You probably know that statins rob your body of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 is an important nutrient needed for strong, healthy muscles. This can put you at an increased risk for falls. It can interfere with walking, exercising, or just plain enjoying your life. And it can even weaken your heart — the hardest working muscle in your body.
You also may have read in these pages that statins can cause liver toxicity, heartburn, digestive problems, headaches, and fatigue. But that's not all. They can even raise "bad" cholesterol (LDL) in some people who already have high amounts – although they're designed to have the opposite effect.
Even though you know about these side effects, you may have decided that you can live with them in exchange for lower cholesterol. What you may not know, however, is that these drugs can cause even worse side effects.
The drug companies have purposely left you – and millions of other people — in the dark about these side effects. Sixteen million people in this country take Lipitor, a statin given to prevent heart disease. Millions more take other statins. This is a multibillion-dollar business, and drug manufacturers spend a lot of time and money convincing doctors that statins are necessary — and safe. But almost none of the people who take statins know about the really serious side effects statins can cause.
So what is this side effect that's so serious? What if I told you statins increase your risk for cancer? Well, it looks like they can. In fact, all rat studies using statins found that the drugs increase the risk for getting cancer.
But what about human studies? In one trial published in the
New England Journal of Medicine,
breast cancer rates in women who took statins increased by 1,100%!
No, that's not a misprint or typo. This study found that taking statins increases your risk of getting breast cancer by 1,100%. One in seven women now get breast cancer. Are statins part of the reason this ratio continues to shrink? I think it's part of the reason.
What's the connection to cancer?
So why do statins increase your risk so much? It's because they lower your cholesterol and LDL too far. And low cholesterol is a risk factor for cancer.
In a more recent study at Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Richard Karas and his team found that when LDL levels were less than 100 mg/dL, the risk for cancer greatly increased. Less than 70 mg/dL is considered to be ideal by the American Heart Association and other groups.
This study comes right out and says, "The risk of cancer is significantly associated with lower achieved LDL levels. These findings suggest that … the cardiovascular benefits of low achieved levels of LDL may in part be offset by an increased risk of cancer."
/hen there was a Japanese study that followed more than 200 patients with lymphomas. It found there was a higher risk of lymphoid malignancy in patients who took statins. How many more studies do you need to hear about before you realize that there's a connection between statins, low levels of LDL, and an increased risk for cancer?
The dangers of low LDL
Doctors prescribe statins precisely because they lower total cholesterol and "bad" LDL. LDL (low density lipoprotein) is the sticky cholesterol that can build up plaque in your arteries and lead to heart disease.
The current medical thought is "the lower the better." In April 2004, leading cardiologists, seemingly on cue from the drug companies, said that LDL levels of 100 mg/dL were not low enough. In fact, they believe your levels should be no higher than 65 mg/dL! Patients could achieve this level, they said, by taking up to 80 mg per day of Lipitor.
But we now know that this recommendation makes you more susceptible to cancer. In fact, both low total cholesterol and low LDL levels are associated with a higher risk of dying from cancer. The reason? They lower your immune system. And the manufacturers of statins know this.
Let me be clear. Statins don't cause cancer. They lower LDL to very low levels. This, in turn, can lead to a suppressed immune system and an increased risk for cancer.
Statins can also lower total cholesterol too much. In my opinion, cholesterol has gotten a bad rap. It's extremely beneficial. Cholesterol helps the body repair itself. It's a powerful anti-cancer antioxidant. And it's a precursor to vitamin D and the adrenal hormones. In fact, many doctors have told people to lower their cholesterol unnecessarily.
Dr. Matthias Rath, MD, an expert in heart disease, explains that there's nothing wrong with cholesterol levels of 220 or 240. Lipoprotein (a) and fibrinogen are much bigger risk factors. (You can read more about these on my website —
www.womenshealthletter.com
Meanwhile, don't let anyone frighten you into taking statins. Review your case carefully with your doctor and have other markers of heart problems evaluated before reaching for that prescription.
More reasons to avoid statins
In addition to increasing your risk for cancer, low LDL levels have other side effects. They can interfere with neurotransmitter mechanisms in your brain. This means that you could have memory problems and forget where you are and even who you are. This memory lapse can last from a few minutes to a few hours!
