Experiments from Italian-based scientists shows that the statin drugs Zocor and Simvacor can interfere with the body’s ability to fight pathogens.

Statin drugs are used to help prevent heart attacks and reduce bad cholesterol levels.  This medicine is frequently given to people when doctors believe that they may be at risk for cardiac related issues.  One popular statin drug that is constantly advertised is Lipitor.  Sure, these statin drugs are distributed like candy.  But is this a good thing?  Increasingly, studies are showing that the answer to this question is no.

A new study out of Italy looked into the statin drug simvastatin, which is sold under the names “Zocor” and “Simvacor.”  The potential problem that these researchers found is that this statin drug interferes with the body’s ability to kill pathogens.  And to make matters worse, Simvastin is also thought to produce cytokines, which cause inflammation.

In this recent study, the scientists placed Staphlococcus aureus on cells and then treated these cells with simvastin.  It was found that the cell’s normal ability to remove the pathogen was impaired once the simvastin was introduced.  The scientists also repeated this research with mice and saw the same results.

Even aside from this study, researchers have found other harmful effects of statins over the years.  These are a class of blockbuster drugs that generate huge revenue for big business pharmaceutical companies.  Of course, there are safe and effective ways of lowering cholesterol that do not involve taking medicine.

The first step to lowering cholesterol is to eat a healthy diet.  In fact, the American Heart Association recommends 25-30 grams of dietary fiber each day.  This goal is easily achievable through eating a lot of fruits and vegetables.  The easiest way to do this is through juicing your fruits and vegetables.  Also 30 minutes of exercise a day is key.  Of course, you should avoid smoking cigarettes for this reason as well as a host of others.  Smoking is counterproductive to good cholesterol since it lowers the levels of HDL (good cholesterol) in the body.

There are delicious foods out there that can work to lower your LDL cholesterol levels. For example, pistachios can improve your heart health.  Other studies have shown that combining foods including almonds, soy protein, oats, barley and plant sterol enriched margarine can help lower cholesterol levels.

The bottom line is to try natural solutions for reducing your cholesterol before opting for statin drugs, which are full of negative side-effects. Just because these drugs are constantly advertised on TV doesn’t mean that they are a good idea for you and your family.

Sources:
newsmaxhealth.com
heartdisease.about.com