DENVER, Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Children are being prescribed low-cholesterol drugs that could harm them, says Organic Chemist Shane Ellison, M.S. and author of Over-The-Counter Natural Cures.
"Many people believe they need to lower their cholesterol with cholesterol-lowering alternatives to save them from heart attack and stroke. The myth is so prevalent that the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association issued new guidelines set out to put children as young as 8 years old on cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins). Yet, there isn't a single study to support the claim and considering the many side effects of statins, childhood mortality figures would go through the roof!" said Ellison, who posted a comprehensive review of scientific literature about the negative effects of statins and aspirin on his blog (http://thepeopleschemist.com/does-the-family-really-need-lipitor-and-aspirin/).
"In my book, Over-The-Counter Natural Cures, I expose the overt dangers of many popular drugs, while putting a spotlight on the science that proves how natural medicine, costing less than $10 per month, trumps them all. Readers were dismayed to learn about the insidious business model responsible for hiding these facts," he said.
"Cholesterol is among the most important molecules in the human body, especially for children. It's respective high and low levels do not cause heart disease or prevent heart attack and stroke. To truly live young, get your weight in check and adhere to the 'nutrient logic' outlined in Over-The-Counter Natural Cures. Not only will you preserve health, but also wealth, allowing you to live long enough to achieve your dreams and hundreds more you never thought possible. But it starts, by saying no to statins," he said.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), over 105 million Americans have total cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or higher.
"To the pharmaceutical industry, this equates to 105 million potential customers. In order to turn these millions of people into patients, America has been told this cholesterol level is bad for them - so the lower the better," Ellison said.
"But in reality, rising cholesterol levels are simply an observation of biology, which is no different than observing how many heart attack patients owned a refrigerator. In other words, it's a fact of life, not a sign of illness," he said. "With dollar signs in their eyes, drug companies have launched a massive fear campaign about cholesterol."
5 Facts About Cholesterol Your Doctor Doesn't Know About
Cholesterol is a versatile compound that is vital to the function of the human body and just like everything else, cholesterol levels differ greatly among individuals. In humans, cholesterol serves five main functions:
1. Cholesterol is used by the body to manufacture steroids, or cortisone-like hormones, including the sex hormones. These hormones include testosterone, estrogen and cortisone. Combined, these hormones control a myriad of bodily functions.
2. Cholesterol helps the liver produce bile acids. These acids are essential for proper digestion of fats and in ridding the body of waste products.
3. Cholesterol acts to interlock "lipid molecules," which stabilize cell membranes. As such, cholesterol is the building block for all bodily tissues.
4. Most notably, cholesterol is an essential part of the myelin sheath. The myelin sheath, similar to the coating on copper wire, ensures that the brain functions properly by aiding the passage of electrical impulses. Without the myelin sheath, it is difficult to focus and we can lose memory. This is why those on cholesterol-lowering drugs notoriously lose memory. Few users recognize this side effect because they forgot how important having a memory was.
5. And finally, cholesterol has beneficial effects on the immune system. Men with high cholesterol have stronger immune systems than those with low cholesterol.
About Shane Ellison
Shane Ellison is the author of Over-The-Counter Natural Cures, winner of the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award. He has a BS in biology from Fort Lewis College and an MS in organic chemistry from Northern Arizona University. As an undergraduate, he was a two-time recipient of the prestigious Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Grant for his studies in biochemistry and physiology under Dr. Sherrie Byrd and Dr. Les Sommerville. His graduate thesis in medicinal chemistry earned him Graduate Student of the Year from the Northern Arizona chemistry faculty. He has been quoted by USA Today, Shape, Woman's World, as well as Women's Health and has served as guest speaker for large corporations like BP and appeared on Fox and NBC as a natural medicine advocate. For information, go to ThePeoplesChemist.com (http://www.thepeopleschemist.com)
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