A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology
found congestive heart failure was another side effect from taking statins. Coenzyme Q10 reversed this condition. If you're taking statins for any reason, please also take 100-200 mg per day of CoQ10. This is especially important if you have cancer, as most cancer patients have low blood levels of CoQ10.
How effective are statins?
Even though statins lower LDL, they don't lower your risk of dying. Let's look at the figures. In a large analysis of 44 clinical trials, with nearly 10,000 heart patients, the death rate in people taking Lipitor, other statins, or a placebo, were identical. A mere one percent of these patients in each category died.
Side effects, however, were not identical among the three groups. Sixty-five percent of people taking statins had side effects, while only 45% of people taking a placebo had complaints. Three to four times as many people on statins dropped out of the studies because of adverse reactions.
Bottom line: statins caused more side effects than taking nothing, without improving survival rates even a little bit.
Reasons you may want to take statins
In spite of all their limitations and dangers, statins may be appropriate for you if you have a history of blockages in your heart arteries, if you have a stent, or have had angina or a heart attack. If you are diabetic and have high C-reactive protein (a sign of inflammation), taking a statin could lower your risk for heart disease. This is because statins reduce inflammation, one of the underlying causes of heart disease. You could be better off just reducing inflammation.
Just remember that other anti-inflammatory substances, such as turmeric and Padma Basic (an effective Tibetan herbal formula that's been the subject of a number of sound scientific studies), can lower inflammation without statins' side effects. Padma is available by calling 800-728-2288. You can find turmeric supplements in most health food stores.
Statins are also appropriate for anyone who has waited too long to take charge of their health, or is not willing to change their lifestyle and eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. If you want a simple solution without taking responsibility for your health, perhaps you
should
reach for a pill. Just remember it may not give you the results you're looking for. And it could give you some you really don't want.
Alsheikh-Ali, American Journal of Cardiology, July 2007.
Chan, K.K.W., et al. "The statins as anticancer agents," Clinical Cancer Research, January 2003.
Fallon, S. and M.G. Enig. "Dangers of statin drugs: What you haven't been told about popular cholesterol-lowering medicines,"
www.westonaprice.org
Hecht, H.S. and S.M. Harmon.
Am J Cardiol
, 2003; 92:670-676.
wata, H., et al. "Use of hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors is associated with risk of lymphoid malignancies,"
Cancer Science,
97(2).
Kritchevsky, S.B. "Dietary lipids and the low blood cholesterol-cancer association."
Am. J. Epidemiol
, 135: 509-520, 1992.
Sacks, F.M., et al.
New England Journal of Medicine
, 1996.
This Amazing Healer Lowers Inflammation, Reduces Dental Plaque, and Kills Bacteria (Even Staph) — So Why Do Doctors Ignore It?
Doctors at Columbia University Medical Center recently met to discuss a national standard of care for repairing and healing chronic wounds. They discussed many different treatments.
But they missed one very important treatment. This ancient remedy has sound scientific studies behind it. These studies prove it effectively kills stubborn strains of bacteria found in infected wounds.
Its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity kills many strains of
Staphylococcus aureus
, the most common cause of staph infections.
It reduces the bacteria in dental plaque and bleeding gums, and while you might think it contributes to dental cavities, it doesn't. This "drug" is honey.
There have been a number of randomized controlled studies over the past 40 years using honey as a wound dressing. They found, repeatedly, that honey stopped bacterial growth and reduced inflammation. In fact, Dr. F.R. Khan, lead author of a review published in the
International Journal of Clinical Practice
said: "The research suggests that honey seems to be especially indicated when wounds become infected or fail to close or heal." He added that surgeons should seriously consider using honey postoperatively to prevent infection in wounds. The doctors at the Columbia symposium apparently didn't hear him.
But as good as honey is, this one's the best
As amazing as honey is, you shouldn't use just any honey to fight bacteria. That's because not all honey is alike in its bacterial activity. While all varieties kill some anti-bacteria, one of them has extra strong activity. Its strength comes from the amount of particular plant chemicals found in its nectar.
