By now we are all familiar with the class of cholesterol lowering drugs called statins. A recent study, which was actually looking to see if statins cause liver toxicity, found that not only were statins clearly correlated with increased liver enzymes, they were also associated with increased cancer risk.1
On July 7, 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued a shocking new recommendation that stated children, starting at 2 years of age and no older than 10, should routinely get their cholesterol checked — and that some children as young as 8 should be started on statin drugs to lower their cholesterol and prevent future heart disease.
In my opinion, this AAP recommendation to prescribe statin drugs for children is off base for many reasons. We do have an obesity epidemic among children, and the problem of high cholesterol in children is increasing; however, the answer should not be to prescribe medications that have not been tested in children and could cause serious side effects.
Statins are a class of drugs that act by inhibiting an enzyme (HMG-CoA reductase) that is needed for the formation of cholesterol in the liver. In the process, statins also inhibit other substances that have important functions. For example, statins interfere with the production of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a critical nutrient for cellular energy and muscle function.
Years ago I started educating health professionals and patients in my practice about birth control pills. If they — or their wives, daughters, or patients were taking them — they should make sure to supplement with a multivitamin and mineral containing higher dosages of B vitamins.
The reason? Studies have found that oral contraceptives deplete several nutrients including vitamins B2, B6, and B12, folate, vitamins C and E, magnesium, and even CoQ10.1-5 These nutrient depletions have far-reaching effects; they can contribute to everything from depression, migraines, and anemia — to cervical dysplasia — the precursor to cervical cancer.
If you are taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs, there is a good chance that nutrients are being robbed from your body. Drugs can alter the absorption and utilization of nutrients that your body needs in order to maintain normal function. Drug-induced nutrient depletion is a widely ignored issue by mainstream medicine Oftentimes long term nutrient depletions go unnoticed leading to disease progression or even worse, being diagnosed with other disease states. This leads to more drugs and more depletions; seeing a trend yet?
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