a myth that cholesterol
in your diet plays much of a part in raising your overall cholesterol since most of your cholesterol is made in your liver.
Include eggs and other cholesterol containing foods in your diet. They contain many vital nutrients needed by your body. Enjoy
eggs from free-range chickens if possible. Oatmeal has been touted for its ability to help decrease cholesterol. Use organic
steel cut oats and avoid the instant over-processed forms. Generally, a diet high in vegetables and fruits is beneficial.
Avoid fast food like the plague!
Supplements must be superior in quality.
There is a great variability in supplements currently on the market and many of the ingredients are now being imported from
China. I only recommend the highest quality not only for the sake of purity but for strength, potency, and effectiveness.
In those folks with elevated cholesterol, Red Yeast Rice has been known
to drop cholesterol by 20%. One good brand is Kyolic Formula 107 Red Yeast Rice which contains 600 mg of their incomparable
aged garlic extract plus 600 mg of red yeast rice.
Frequently, it is
only an oil change that is needed for many people to bring down their cholesterol and triglycerides. Transfats and plastics
permeate the American diet and are a major monkey wrench in human biochemistry, creating for one, the obesity epidemic. The
trans fatty acids and the plasticizers in the diet are the major culprits for damaging lipid metabolism and raising cholesterol
and triglycerides. Cod liver oil can bring down the triglycerides by as much as 30% and help lower cholesterol. Use real cod
liver oil from Carlson's or Metagenics. Other forms of Omega 3 oils may be beneficial. Krill oil is also highly recommended.
If you have been taking a statin drug or are just getting older, levels
of CoQ10 may be dangerously low. Like many other things, levels of CoQ10 decline with age. CoQ10 200mg - 600mg daily is optimal
to correct fatigue and muscle pain, then the dose can be lowered to 30mg - 60mg daily.
Other supplements that have been shown to be helpful in lowering cholesterol include Niacin and Lecithin.
I usually only recommend 100mg - 200mg of Niacin daily. Larger doses are usually not needed and can cause liver damage. Lecithin
has been shown to help lower cholesterol and reduce fatty liver. Lecithin has also helped to clean cholesterol out of arteries.
Lecithin granules may be better than capsules, usually 1 Tbsp twice daily.
