Want to lower your cholesterol? a pill is not a magic bullet!
Most of us want a medicine that can be a 'magic bullet' to lower our cholesterol. And 24 million Americans now think they've found such a magic cure in statins -- a medicine that lowers cholesterol. But is taking a statin pill every day really the answer? Besides the known side effects and long-term consequences, (muscle pain, liver damage, type 2 diabetes, memory loss, ugh), statins aren't shown to be any more effective at regulating cholesterol than eating a healthy diet. An example: a study published in 2003 by the American Medical Association compared a diet made up of foods that can lower cholesterol to statin medicines. They separated the patients into one of three groups.
- Group 1 ate a diet very low in saturated fat.
- Group 2 ate a diet very low in saturated fat and took a statin once a day.
- Group 3 ate a diet made up of foods that can lower cholesterol.
The researchers found that about the same amount of cholesterol was lowered in Group 2 and Group 3. This means that a diet made up foods that can lower cholesterol is almost as well as a statin. If you eat a low-cholesterol diet, you may not need to take a medicine.
So remember, a pill is not the magic cure to your cholesterol problem. A statin can work best only when YOU decide to make healthy choices in your diet and lifestyle. In other words, the 'magic bullet' is YOU!
Read more about Lower Your Cholesterol the Easy Way. Eat More Fiber.
