by Dr. David Eifrig
221 million prescriptions…
That’s the latest number available for the number of prescriptions written in a single year (2012-2013) for statins.
In a little more than a decade, from 2002 to 2013, use of this cholesterol medicine increased 80%. The reason? The American Heart Association lowered the guidelines for “normal” cholesterol numbers. Overnight, millions of Americans suddenly had high cholesterol… and doctors turned to Big Pharma to “fix” the problem.
Today, one in four Americans over the age of 40 takes statins. That number makes my blood boil. Particularly when friends of mine resign themselves to taking the drug for the rest of their lives.
I’ve written before about the big myth behind cholesterol. Solely treating a set of numbers with an overprescribed drug class like statins is an irresponsible – and dangerous – practice.
That’s largely due to the fact that inflammation – not cholesterol – is the root cause of heart disease. That’s why simply treating cholesterol numbers doesn’t work. Doctors need to focus on the whole patient – including lifestyle elements like diet and exercise.
But given how many folks still write to me asking about statins, I wanted to address my views on them in today’s issue. Let’s get started…
Please click here to keep reading.
The following are my comments.
by Lance Reedy
My comments: What are these processed foods that Dr. Eifrig refers to? For several years I have used the acronym SORF to describe these unhealthy foods that Dr. Eifrig and others refer to. If you avoid processed foods with one, two, or all three components of SORF you will go a long way to avoid inflammation-causing foods. Sadly, there are hundreds of these dressed up packages sitting on grocery store shelves that unsuspecting shoppers unwittingly purchase.
S = Sugar This includes sugar, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and sugar alcohols. Even though artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, Splenda, etc. aren’t sugar, they are toxic chemicals that you don’t want in your body. Don’t forget the Agave scam. Agave is high in fructose. The over-consumption of these sugars can lead to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
O = Oils This refers to oils that require a factory to produce. Included in this list are soybean oil, canola oil, safflower oil, corn oil, etc. The industrial processing causes these unstable Omega 6 oils to become rancid. This causes harmless, low-density lipoproteins to become oxidized and transformed into small, B-B-like particles. These particles, in turn, cause inflammation to the lining of your coronary arteries. Please refer to Dr. Stephen Sinatra’s The Great Cholesterol Myth.
What about the advertising the suggests that these oils are heart-healthy? At best they are bogus, and at worst they are fraudulent propaganda.
RF = Refined Flours This list includes white flour or “enriched” white flour, white rice, or any product made by milling off the bran and germ of any grain. The refining process robs the grains of valuable B vitamins and fiber. Worse, it concentrates the starch, causing your blood sugar to spike as if you had eaten sugar. Again, this contributes to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
Want to stay in optimal health and avoid as much inflammation as possible? Avoid SORF!
Disclaimer
The articles in Northwest Senior News are for your education and general health information only, and the opinions of various writers do not necessarily reflect those of Northwest Senior News. The ideas, opinions and suggestions contained in Northwest Senior News are NOT to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment from your doctor for any health condition or related issues. Readers of Northwest Senior News should not rely on information provided in these articles for their own healthcare. Any questions regarding your own healthcare should be addressed to your own physician. Please do NOT start or stop any medications or any other medical protocol without consulting your doctor or other licensed healthcare practitioners.