In the past year, two friends ~ both very active, seemingly fit healthy, near 60 ~ have had mild heart attacks. WARNINGS that somehow their bodies are NOT coping well. They both are retired or working from home, have high standards for themselves, shoulder considerable responsibility, and tend to push themselves towards perfection…whether it’s a chore or for fun.
They’ve been given second chances via modern medical resources: emergency room exams, heart stress testing equipment, skilled minor surgery (angioplasty / valve stents), statins drugs and other pharmaceuticals. And informed they have cholesterol problems, whether or not blood tests confirm the diagnosis. One fellow has high blood pressure and genetic heart factors. The other has low blood pressure and doesn’t know if heart issues are a factor in older generations.
So….what gives? What can a person do to make their cardiovascular system healthier? And what does cholesterol do for us anyway?
Cholesterol is essential for life. Cholesterol, a soft, waxy molecule, is a natural part of our bloodstream and all our body’s cells. The immune system requires it, and so does the brain. (Memory loss is a serious side effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs.) Your digestive system also uses cholesterol to make bile acids that aid in absorbing fats and other key nutrients.
Cholesterol’s also the parent molecule for all the major sex hormones, including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. It comes from two sources primarily: our body, where we manufacture cholesterol everywhere, but primarily in the liver. And from food. And with easy dietary changes and lifestyle choices, you can lower cholesterol naturally without resorting to statin drugs.
Cholesterol Myths
“Trying to prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol is like trying to reduce calories by taking the lettuce off your [hamburger].” It’s not that the lettuce doesn’t have any calories – it’s that it’s the wrong target.
And cholesterol is the wrong target, if you’re trying to prevent heart disease.
The case against cholesterol, which was made nearly 30 years ago, was based on faulty evidence. Neither cholesterol nor fat is the major villain in the American diet – [refined] sugar is. And foods made with refined sugars are full of GMO ingredients (like white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and much more), which cause many digestive issues and other chronic health problems.
Learn more from our informative Lower Cholesterol Naturally…with Essential Oils, Food & Lifestyle Choices, 6 page packet: $9.95
The Dangers of Statin Drugs
Doctors often prescribe statin drugs to lower cholesterol, making statins the top selling prescription drugs in the USA, with nearly 50% of American adults taking them.
BUT…
The majority of cholesterol-lowering studies don’t show any difference in death rates between patients who take statins and patients who don’t.
Many people consider the highly effective statins to be “miracle” drugs allowing them to eat whatever…without worrying about health consequences. They are NOT harmless drugs by any means.
If YOU are taking statins, inform yourself. At least 300 side effects are linked to statins, including:
- Liver failure
- Damage to nerves
- Muscle pain and damage
- Nausea and vomiting
- Depletion of vital minerals, including zinc and selenium
- Constipation and/or diarrhea
- Weakness
- Headaches
Many times, these side effects don’t kick in right away, so when they occur, patients don’t connect them to the drugs. And there are less noticeable side effects, too. New research shows statins may block the benefits of omega-3 supplements and rob the body of another essential nutrient: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Read more in our Lower Cholesterol Naturally Info packet. (see link above)
Doctors Recommend Foods to Lower Cholesterol Naturally without Drugs
Oils for Lowering Cholesterol
Organic, cold-pressed edible oils; pure, steam distilled, essential oils; and some herbal oils can be used internally (taken in capsules) to lower and manage cholesterol levels safely without the side-effects of statin drugs.
Learn which oils to use in your cooking and what fats to avoid, which herbal oils to use for self-care (your skin absorbs them), and which steam-distilled essential oils help lower cholesterol as holistic natural options to statin drugs. (All this and much more in our Lower Cholesterol Naturally info packet! See link above.)