This honey is called Manuka. Manuka's unique phytochemicals make it a superior product for wound care. And these phytochemicals come from just one species of plants:
Leptospermum,
a wild shrub that grows in New Zealand.
When compared with other varieties of honey in scientific studies, Manuka honey has the highest and broadest antibacterial activity. As far back as 1992, it completely inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterium that can cause a wide range of problems from a minor skin irritation to a life-threatening disease. Staph. aureus is more likely to cause serious health problems, such as abscesses and septicemia, in older, immune-compromised patients.
In one study, an immune-suppressed patient had a leg ulcer containing the deadly antibiotic-resistant MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staph. aureus) bacteria. Topical and systemic antibiotics were not enough to get the infection under control. The ulcer was simply not healing. As soon as it was treated with a topical dressing of Manuka honey, the ulcer healed.
In another study, doctors used Manuka honey to dress leg ulcers once a week for four weeks in eight patients. There was a 50% improvement in the ulcers. It also eliminated all odors (a sign of bacterial overgrowth). And it reduced pain in all the participants.
Free radicals contribute to inflammation, and Manuka was the only honey that completely quenched free radicals within minutes. This explains why Manuka honey is so effective in reducing inflammation associated with wounds.
Gingivitis and bleeding gums
Most sugars cause dental cavities because they feed bad bacteria. But not Manuka honey. It has antibacterial properties. In one study, 30 people chewed or sucked on a "honey leather" (a flat candy made from dried honey) for 10 minutes, three times a day after meals for three weeks.
To the researchers' surprise, these people had less plaque and fewer bleeding sites at the end of the study than when they began. So if a candy sweetened only with Manuka honey comes on the market, it's safe for your gums and won't contribute to caries.
Use the appropriate strength of Manuka
You can use any Manuka product, but one with the correct UMF factor is best. What is the UMF factor? It stands for Unique Manuka Factor. This is a way to rate the antibacterial potency it contains. Manuka honey with UMF ratings is standardized. All batches will have the same potency.
Don't be fooled into thinking that the higher the UMF the better. This is one case where more can actually be harmful. Manuka with a UMF rating that's too high (19 or over) can cause burning or stinging. The most therapeutic range appears to be between 16-18. You can use this UMF amount safely both internally and externally.
Bandages containing Manuka are currently available on the Internet, but they're terribly expensive — up to $5 each. Instead, you may want to get a jar of Manuka honey and apply it to bandages yourself. Another advantage of buying this honey by the jar is that you can use it in many other applications. For instance, you can mix it in a little hot water at the first sign of a cold or sinus attack.
If you can't find Manuka honey with the right UMF rating, contact the folks at
www.manukahoneyusa.com
. Or call them in Florida at 800-395-2196. They'll tell you about their many products made with Manuka with the right UMF rating. These include cough syrup and lozenges. All of their products contain safe amounts of UMF. And they assure me that their prices are the lowest around for pure, standardized Manuka products.
For more information on scientific studies using honey, pick up the little book
Honey: The Gourmet Medicine
by Joe Traynor (800-247-6553).
Allen, K.L., et al. "A survey of the antibacterial activity of some New Zealand honeys,"
J Pharm Pharmacol,
December 1991.
English, H.K., et al. "The effects of manuka honey on plaque and gingivitis: a pilot study,"
J Int Acad Periiodontol
, April 2004.
Gethin, G. and S. Cowman. "Case series of use of Manuka honey in leg ulceration,"
Int Wound J,
March 2005.
Henriques, A., et al. "Free radical production and quenching in honeys with wound healing potential," J Antimicrob Chemother, October 2006. Khan, R.F., et al. "Honey: nutritional and medical value,"
Int'l J Clin Practice,
October 2007.
Molan, P.C. "The evidence supporting the use of honey as a wound dressing,"
Int J Low Extrem Wounds
, March 2006.
Natarajan, S., et al. "Healing of an MRSA-colonized, hydroxyurea-induced leg ulcer with honey,"
J Dermatolog Treat,
March 2001.
Willix, D.J., et al. "A comparison of the sensitivity of wound-infecting species of bacterial to the antibacterial activity of manuka honey and other honey,"
J Appl Bacteriol
, November 1992.
