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Tips to Get Heart Healthier in 2017

  • February 08, 2017

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, and with that, Dallas News has offered suggestions for getting heart healthier in 2017. The best ideas are that we can control certain risk factors for getting heart disease, such as not smoking and addressing our overall health with our diets.

However, before incorporating statins into your heart “health” program, you need to think seriously about the many adverse effects of statins and my top five reasons for why you should NOT take them, if for no other reason than there is evidence showing that statins may actually make your heart health worse.

Statin cholesterol-lowering drugs are widely touted as the best way to lower your cholesterol and thereby prevent a heart attack. They're recommended to people who have "high cholesterol," those who have heart disease, and even for some healthy people as a form of preventive medicine. But just because they’re “recommended” doesn’t mean they’re right for you. Statins deplete your body of CoQ10, inhibit synthesis of vitamin K2, and reduce the production of ketone bodies.

They also increase your risk of serious diseases including cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, musculoskeletal disorders and cataracts. And, they reduce vitamin K2, a necessary nutrient, and ketone production. Worse, they are known to increase your risk of diabetes.

If you’re looking for non-drug ways to boost heart health, begin with a healthy diet that includes eliminating grains and sugars and eating plenty of raw, fresh veggies. Also, optimize vitamin D levels, exercise regularly and make sure you’re getting lots of high-quality animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil.