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Get Rid Of High Cholesterol Once And For All

By on July 3, 2014
Can a vegan diet lower cholesterol?

If you have high levels of “bad” cholesterol, or LDL, your doctor may have spoken to you about taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. Last year, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology declared new guidelines that called for millions more patients to be prescribed statins to prevent heart disease. But ever since, their judgment has been seriously called into question. These non-profit organizations are financed primarily by the prescription drug industry. On top of that, more and more studies show that statins are ineffective and can cause serious side effects. Instead, patients could be making serious lifestyle changes that would reduce their risk for heart disease without any drugs at all.

Statins: What’s the Truth?
Statins inhibit the enzyme involved in the production of cholesterol so that your cholesterol levels cannot rise. While this can be a necessary and effective treatment for patients who are already suffering from heart disease, those patients are a very small percentage of people compared to who exactly the American Heart Association thinks should be prescribed these pills. Studies have shown that statins may do next to nothing to actually prevent heart disease in patients that are at risk to develop it in the future.The side effects of these drugs can also be extreme. They can affect the liver and kidneys, and many patients are forced to stop taking them because they cause severe muscle pain, fatigue and nausea. In 2012, a study showed that the risk may be worse for women. Statins increase their risk for type 2 diabetes while providing virtually no benefit.

The Role of Diet
While some doctors are claiming that every middle aged patient should be on statins, many have criticized their disregard for the healthy changes that are necessary to lower cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease. Doctors agree that a diet free of meat and dairy would reduce cholesterol levels to essentially the numbers a patient is born with, but they also believe that would simply be too much to ask of people. Why not put them on drugs for the rest of their lives instead? In a way, their argument is understandable. With the amount of saturated fat, preservatives, and other toxic chemicals in processed foods you buy at the grocery store, staying on top of healthy eating seems daunting. But eliminating meat and dairy is not as difficult as it seems. The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that even going vegetarian lowers your risk of heart disease over 30 percent. And vegans consume far less saturated fat than anyone else. Remember, your body produces cholesterol on its own, but the cholesterol you eat comes solely from animal products. Full stop. So the more you can eliminate them from your diet, the lower your numbers will be.

Stand Up to Your Doctor
If you have high LDL numbers but your risk for heart disease is relatively low, there is no reason to be taking pills every day just to lower your cholesterol. Side effects of statins can be so extreme that some patients have landed in the hospital. Stand up for your right to avoid the shortcuts and lower your cholesterol the natural way–by changing the food you eat! Not only does a vegan diet eliminate the fats and preservatives found in animal products, the antioxidants in fruit, vegetables, and nuts actually fight against LDL levels and keep heart disease at bay. Heart disease in the Western world has gotten out of control, and it’s little wonder that doctors and pharmaceutical companies are looking for a miracle drug that they can package and market to millions upon millions of patients. But statins are certainly not that drug. Miracle solutions don’t exist. There is no substitute for a rich, plant-based diet when it comes to lowering your cholesterol. You might be surprised how great you feel, and how much your heart will thank you.

Get Rid Of High Cholesterol Once And For All

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