I know I have been blogging about cholesterol a lot lately, but that's because so many people have been having so much trouble with their cholesterol levels. And that's understandable, the #1 Killer Disease in America is Heart Disease. Statistics show 1 out of every 2 people have it...1 out of every 2 people have some form of heart disease....that includes high cholesterol and high blood pressure. HEART DISEASE IS 100% PREVENTABLE!
According to the Harvard Heart Letter, (a newsletter that comes out of Harvard), having a "normal cholesterol" level is no longer optimal. The new target is 'way below average'. Since heart disease is the #1 Killer, a normal cholesterol level is not saying much...as the experts stated, "average no longer makes the grade".
We are born with a cholesterol level of about 50. As we get older, based on the food we eat, our cholesterol level will continue to climb. Typically, the older we get, the higher our cholesterol level is. Based on the guidelines today, the goal is to have an LDL, (bad cholesterol) below 70, and the total cholesterol below 150. However, this is the normal range, remember, the experts are saying normal is not optimal, we want to be much lower than these numbers.
So, you go to the doctor, have your blood tested and find your numbers are not good. The first thing the doctor tells you is you have to take a cholesterol-lowering drug. The whole class of cholesterol-lowering drugs are called statins. Now, the problem with this is, drugs come with side effects, especially this particular class. The most common side effect of cholesterol lowering drugs are muscle pain, weakness and in some cases, permanent muscle damage. This class of drugs is metabolized through the liver causing problems with liver function. In 2012, the FDA had new warnings put on these drugs that included memory loss, confusion, and new onset of diabetes.
Because muscle pain and weakness, and liver damage is so common in people taking this drug, periodic blood testing must be done. However, what researchers found was even though blood testing was coming back "normal" in people without muscle pain and weakness, there was still muscle damage occurring. Researchers conducted studies using people experiencing no muscle pain, took biopsies of their muscles, and found clear evidence that muscle damage was occurring in every person taking the medication! The conclusion of the study was, all statins cause muscle damage. These studies were published in the very prestigious Journal of Pathology. Why isn't this public knowledge?? Why wasn't this study all over the news?? My guess is the pharmaceutical companies had something to do with it.....
Because heart disease is the #1 Killer in America, because 1 out of every 2 people have some sort of heart disease, it seems everyone needs to be on this highly toxic medication....or do they? The researchers stated there is only one group of people that DO NOT NEED cholesterol lowering medication....they are people following a PURE WHOLE-FOOD PLANT-BASED DIET....that information is coming from the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY.
So, the choice is ours....pay money for a pill that comes packaged with so many toxic side effects that can cause permanent damage to us, or, eat a diet loaded with vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds....you choose.
Anyone needing any help transitioning to a whole-food plant-based diet, please contact me....i would love to help you get healthy!!
According to the Harvard Heart Letter, (a newsletter that comes out of Harvard), having a "normal cholesterol" level is no longer optimal. The new target is 'way below average'. Since heart disease is the #1 Killer, a normal cholesterol level is not saying much...as the experts stated, "average no longer makes the grade".
We are born with a cholesterol level of about 50. As we get older, based on the food we eat, our cholesterol level will continue to climb. Typically, the older we get, the higher our cholesterol level is. Based on the guidelines today, the goal is to have an LDL, (bad cholesterol) below 70, and the total cholesterol below 150. However, this is the normal range, remember, the experts are saying normal is not optimal, we want to be much lower than these numbers.
So, you go to the doctor, have your blood tested and find your numbers are not good. The first thing the doctor tells you is you have to take a cholesterol-lowering drug. The whole class of cholesterol-lowering drugs are called statins. Now, the problem with this is, drugs come with side effects, especially this particular class. The most common side effect of cholesterol lowering drugs are muscle pain, weakness and in some cases, permanent muscle damage. This class of drugs is metabolized through the liver causing problems with liver function. In 2012, the FDA had new warnings put on these drugs that included memory loss, confusion, and new onset of diabetes.
Because muscle pain and weakness, and liver damage is so common in people taking this drug, periodic blood testing must be done. However, what researchers found was even though blood testing was coming back "normal" in people without muscle pain and weakness, there was still muscle damage occurring. Researchers conducted studies using people experiencing no muscle pain, took biopsies of their muscles, and found clear evidence that muscle damage was occurring in every person taking the medication! The conclusion of the study was, all statins cause muscle damage. These studies were published in the very prestigious Journal of Pathology. Why isn't this public knowledge?? Why wasn't this study all over the news?? My guess is the pharmaceutical companies had something to do with it.....
Because heart disease is the #1 Killer in America, because 1 out of every 2 people have some sort of heart disease, it seems everyone needs to be on this highly toxic medication....or do they? The researchers stated there is only one group of people that DO NOT NEED cholesterol lowering medication....they are people following a PURE WHOLE-FOOD PLANT-BASED DIET....that information is coming from the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY.
So, the choice is ours....pay money for a pill that comes packaged with so many toxic side effects that can cause permanent damage to us, or, eat a diet loaded with vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds....you choose.
Anyone needing any help transitioning to a whole-food plant-based diet, please contact me....i would love to help you get healthy!!
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