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OK - saw this one on Facebook - did some research - had to share. Again - what can I say - science is finally catching up with me. I hope no one minds, but some of the things I've been saying I've bolded. OH - and if your wondering - I put a copy of the study from PubMed at the end of this too. http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/statin_drugs_stimulate_atherosclerosis_and_heart_failure/ "Statin Drugs stimulate atherosclerosis and heart failure” is the title of a research study published this past week. It has not made mainstream news at the time of this article writing, but it is of utmost importance to the health of the tens of millions taking statin drugs for cholesterol. The evidence continues to pile up and prove that statin drugs are hazardous to your heart and health. The study, published in Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology February 6, 2015, discusses the process of how statin drugs cause the demise of heart health, worsen atherosclerosis and induce heart failure. The study’s authors are located in Japan at the Nagoya City University. If and when this news reaches the American public, the tens of millions of patients on statin drugs with worsening heart disease and heart failure should be flooding their physician’s office and the drug companies’ door with phone calls demanding explanations and reprimand. So far that has not happened. Vitamin K2 The study presented insightful information describing the physiological mechanisms on how statin drugs cause coronary artery calcification or stiffening of blood vessels perpetuating the atherosclerosis. The plaque build-up occurs because statin drugs inhibit vitamin K2 function in the body. Vitamin K2 protects arteries from calcification. Without proper levels and function of vitamin K2, plaque levels worsen because of negative interaction with the Gla-protein and the inhibition of vitamin K2. This was previously described in a large study in 2012 with the same conclusion – statin use causes increased presence of coronary plaques. They did not identify the link with vitamin K2. The tool that cardiologists use to prevent atherosclerosis actually worsens it. Mitochondria Damage The second finding of the study is of little surprise. It shows that statin drugs are toxic to the mitochondria, or the energy producers in cells. Mitochondrial damage in the heart is a downward slope to cardiomyopathy or heart failure. This is a dangerous, although often subtle, effect. Statins impair the heart muscle mitochondria function, severely disrupt ATP production, and alter intracellular signaling proteins. This impairment leads to muscle cell dysfunction and eventually apoptosis or muscle cell death. This is like pouring concrete into the cellular engines of energy production and heart muscle contraction. Statins are notorious for depleting coenzyme Q10 out of the heart muscle and the body. This profoundly interferes with mitochondria function. Statins also interfere with the protein called heme A. Heme A is a component of hemoglobin that helps bind onto oxygen and carry iron to the muscle cells in the heart. Without the ability to transport iron and oxygen to the heart cells, energy production is further compromised. Iron deficits in the heart myoglobin may occur and possibly contribute further to heart failure. Coenzyme Q10 Statin drugs interfere with coenzyme Q10. This has been documented repeatedly in medical literature with strong evidence. In fact, a black box warning for statin drugs or HMG CoQ reductase inhibitors was proposed to the FDA. The proposed black box warning was: “HMG CoA reductase inhibitors block the endogenous biosynthesis of an essential co- factor, coenzyme Ql0, required for energy production. A deficiency of coenzyme Q10 is associated with impairment of myocardial function, with liver dysfunction and with myopathies (including cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure). All patients taking HMG CoA reductase inhibitors should therefore be advised to take 100 to 200 mg per day of supplemental coenzyme Q10.” The FDA blocked the attempt of putting a black box warning on statin drugs in 2014. How egregious is that? Selenium Another factor discussed in the initial study was the interference of the production of selenium containing proteins. Statin drugs inhibit the biosynthesis of these selenoproteins. One of the most important selenoproteins in the body is a compound called glutathione peroxidase. Its job is to protect the organism, especially muscle tissue, from oxidative damage coming from hydrogen and lipid peroxides. Lack of the glutathione peroxidase enzyme promotes high levels of free radical activity and tissue damage. Blocking the selenoprotein enzyme glutathione peroxidase is akin to pouring gasoline on the fire of inflammation and free radicals, which damages muscle tissue. In fact, the scientists described this blocking of the selenoproteins reminiscent of selenium deficiency induced heart failure, known as Keshan’s disease first identified in the 1930s. Scientists have strongly recommended that individuals suffering from non-ischemic heart failure have their selenium levels tested. This is a blood test that is readily available. Get an RBC selenium level checked at your next appointment. Certainly our selenium depleted foods and soils are not helping this situation when combined with drug-nutrient induced deficits. Other Side Effects Expand this picture further. We have skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle. The side effects of statin drugs are often discussed as skeletal muscle weakness and pain and in recent years the increased development of heart failure (cardiac muscle failure). This is most often in the context of high dose statins. There are, however, other side effects that may be linked with statin drugs and how they affect mitochondria. Common side effects with the drug simvastatin include headaches and constipation. One doesn’t normally think