Cholesterol - Lowering Alternatives to Statin Drugs

Cholesterol has been villainized to the point that mainstream medicine is obsessed with lowering its blood levels. Cholesterol is actually needed by the body to repair damage to blood vessels, to insulate nerves so they can carry the body's communications and as a precursor to our body's hormones. The body takes cholesterol and manufactures steroid hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen.

The primary medications used to lower blood cholesterol are the statin drugs, such as simvastatin (Zocor), pravastatin (Pravachol) and atorvastatin (Lipitor). Despite generating billion of dollars in sales, studies have shown that the use of statin drugs causes no decrease in death rate or increase in life span. They work by blocking an enzyme in the body that makes cholesterol, but blocking this enzyme causes side effects.

Wherever this enzyme exists in the body, problems occur. Blocking the enzyme in the liver causes liver damage. In the muscles, we see muscle damage. In the brain, the nerves in the brain need a lot of cholesterol. 25 percent of the body's cholesterol is in the brain because the brain needs cholesterol for proper functioning and memory. Excessive lowering of cholesterol may be a contributor to Alzheimer's, dementia, mood disorders and other mental impairments, including learning disability.

The statins also cause a deficiency of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) which is vital to the health of the cells of the body. A deficiency of CoQ10 increases the risk of heart attack and stroke and potentially leads to heart disease, heart failure and damage to the liver and muscles.

Knowing these dangerous side effects, it is wise to consider natural approaches to keep cholesterol under control, such as following a "Mediterranean-style" diet rich in olive oil, eating meat in moderation, eating plenty of fibrous vegetables (fiber binds to cholesterol in the bowel to take it out through the stool), and taking nutritional supplements such as Fish Oils, Niacin, Magnesium, Garlic, and Milk Thistle to cleanse the liver.

If one continues to take statins, supplementation with CoQ10 is essential to prevent side effects. By following a more natural approach, the dose of statins may be able to be lowered, and side effects minimized.