When I first attacked the idea that the cause of atherosclerosis was directly linked to higher levels of cholesterol, most of the media and medical “experts” treated any physician who rejected the idea as delusional. They repeatedly stated that the evidence was rock solid.
Most now admit that atherosclerosis is not a cholesterol disorder; it is a chronic inflammation disorder. Yet, they still hang on to enough of the cholesterol idea to continue their support of the statin industry. Here are a few observations:
• The early experiments which were the basis of the cholesterol theory were heavily flawed. Cholesterol never caused atherosclerosis in animals unless it was mixed with corn oil.
• When the arteries of heart attack victims were examined, the most inflamed area of the artery was usually found to have caused the heart attack and not the segment with the most crud. That is, inflammation caused a blood clot inside the vessel and triggered the fatal blockage. For a detailed discussion on inflammation and its role in many diseases, see my newsletter "Inflammation: The Real Cause of Most Diseases."
• Large studies of heart patients discovered that those with the highest cholesterol levels — both total and LDL (“bad”) type —had the lowest incidence of heart attacks.
• Researchers analyzed the walls of atherosclerotic arteries and found that the most abundant oxidized oil was not cholesterol, but types of omega-6 oils. These are the oils common in the “heart-healthy diet” and include corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, and soybean.
• People with chronic inflammatory diseases, such as diabetes and autoimmune diseases, have very high rates of heart attacks and strokes despite having low, or even very low, cholesterol levels. (For tips on lowering your risk of diabetes, read my special report "The Diabetes Solution.")
Basically, the only benefit from the statin-cholesterol lowering drugs is from their anti-inflammatory and immune-suppressant effects.
Ironically, the often-touted 26 percent reduction of heart attack deaths claimed by drugmakers is the exact percentage attained by the anti-inflammatory known as aspirin.
It makes no sense to pay an enormous amount of money for a drug that, in all the studies, is no more effective than taking an aspirin a day.
Many natural substances, such as curcumin, quercetin, DHA, ellagic acid, and hesperidin are effective in reducing heart attack risk without significant side effects.
Studies using these flavonoids demonstrated that they were not only effective in preventing atherosclerosis, but many could reverse it.
Doctors rely on prescription drugs, but it is clear that this is not always in the patient’s (your) best interests. For the latest information on how to protect your heart, see my report "New Heart Revelations."
For more of Dr. Blaylock’s weekly tips, go here to view the archive.
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