of headaches and constipation concerns linked with mitochondria, but they can be. Both the nervous system and smooth muscles have high levels of mitochondria. Bowel motility is dependent upon smooth muscle function and nervous system activity. When there is a disruption in the health of mitochondria in the body, one of the symptoms may be constipation. This is the same with migraines. Some types of headaches, i.e. some subtypes of migraines are related with mitochondria dysfunction. Joint pain and tendon problems may also be related. Don’t forget the brain and side effects of being forgetful or depressed. Our brain desperately needs healthy mitochondria to function effectively. It is common to dismiss these symptoms, attributing them to poor diet, stress, or aging. Yet, how many statin users have the common symptoms of constipation, headaches, joint pain, and feel a little less energetic, forgetful, and weaker than they did a few years ago and chalk it up to aging. Often they go to their physician and because they do not have outright symptoms of rhabdomyolysis and liver failure from the statin drug, it is chalked up to stress and getting older. The traditional medical and research communities are heavily debating these side effects and are not owning up to the real damage caused by statins. Many are looking for more ways to prescribe statins other than for cholesterol problems. The question remains: how many people are going to suffer further heart disease with sky-rocketing rates of heart failure and subsequent loss of function and life linked with statin induced side effects? How many burgeoning statin drug class action law suits will it take to stop the pharmaceutical industry from this massive debacle and cover-up resulting in human tragedy? One is too many. It is time for the medical and pharmaceutical industry to acknowledge the truth and look at real solutions for heart disease. Proactive Steps If you are on statin drugs for any reason, make sure that you are taking at least 200 mg of coenzyme Q10 per day. Higher amounts, up to 600 - 800 mg, may be used for serious fatigue, mitochondrial injury, and cardiomyopathy disorders. The form of coenzyme Q10 plays a substantial role in how well coenzyme Q10 is absorbed, gets into the blood stream, and where it is used in the cell. Wellness Resources recommends the use of water and fat soluble coenzyme Q10 in either ubiquinone or ubiquinol forms. Supporting selenium levels is also of primary concern. Brazil nuts, some seafood, mushrooms, asparagus, poultry and beef may provide good dietary sources of selenium or consider nutritional supplementation for standardized activated forms of selenium, like seleno-methionine. Vitamin K2 must be present in adequate amounts to offset the drug-nutrient interaction. It is found in fermented foods and limited quantities in animal products. It is also produced by healthy gut bacteria and available in supplemental form. Protecting the mitochondria from further oxidative damage should also be a priority. This is irrespective of statin drug use. Antioxidant rich, deep colored fruits and vegetables help protect the mitochondria from oxidative stress. Nutrients described above and others such as resveratrol, carnitine, bacopa monniera, curcumin, all B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, K1, NAC, and lipoic acid are just some of the nutrients essential for protecting the heart from ischemic/heart attack damage, heart failure, and mitochondria injury. Interestingly, in the last ten years melatonin has been found to protect the heart after heart attack injury in animal studies. Melatonin stopped heart cells from dying and protected the structural integrity of the mitochondria in heart cells and avoided marked worsening of heart damage. This too can be added to the arsenal of support for protecting the heart. The link of melatonin and its ability to protect the heart and mitochondria leads into another tangent – the thought of sleep deprivation, sleep hygiene, and light exposure in the body and its effect on the body. With heart disease, heart failure and mitochondrial disorders at epidemic levels, it makes one question the age of electricity, sleep deprivation, and compromised melatonin production as causing a fundamental shift in the health of our heart and mitochondria. If scientists ever tackle this issue, it will be an astronomical feat for any conclusion to occur but it is an interesting thought. (Can't help but break in here - since I know of a company that HAS addressed this....but I digress...)Until then, find ways to improve your melatonin status and improve sleep to see how you and your heart feel. The researchers from the headline study said “Thus, the epidemic of heart failure and atherosclerosis that plagues the modern world may paradoxically be aggravated by the pervasive use of statin drugs. We propose that current statin treatment guidelines be critically reevaluated.” They were polite in their request and recommendations, but what about you? Are you going to follow the mainstream herd mentality, or are you going to look at the physiology and stand up for your health? Talk to your cardiologists and see if they understand these principles of physiology. If they did, they should be the first to stop prescribing these dangerous meds. Take charge of your health today! http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25655639