Sorry Guys, This Drug Reduces Senior Moments in Women Only
It's probably the most used drug in the world. You may use it every day, even if you consider yourself to be drug-free and don't take prescription or over-the-counter medications.
In the past, we were all warned about its harmful effects. Now we're finding it can be beneficial — especially for women. It can help you retain your memory as you age, and it's being added to skin-care products to slim the thighs and buttocks. If you can't take it orally — and not everybody can — you can still use it topically.
The drug I'm talking about is caffeine. And I predict we'll hear more about its beneficial effects over time. We're most familiar with caffeinated beverages. There's no question, a cup of coffee or tea can make you feel mentally sharper. Caffeine really does affect your brain and improve your memory.
In a recent French study led by Karen Ritchie, PhD, researchers followed more than 4,000 women and 2,800 men over the age of 65. They evaluated them for over four years for declining memory. The women who drank more than three cups of coffee a day had fewer "senior moments" forgetting words and names than women who drank fewer caffeinated drinks. Men's memory didn't improve at all. No one knows why this effect is gender-specific.
The researchers noticed that caffeine's protective effect on the brain increased with age. So if you've noticed that you're getting more forgetful with the years, you may benefit from drinking a few cups of coffee. Or tea.
Just remember that the caffeine content of various beverages differs. You could need four to five cups of black tea, or six or more cups of green tea or yerba maté to equal three cups of coffee.
If caffeine keeps you awake at night, try drinking maté or green tea instead of coffee. While drinking coffee after noon keeps me awake at night, green tea and maté don't. Green tea contains l-theanine, an amino acid that helps the mind stop racing and promotes a restful sleep. Maté contains no l-theanine, but it contains other chemicals that allow me to get a restful night's sleep no matter when I drink it.
If you can't drink any caffeine without becoming over-stimulated, I have good news for you. There's another great way to benefit from caffeine.
A better-looking backside
Believe it or not, you can actually reduce the size of your thighs and buttocks simply by rubbing them with a cream containing caffeine.
I know it sounds improbable, but it looks like it's true. A group of Brazilian researchers gave nearly 100 women a cream containing 7% caffeine and asked them to rub it into their thighs and buttocks twice a day for a month. The results were astounding. More than 80% of them had slimmer thighs. And almost 68% of the women also had thinner hips.
Two other studies, conducted by companies that make and sell caffeinated creams said to reduce cellulite, found that caffeine is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substance. It well may work. But combine a cream with a healthy diet (plenty of fresh fruits and veggies) that's low in sugar, drink plenty of water, and get regular exercise.
Caffine research is rather new, so you won't find many creams saturated with it on the market yet. But be assured others are on the way. If you hear about a caffeinated cream that claims it can tone the thighs and rear, pick up a jar and give it a try. It could actually work. You have nothing to lose but inches and a few dollars. And it won't keep you awake at night.
But that's not all this drug can do....
It may reduce ovarian cancer risk
A study just published in the prestigious journal
Cancer
looked at the role of caffeine and alcohol in preventing or promoting ovarian cancer.
Researchers followed more than 80,000 women for nearly 30 years. While there was no association between alcohol consumption and ovarian cancer, caffeine did have an effect. The women who drank the most coffee had the least amount of ovarian cancer — especially if they never used oral contraceptives or hormones after menopause.
Researchers are now suggesting more studies to understand what's going on, and why. Meanwhile, if you never took hormones and drink a cup or two of coffee each day, you may be doing yourself more good than harm. You could be protecting yourself from ovarian cancer.
There is one strong caveat
If you have type-2 diabetes, you may want to forgo all sources of caffeine.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that when diabetic patients had the amount of caffeine found in six cups of coffee a day, their blood sugar increased slightly. That wasn't so bad. The problem was that caffeine increased blood sugar levels right after meals by 15-26%!
The researchers think that caffeine may trigger the release of adrenaline. Or it could interfere with the process that moves glucose from the bloodstream into muscles. Either way, if you have metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes) or type-2 diabetes, you may want to limit your coffee or tea to two cups a day. Higher amounts could get in the way of a program to control your diabetes with diet and exercise.
Otherwise, enjoy a drug that tastes great, fights cancer, and helps you lose weight.
