Free Statins with Your Burger?

Science fiction? Maybe not if Dr Darrel Francis and colleagues of the Imperial College London get their way.

In his study described in the 12 August Imperial College News releaseDr Francis proclaims that people who eat burgers and milkshakes at fast food restaurants should be given free statin drugs - like ketchup packets - to counteract the high fat and cholesterol effects of such foods and drinks: "Fast food outlets could provide statin drugs free of charge."

He complains that statin drugs shouldn't be prescription drugs at all, but more like packets of ketchup, or even, supplements: "It makes sense to make risk-reducing supplements available just as easily as the unhealthy condiments that are provided free of charge."

Statins…a ‘Safe Supplement’?

To make matters worse, he also claims that:

“Statins have among the best safety profiles of any medication. A very small proportion of regular statin users experience significant side effects, with problems in the liver and kidneys reported in between 1 in 1,000 and 1 in 10,000 people.”

Really? Perhaps Dr Francis needs to get his facts straight about the dangerous statin side effects like muscle pain, liver and kidney damage, nausea, cognitive/mental impairment, chronic fatigue, heart malfunctioning, CoQ10 depletion...all confirmed in the following:

• Statin drugs harm far more peoplethan they help 
• The poor side effectsof statins 
• Results of major statin trial are biased and flawed 
• Cholesterol contrarians question cult of statins

Yet despite all the evidence questioning statins’ safety, Dr Francis says it’s OK to eat toxic fast food if we ‘protect’ ourselves by taking dangerous chemical medications.

What is he going to recommend next? Free chemo pills to counteract the cancer-causing effects of bacon and sausage?

But here's the most absurd aspect of Dr. Francis' logic...he compares statin drugs to wearing a seat belt while driving:

"When people engage in risky behaviors like driving or smoking, they're encouraged to take measures that minimize their risk, like wearing a seatbelt or choosing cigarettes with filters. Taking a statin is a rational way of lowering some of the risks of eating a fatty meal."

‘Rational’? Is it ‘rational’ to suggest that fast food is OK when taken with toxic chemical medications? On the contrary, if you combine them, you don't neutralize your health risk. You increase your total health risk by exposing yourself to all the potential side effects of statins AND unhealthy foods.

Before taking Statins...

Please, if you are advised to take statins by your health care practitioner, (or fast food seller!), consider:

1. Does what I am being advised really make sense to me.... What does my intuition say?
2. Is there anyone else I can ask for a second opinion who has my best interests at heart....not their own self interests or those of the pharmaceutical industry?
3. Are there safe, natural alternatives to toxic medications?

This especially applies to your children.

Statins for Kids?

Consider this: In 2008 the American Academy of Paediatrics(AAP) recommended cholesterol screening and treatment in children. To prevent heart disease in adulthood, they advise paediatricians to aggressively address dyslipidemia (high lipids) with statins in at-risk children and adolescents.

They target children from the age of two and up for such screening, and statin therapy for kids as young as eight with LDLs over 190mg/dl.1

Imagine the joy of pharmaceutical companies in ‘snaring’ their vulnerable victims so young! In fact, the trend is already evident. Are you aware that Pfizer introduced a sweet and tasty “gummy-like” version of Lipitor (a statin) for children?

Frightening!

How to reduce excess LDL and high lipids naturally

The way to reduce excess LDL and high lipids is not with toxic medications but with lifestyle changes such as:

• A nutritious diet which combines complex carbs, lean proteins and unsaturated fats at a ratio of 3:2:1
• Complex high fibre carbs should be organic green veggies and fruits, whole sprouted grains and beans
• Lean proteins include contaminant free tuna, salmon, chicken breast, wild game, raw eggs, beans, nuts, spinach and kale
• Unsaturated fats include avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, fish oil, nuts, eggs, wild salmon, sardines and grass fed animals.
• Supplementing to balance your cholesterol levels naturally with our pure Omega 3 / QH Premium CoQ10 fish oil which combines optimal levels of beneficial Omega 3 oils DHA, EPA, DPA, Omega 6 and 9, plus Ubiquinol, the ‘reduced’ (non-oxidized) form of CoQ10
• Avoiding processed, simple carbohydrates, refined grains and sugars, including all HFCSs
• Combining cardiovascular, weight, aerobic and interval training regularly

Mary Poppins may have jokingly sang about a ‘Spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down”. But she would be turning in her grave if she knew that long term, the ‘medicine’ harms more than helps.