“Have you been taking a statin drug?”
The prolific use of pharmaceuticals to treat common disease symptoms often contribute to further imbalances in our body’s chemistry and overload the liver’s ability to detoxify the blood, thereby contributing to the formation of diseases.
Cholesterol, particularly LDL, is generally perceived by the public as the root of disease. However, it should be viewed as a transport mechanism (like an emergency response vehicle) which ferries cholesterol to parts of the body based on real demands requiring it. For example, if there is a tear in an artery, cholesterol is used by the body to path the damage until it can heal. In other words, if cholesterol is high, there is likely a real reason for it to be high. However, treating the problem with a cholesterol lowering drug is simply like knocking out the ambulance on the way to or from an accident site.
Need a break from bad news? Here’s a nice tourist photo of Venice in 1989. Photo: Challen Yee
The following is from “The Pharmaceutical MYTH” (2013) by Gerald Roliz, CNC. This passage, includes part of a case study and a list of important functions cholesterol supports in the body. Please note, I have deleted the reference notations in the excerpt but virtually every claim made in it has a medical literature reference.
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THE CHOLESTEROL ILLUSION
[Mike, a truck driving patient] confessed. “I’ve been taking these damn drugs for years. Now I have muscle pains and forget which roads I’m supposed to be on so my deliveries are delayed.” Ten years ago, Mike was told by his medical doctor that he had high cholesterol.
I [Roliz] noticed Mike’s testosterone levels were also low. His testicles could not produce testosterone due to a shortage of precursor material. His testicles wanted to get his hotrod going, but he was running out of gas. I informed him that he needed to have his medical doctor lower his dosage because his testicles were starving for cholesterol.
“But… why didn’t my…. my medical doctor… um… tell me about the um… that the testicles needed cholesterol to make the um… the um… testosterone?”
Cholesterol is an essential building material of the brain and because Mike’s body lacked a sufficient amount of it, his memory may have been negatively impacted. He paused between sentences as if his mind had parked at a rest stop to search for words. [Mike’s wife] mentioned that ever since he began taking the cholesterol lowering medications, his responsiveness and overall mental function had declined. “His moods have ups and downs, but I figured it was because he has a stressful job. Is cholesterol required for a balanced endocrine system?” I explained that for optimal health, our bodies require ample supplies of cholesterol for the production of many essential hormones … the statin drugs have the potential to cause male and female hormonal imbalances.
We need to consider the functions of cholesterol, rather than fear it blindly. Cholesterol is a fatty substance predominantly created by the liver as a building block for all of the cells in our body. Cholesterol has many important functions:
• Cholesterol makes cell membranes waterproof to maintain biochemical balance inside and outside the cell.
• Cholesterol is a repair substance, which is why it pervades scar tissue (including within arteries).
• Cholesterol is a precursor to Vitamin D.
• Cholesterol is a precursor to bile salts, vital for digestion and assimilation of fat-soluble vitamins.
• Cholesterol provides protection against cancer.
• Cholesterol is vital to proper neurological function for memory.
• Cholesterol assists with serotonin (5-Hl) receptor function in brain.
• Cholesterol is a major component of myelin sheaths lining nerve tissue and the brain.
• Cholesterol protects against free radical damage that leads to heart disease and cancer.
• Cholesterol is required for the production of steroid hormones, including testosterone, estrogen and progesterone.
When I explained this to Mike, he asked, “So why are so many people taking drugs to lower cholesterol? My doctor has been prescribing it to me for ten years. Doesn’t it prevent heart disease or heart attacks?”
I showed him the fine print in a 2004 magazine advertisement (I had saved) for Lipitor®, the highest grossing pharmaceutical and most commonly prescribed Statin drug in the US. “LIPITOR® has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks.”
[Are you confused? What is the purpose of lowering cholesterol levels if there is little to no cardiovascular benefit?]
Below: Fine print in a 2004 magazine advertisement.
Important information:
LIPITOR* (atorvastatin calcium) is a prescription drug used with diet to lower cholesterol. LIPITOR is not for everyone, including those with liver disease or possible liver problems, women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. LIPITOR has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks.
Above: Fine print in a 2004 magazine advertisement.
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Statin drugs are widely known to cause muscle pain, or myopathy. Over 900 clinical studies document the side effects of statin drugs. Furthermore, they have also been shown to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cancer. I asked, “Did your doctor warn you about the dangers when he prescribed this medication?”
“No. But I’m damn sure as hell going to ask him why he didn’t!” Mike was furious. I reminded him to stay calm and assured him that we will be able to get him well again. In fact, we needed his medical doctor to work with us, so I encouraged him not to burn any bridges.
His job was to speak with his doctor about the best method to [switch] off the medication… Over the course of three months, through nutritional upgrades and a collaborative effort with his doctor, we were able to help Mike raise his cholesterol to a healthy level, restore healthy testosterone levels without the use of hormone replacement therapy, sharpen his memory and resolve his muscle pain. He’s improved his work efficiency 300% and not made a late delivery since.
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bestbuckbuck 
Great article and so true. I do respect traditional medicine but I am ultimately my own health advocate and have taken the natural route to reduce the hereditary high cholesterol that I have. I was told it could not be done without stains so I choose to try it for a year with weight loss, exercise and the appropriate natural supplements. I brought the updated results back to the doctor that said it could not be done with a 100 pt reduction and he was in shock. Inflammation is usually the cause of most disease so I am proactive in living the right lifestyle to reduce it.
Sorry I meant Statins…typo in paragraph!
Helps to keep our sense of humor when dealing with this issue!
I know the common myth is once you start taking a statin you cannot come off. This could not be more wrong. Over the course of about 6 months we are slowing bringing him down in the dose,he will come completely off of the crestor in March. He has a blood test every 6 months, his numbers are great, better than they have ever been.
Some of the dietary changes we made: introduced healthier oils, fruits, vegetables, HERBS, niacin and magnesium rich foods, and overall better eating habits.
A must read is ” The Great Cholesterol Myth”
by Jonny Bowden, Stephen Sinatra
Outstanding! Let’s hear more success stories!
Excellent post! If Jesus and others in the bible lived without drugs, we can do it too.
Amen, Erika! Staying spiritually strong is so important! And remembering there was life before drugs!
Yes! So many drugs have harmful side effects. I represent many clients that have experienced these side effects. Though these individuals are able to receive settlement awards against drug makers, no dollar amount in the world can buy good health. The best thing we can do for our health is to eat healthy and live a healthy lifestyle. Thank you for reminding others of the importance of healthy living.
I knew someone who told me after several months of taking Lipitor they started having trouble remembering names and coming up with the right word. At dinner once, she said, ‘Please pass the elephant,’ though she wanted the bread. I told my husband that I thought she’d had a stroke. In December, a friend came to visit. She started telling that she was worried about her memory and couldn’t think of her daughter’s name on the telephone. She too was on Lipitor.
When I told my other friend this, she asked her doctor to prescribe a different cholesterol medicine. Within a couple of weeks she was more mentally alert. But my other friend (still on Lipitor) was in worse shape and afraid she might lose her job. Her doctor said forgetfulness could not be due to the drug. She finally stopped taking Lipitor and now is much sharper.
The symptoms appear related to unsupported nerve tissue in the brain which a deficiency of cholesterol could very well cause. Thanks for your contribution.