Duke University (2008, January 28). Cutting Caffeine May Help Control Diabetes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology
. 6(2):102-107, June 2007.
Lupi, Omar MD, PhD 1,2; Semenovitch, Ivan Jorge MD, MSc 2; Treu, Curt MD 2; Bottino, Daniel MD, PhD 2; Bouskela, Eliete MD, PhD 2.
Ritchie, K., et al, "The neuroprotective effects of caffeine," Neurology, 2007.
Health Detective
Bald Spots Can Be Caused by an Infection
If you notice a bald spot on your head, don't go to your doctor. Instead, make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible. You may have an autoimmune disease called Alopecia areata. And there's a close association between this disease and an infection in your mouth.
Alopecia areata is a form of dermatitis. It frequently begins with one or more round bald spots on the scalp or in the eyebrows. It's even possible to lose your eyebrows completely.
When the infection doesn't severely damage or destroy the hair follicles, the hair can grow back. But this doesn't always happen. And you can get more bald spots if you don't address the problem at its source – your mouth.
Your dermatologist and your dentist may not know about this connection between oral infections and bald patches yet. But many holistic dentists are likely to understand the association. So show this article to your doctors and dentist so they have the latest information about this form of Alopecia. It could save your hair – or someone else's.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/90078.php
Prof. José Antonio Gil Montoya y Antonio Cutando Soriano. of the University of Granada.
Ask Dr. Nan
Q: I read that the phytochemicals in grapefruit raise estrogen levels in postmenopausal women and increase our risk for breast cancer. Should I stop eating grapefruit? It's the only food that stops my nausea. — M.G., e-mail
A: Last year, researchers published a hypothesis in the British Journal of Cancer (2007;97) suggesting that women who ate the most grapefruit had a 30% greater risk for getting breast cancer. A hypothesis is a theory, not a proven fact. They based this hypothesis on grapefruit's ability to inhibit an enzyme that metabolizes estrogen.
Two previous studies found higher estrogen levels in women who ate grapefruit or drank grapefruit juice. But there is no evidence to recommend we stop eating grapefruit to lower our risk for breast cancer. We need more and better studies.
For instance, we need to look at estrogen levels before women eat grapefruit and afterward. We also need to know how long estrogen stays in the body if, indeed, there is an association between breast cancer and grapefruit. If grapefruit increases estrogen, how much is too much, and how much is safe? It's too early to draw any strong conclusions.
If you have had estrogen-positive breast cancer, or if you eat a lot of grapefruit, you may want to limit your intake of grapefruit or grapefruit juice. And if you're using grapefruit to reduce nausea, you need to weigh the benefits against any risks. As I said, the risks so far seem slim, but we need to see more thorough studies.
We do know that grapefruit and its juice do affect many medications, making their effects stronger. So please check with your pharmacist to make sure you're not taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs that interact with grapefruit.
www.caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/full/57/6/321.
Q: If women in a family, like mine, don't carry the breast cancer gene, why are the incidents of breast cancer so high? — B.L., Haviland, OH
A: Good question. There are a number of possibilities for widespread breast cancer other than being at a higher risk by carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2. The women in your family could have been exposed to pesticides or other estrogen-promoting chemicals.
Often, the liver removes some of these toxins through a detoxification process. But some people have livers that don't work efficiently. The result could be breast cancer. When exposure to heavy metals and pesticides is a possibility, I suggest oral chelation therapy with modified citrus pectin, such as PectaSol Chelation Complex (800-728-2288).
Then again, we know there's a connection between breast cancer and low levels of iodine. I talked about this extensively in my latest book The Health Detective's 456 Most Powerful Healing Secrets, and in past articles (which are available on my website www.womenshealthletter.com). You could contact pharmacist Charles Hakala (877-238-1779) about a home test kit to check for iodine insufficiency. If you're low, he can help you get a tried-and-true iodine supplement at the lowest price.
Researchers have also linked low levels of melatonin, the sleep hormone, to breast cancer. I'm researching this subject for an upcoming article, so stay tuned.
These are only a few of the reasons why there can be a breast cancer cluster in a family or in a work or living location. The two key areas to consider are diet and toxicity.