A little-known danger of statin use on the rise

Although statin drugs are commonly touted as being “relatively safe,” in reality nothing could be farther from the truth.

Statins can and do cause serious side effects in many people like these:

-          Muscle pain and weakness, which can lead to incapacitation
-          Breakdown of muscles which can cause kidney failure & death
-          Nausea, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea
-          Sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches
-          Sexual dysfunction
-          Peripheral neuropathy (numbness & tingling in your extremities)
-          Pain or burning with urination
-          Memory loss, depression
-          Pancreatic inflammation
-          Gallstones
-          Low energy
-          Abnormal heart rhythm

Arguably one of the most frightening dangers of statin use is that they increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes…but up until recently, the additional risk was estimated at about 22 percent.

Well, a new study has just painted a much bleaker picture:

Study shows 46 percent increased risk of Type 2 diabetes

A recent study of 8,749 men headed by Professor Markku Laakso of the Institute of Clinical Medicine at the University of Eastern Finland and published in the journal Diabetologia found that the men who were treated with statins were at a 46 percent higher risk of diabetes than men who were not treated with statins.

What gives more credence to this latest study is that the 46 percent increased risk was present even after adjusting for the men's age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, physical activity levels, smoking status, alcohol intake, family history of diabetes and treatment with beta-blockers and diuretic medications.

What does the liver have to do with diabetes?

Although it seems odd, the connection between statin use and diabetes actually makes a lot of sense.

Your liver works very closely with your pancreas in controlling your blood sugar.  Your liver converts glucose into glycogen, which is the form of sugar that can be stored in your cells for later use. 

Then when you run low on energy, the liver steps in, converts the glycogen back into glucose, and ships it off into your bloodstream so it can travel to the cells where it’s needed.

Statins can interrupt this process designed by Nature because they affect the functioning of your liver.

You see, the liver is also where the majority of your body’s cholesterol is manufactured, and statins “work” by shutting down your liver’s cholesterol-making ability.

So when you’re already impairing one of your liver’s functions, it’s not unreasonable to assume that this can affect your liver’s ability to do its other jobs too—and that includes blood glucose regulation.

Have a healthy liver and cholesterol level!

Here are ways that you can help naturally encourage a healthy liver and cholesterol level:

1- Pamper your liver

• Drink a large glass of room temperature water every morning to which a splash of fresh lemon or lime juice has been added to flush out your liver.
• Incorporate lots of onions and garlic into your diet, as they support your liver’s detox efforts.
• Other liver-helpful foods include grapefruit, beets and carrots, leafy greens, avocados, apples, cruciferous vegetables, lemons and limes, walnuts, olive oil, cabbage and turmeric.
• Consider milk thistle (silymarin) supplementation.

2- Eat your way to lower cholesterol and better health

Excess saturated fat (especially trans-fats) and refined sugar can both contribute to elevated cholesterol.

Plus since fiber acts like a broom in your colon to help sweep away excess cholesterol, a diet low in fiber can trigger a cholesterol problem as well.

So it's crucial to have a healthy, balanced diet that will help you:

1. Avoid trans-fats at all cost
2. Limit saturated fats 
3. Avoid refined sugars and
4. Get natural dietary sources of fiber

Great Taste No Pain Health System

The Great Taste No Pain system will show you exactly what to do.

Great Taste No Pain will guide you in having a more balanced diet including healthy proteins and fats, plus fiber-rich fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains and legumes which can help whisk away old cholesterol instead of leaving it to be reabsorbed.

And the best part is Great Taste No Pain truly lives up to its name--every single dish in the recipe section is mouth-watering delicious.

3- Encourage a healthy essential fatty acid balance

When you have too many Omega-6 essential fatty acids and too few Omega-3s (like most people with a typical modern diet do), you're encouraging inflammation, pain and disease, as well as not being able to eliminate cholesterol as well as you should!

But when you bring the balance closer to the ideal 3:1 range, the Omega EFAs act together in harmony to keep inflammation low in your body (including your arteries!) and help you get rid of excess cholesterol.

VitalMega-3 is a top-quality fish oil formula that can help you achieve this optimal balance.

Based on recent studies, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported decreases in cholesterol of up to 20% in just 10 DAYS by boosting Omega-3 EFA's through diet and supplementation!

When you work with your body to help it create health and put the power of nutrition to work for you, chances are excellent you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the health goals you can achieve!

And if you are on statins, be sure to talk to your doctor before making changes in your medications or supplements.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia

Follow me on Twitter @sherry_brescia and Instagram @sherrybrescia