Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Did you know that the drugs you are taking for issues such as allergies or high blood pressure may be causing sexual dysfunction? Many commonly-prescribed medications can lead to problems like low libido.
Cholesterol can be misunderstood. Many people think it’s bad for you, but your body also needs good cholesterol in order to function properly. Learn all about the differences between good and bad cholesterol and how you can support your overall health from Amanda Williams, MPH.
statin drugs
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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Clogged arteries in the heart are very dangerous. It’s called coronary heart disease and it’s a really scary condition. They give statin drugs in an attempt to prevent this and it is helpful.†
Statin drugs are cholesterol-lowering therapy. They’re used in patients with a history of heart disease, but they’re also used in people with clean arteries to help prevent it. When you lower a type of cholesterol called LDL, there’s a relationship to not building up plaque in the arteries. This plaque leads to horrible things like strokes and heart attacks.†
What exactly is the plaque and what is it doing? It’s thickening and stiffening the blood vessels in the heart. It is made out of cholesterol, mostly LDL. Arteries are bigger blood vessels that take the oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and the heart and deliver it all over the body. This allows oxygen to reach the brain, muscles, organs and tissues. Even though the heart is pumping blood, it also needs its own blood supply. The heart also has its own arteries that are actually smaller and like veins. When they get thickened and stiffened with deposits of cholesterol, it’s very dangerous. This is where statin drugs come to the rescue, to a certain degree.†
The problem with statin drugs is that they tend to interfere with a number of really important nutritional supplements. Most of the symptoms of problems with using a statin are related to the lowering level of important nutrients.†
One thing that happens with statin drugs, and it’s dose-dependent, is problems with your mitochondria. In other words, statins can short-circuit energy production. There are a number of studies showing that statins can lead to fatigue, muscle cramps and a drop in endurance and stamina. One reason why statins can affect your muscles and your nerves is if you lower your cholesterol too much. You need cholesterol for the health of your muscles and nerves.†
This also occurs because you are disrupting energy formation. It seems to block the ability to recycle energy. Every day, we recycle our energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It is recycled by something called creatine monohydrate, which is a very safe nutritional supplement that’s been used by bodybuilders and athletes for decades, as well as in patients with heart failure and for memory and brain energy in elderly people. Studies have shown that creatine also helps to make the body’s shuttle for energy function properly to allow for energy recycling. Statin drugs can inhibit an enzyme that prevents the body from recycling energy properly and this leads to muscle pain. I mix beta-hydroxy-beta methylbutyrate (HMB) with creatine and whey protein in elderly to help support muscle strength, balance, coordination and mobility.†
ATP: THE ENERGY ATM MACHINE OF THE BODY – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 255. Listen Now>>
Vitamin D is also involved. There are a number of studies now that show if the Vitamin D in your blood is below 30, you have a much higher risk of having muscle pain and muscle inflammation when on a statin. If you’re using a statin or know someone who is, you want to get your Vitamin D levels above 30. This is also important for supporting your immune defenses and respiratory health.†
There is also evidence that statin drugs reduce the level of many nutrients in your body and that’s not a good thing. You don’t have to stop the statin, but you do have to replete the nutrients that you’re losing. For instance, statins deplete lutein, an orange-red pigment from vegetables that is needed for vision and memory. Statins also lower Vitamin K, which is needed for your heart health and bone strength, as well as ubiquinol, which is needed for the power of your heart and muscles and your energy in general. There is evidence that statins lower fish oils, so I tell people on statins to take Krill Oil.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. discusses statin drugs, a commonly-prescribed medication often used for heart health and cholesterol levels. He explains that while these drugs are important, they can also negatively impact other important nutrients in the body.†
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Thank you for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at InViteⓇ Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.
Gallstones are very common in the United States, but did you know they can be caused by factors such as diet, weight and prescription medications? The good news is that there are nutrients that have been shown to help support the health of the gallbladder.
Have you heard of the Portfolio Diet? This plant-based spin on the Mediterranean Diet has become increasingly popular in people looking to support healthy cholesterol levels. Learn more from Amanda Williams, MPH.
triglycerides
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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As we discussed in Part 1 and Part 2 of this episode, triglycerides can be exceedingly dangerous when they’re elevated. When they’re somewhat elevated, they can contribute to hardening of the arteries, coronary heart disease and an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. They also cause fatty liver disease and the development of prediabetes or diabetes.†
There are nutrients that can help fight elevated triglycerides. One of these is niacin, which is a form of Vitamin B3. Vitamin B3 is involved with energy production and can help slow the aging process. Niacin helps to lower your triglycerides, as well as your bad cholesterol, and can also help to raise your good cholesterol a little bit. The problem is that when this is used as a drug, it is used in very high doses and it can be very unpleasant. The amount of niacin that you get in our B-Complex or multivitamins is fantastic, but super high doses of this vitamin may not be great.†
B COMPLEX VITAMINS & YOUR BRAIN, PART 1 – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 102. Listen Now>>
Psyllium husk can also be beneficial. Psyllium is a type of fiber. It has to be mixed totally with water, otherwise the water in your throat can mix with it and it can swell in your throat. You mix a teaspoon of the psyllium in a glass of water twice a day and take it with food. First of all, it is a fiber and this helps to clean out your colon and support regularity. Psyllium husk also helps to lower your cholesterol, blood sugar and triglycerides.†
Then we have plant sterols, which may be my favorite, as well as fish oils.†
A trial done in the United States looked at people who were being treated with statin drugs and also had elevated triglycerides, but low cholesterol levels. These people also had a history of heart disease and diabetes. The researchers gave them 4000mg of fish oil a day, without its natural DHA. Instead, they super concentrated the EPA and changed its molecular shape a little bit. This study found that even if someone had low cholesterol levels, high triglycerides could cause them to have a heart attack or stroke. But, when they gave them the high-potency fish oils for five years, it cut back on the number of people who had a heart attack or stroke. Lowering the triglycerides cut back around an additional 25% in these risks.†
Now let’s discuss krill oil. The EPA and DHA in krill oil are more bioavailable, which means that they’re better absorbed by humans. This is because the oils in fish oils are attached to triglycerides, whereas the oils in krill oil are attached to phosphatides. Phosphatides are very good for the liver, brain, memory and mood. The way that krill oil supplies these fish oils is also excellent for helping to lower cholesterol and triglycerides.†
There is another kind of fat called sterols which are very interesting. They block the absorption of cholesterol from food in your digestive tract. Studies over the past 50 years show that they can help lower the risk of developing heart disease, as well as cholesterol levels. More recent studies are showing that they also help to lower triglycerides.†
In this episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. concludes his discussion on triglycerides. He offers suggestions for nutrients and supplements that can help people with high triglyceride levels and cites multiple studies.†
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Thank you for tuning in to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at InViteⓇ Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the InViteⓇ Health Podcast.