Cholesterol Lowering Drugs
Nutrient depletion from medications is real.
It is not debatable or something that researchers are still trying to figure out.
Throngs of people continue to suffer despite hundreds of published articles and studies as well as many personal testimonies. Television commercials paint miraculous pictures of energetic people romping and playing.
But, if you listen closely, you will hear the rapid list of possible interactions and side effects. Every drug has benefits and every drug has risks.
It is absolutely essential to understand all the aspects of whatever you put into your body.
Cholesterol-lowering Medications
These drugs are used to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart attack. Often called statins, many people take these drugs and they are effective at lowering cholesterol.
They work by suppressing an enzyme in the liver called HMG-CoA. Unfortunately, when that enzyme is blocked, the production of CoQ10 is also blocked.
CoQ10 is a nutrient that is essential for energy production in every cell of the body.
There are other medications that also suppress CoQ10.
Another name for CoQ10 is “ubiquinone” because early researchers found that it was found in every cell except for mature red blood cells.
In other words, it was ubiquitous in the human body. That shows us how important it is!
Our bodies convert it into ubiquinol, the active antioxidant form. As early as age 20, the levels begin to drop. Add a drug-induced decline and this deficiency of CoQ10 can make you feel badly.
Running low contributes to:
Leg Cramps: Often diagnosed as Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), this deficiency can make your legs feel heavy and achy.
Depression and Memory Loss: CoQ10 is essential for brain fitness. A lack of it may be misdiagnosed as dementia or the beginning of a depressive disorder.
Fatigue: Shortness of breath and lack of energy are common side effects of CoQ10 deficiency. This can erroneously be confused with thyroid dysfunction or a need for a stimulant drug.
High Blood Sugar: CoQ10 is essential for energy production and is found in the mitochondria of the cell. It helps convert food to energy.
Heart palpitations and/or arrhythmias: Low levels have been proven to increase the risk of heart disease. This deficiency can cause the heart to become too weak to pump blood efficiently through the body. Studies have shown an increased risk of heart failure in statin users and treatment with CoQ10 is common in the treatment of heart failure.
Statins are among the most prescribed drugs in the world and about 36 million Americans take them.
They decrease the amount of cholesterol that our liver makes; only about 25 percent of total cholesterol comes from food.
The good news is that it is easy and relatively inexpensive to take a quality supplement and 100 mg is the recommended starting point. A simple blood test can measure CoQ10 levels.
You can also increase your intake of foods rich in this nutrient such as grass-fed meat, herring, rainbow trout, sardines, cauliflower, broccoli, pistachio nuts, free-range chicken, sesame seeds, and organ meats like kidney, heart, and liver.
Dr. Stephen Sinatra, world-renowned cardiologist, states that it is virtually impossible to get enough from from alone.
If you need a cholesterol-lowering medication, use lifestyle strategies to keep your dose as low as possible and supplement with a pharmaceutical-grade CoQ10 to feel your best.
Energy and vitality are worth striving for.
START SOMEWHERE today giving your body what it was designed for. You can do it. I will help you!