Copied from the article here http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/06/06/saturated-fat/ In the not-so-distant past, the medical establishment considered all fats equally loathsome: all fats were created equal and they’re all bad for you. Things have changed in that quarter, if only slightly. You have no doubt heard the drumbeat of current medical thinking on fats: some fats are now good for you—olive oil and canola oil—but others are bad for you—trans fats and all saturated fats. That’s an improvement from the old cry, but far from the truth. It seems that no matter how the story spins from the denizens of the anti-fat camp, one piece of their advice remains staunchly constant: “You should sharply limit your intake of saturated fats.” The next admonition will invariably be, “which have been proven to raise cholesterol and cause heart disease.” Their over-arching belief is that saturated fat is bad, bad, bad. You see with just a glance at [our suggested meal plans] that we’ve included fatty cuts of meat, chicken with the skin, bacon, eggs, butter, coconut oil, organic lard, and heavy cream in the plan. Aren’t we worried that these foods will increase your risk of heart disease and raise your cholesterol? In a word, nope. In fact, we encourage you to make these important fats a regular part of your healthy diet. Why? Because humans need them and here are just a few reasons why. 1) Improved cardiovascular risk factors Though you may not have heard of it on the front pages of your local newspaper, online news source, or local television or radio news program, saturated fat plays a couple of key roles in cardiovascular health. The addition of saturated fat to the diet reduces the levels of a substance called lipoprotein (a)—pronounced “lipoprotein little a” and abbreviated Lp(a)—that correlates strongly with risk for heart disease. Currently there are no medications to lower this substance and the only dietary means of lowering Lp(a) is eating saturated fat. Bet you didn’t hear that on the nightly news. Moreover, eating saturated (and other) fats also raises the level of HDL, the so-called good cholesterol. Lastly, research has shown that when women diet, those eating the greatest percentage of the total fat in their diets as saturated fat lose the most weight. 2) Stronger bones In middle age, as bone mass begins to decline, an important goal (particularly for women) is to build strong bones. You can’t turn on the television without being told you need calcium for your bones, but do you recall ever hearing that saturated fat is required for calcium to be effectively incorporated into bone? According to one of the foremost research experts in dietary fats and human health, Mary Enig, Ph.D., there’s a case to be made for having as much as 50 percent of the fats in your diet as saturated fats for this reason. That’s a far cry from the 7 to 10 percent suggested by mainstream institutions. If her reasoning is sound—and we believe it is— is it any wonder that the vast majority of women told to avoid saturated fat and to selectively use vegetable oils instead would begin to lose bone mass, develop osteoporosis, and get put on expensive prescription medications plus calcium to try to recover the loss in middle age? 3) Improved liver health Adding saturated fat to the diet has been shown in medical research to encourage the liver cells to dump their fat content. Clearing fat from the liver is the critical first step to calling a halt to middle-body fat storage. Additionally, saturated fat has been shown to protect the liver from the toxic insults of alcohol and medications, including acetaminophen and other drugs commonly used for pain and arthritis, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs, and even to reverse the damage once it has occurred. Since the liver is the lynchpin of a healthy metabolism, anything that is good for the liver is good for getting rid of fat in the middle. Polyunsaturated vegetable fats do not offer this protection. 4) Healthy lungs For proper function, the airspaces of the lungs have to be coated with a thin layer of what’s called lung surfactant. The fat content of lung surfactant is 100 percent saturated fatty acids. Replacement of these critical fats by other types of fat makes faulty surfactant and potentially causes breathing difficulties. Absence of the correct amount and composition of this material leads to collapse of the airspaces and respiratory distress. It’s what’s missing in the lungs of premature infants who develop the breathing disorder called infant respiratory distress syndrome. Some researchers feel that the wholesale substitution of partially hydrogenated (trans) fats for naturally saturated fats in commercially prepared foods may be playing a role in the rise of asthma among children. Fortunately, the heyday of trans fats is ending and their use is on the decline. Unfortunately, however, the unreasoning fear of saturated fat leads many people to replace trans fats with an overabundance of polyunsaturated vegetable oils, which may prove just as unhealthful. 5) Healthy brain You will likely be astounded to learn that your brain is mainly made of fat and cholesterol. Though many people are now familiar with the importance of the highly unsaturated essential fatty acids found in cold-water fish (EPA and DHA) for normal brain and nerve function, the lion’s share of the fatty acids in the brain are actually saturated. A diet that skimps on healthy saturated fats robs your brain of the raw materials it needs to function optimally. 6) Proper nerve signaling Certain saturated fats, particularly those found in butter, lard, coconut oil, and palm oil, function directly as signaling messengers that influence the metabolism, including such critical jobs as the appropriate release of insulin. And just any old fat won’t do. Without the correct signals to tell the organs and glands what to do, the job doesn’t get done or gets done improperly. 7) Strong immune system Saturated fats found in butter and coconut oil (myristic acid and lauric acid) play key roles in immune health. Loss of sufficient saturated fatty acids in the white blood cells hampers their ability to recognize and destroy foreign invaders, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Human breast milk is quite rich in myristic and lauric acid, which have potent germ-killing ability. But the importance of the fats lives on beyond infancy; we need dietary replenishment of them throughout adulthood, middle age, and into seniority to keep the immune system vigilant against the development of cancerous cells as well as infectious invaders.