Though Lipitor is a common method for treating high levels of cholesterol, the drug is not nearly as efficient as Omega-3 fatty acids, found mainly in fish oils. Both Lipitor and Omega-3 fatty acids aim to raise levels of HDL cholesterol—known as “good” cholesterol.
The higher the level of this HDL cholesterol, the less the risk a person would have of acquiring a cardiovascular disease. HDL also removes any excess cholesterol from cells within the arteries, protecting against conditions such as atherosclerosis.
In several studies, both the drug and the fish oils successfully decreased plasma triacylglycerols and increased HDL cholesterol levels, but only the Omega-3 fats in the fish oil also affected the rates of the production and molecular breakdown of HDL apolipoproteins.
Not only did Lipitor have no such effect, but it was also found to do more harm than good. Statin drugs such as Lipitor deplete levels of bad LDL cholesterols, but they do nothing to modify the original cause of the rise in such cholesterol. Statin drugs also deplete the body of certain requirements, such as Coenzyme Q10—which can ultimately result in heart failure. Lipitor is more likely to depress your immune system than improve it and even manages to increase your risk of atherosclerosis.
While hurting your body, Lipitor also hurts your wallet in significant way. Omega-3 rich supplements or foods can be purchased without prescription for less than a prescription co-payment of Lipitor. Even though insurance companies pay for most of the bill, prescription companies such as Pfizer continually raise their prices to acquire more funding to make this harmful product. Omega-3 fatty acids are a safer, cheaper, and more natural way to solve health problems than by purchasing an expensive, dangerous little pill.
With drugs that have such setbacks, it is important to realize that there are simpler methods to normalize your cholesterol and move towards a healthier lifestyle.
One effective method to lower your cholesterol is to keep an exercise regimen. By doing so, you can easily lower your insulin levels and lower your risk of heart disease.
Diet is also by far one of the most important methods to lower insulin levels. Unless a person is coping with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, an individual’s cholesterol is heightened by a rise in insulin levels.
A rather easy and effective change in your diet would be to detract from sugar and grains. Grains are harmful to your cholesterol because they quickly break down into sugars in the body and heighten insulin your level along with other sugars you ingest. By cutting down on sugar and grains not only do you normalize cholesterol in your body, but you also normalize your weight and blood pressure, as well as heighten your energy levels.
Getting a considerable amount of Omega-3 fatty acids into your body can be beneficial in improving cholesterol, but that’s merely the tip of the iceberg of what if can do for your health. As long as you make sure to find Omega-3 supplements that meet strict purity guidelines, these fatty acids have been known to improve conditions in all parts of the body. They have been known to aid in disorders such as anxiety, depression, and weight gain, along with life threatening conditions such as heart disease, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and diabetes. Omega-3 fatty acids can improve allergies and skin problems such as constant dryness, abundant thick patches, and eczema.
Since Omega-3 fatty acids are naturally required by the body, a lack or imbalance of Omega-3’s can also be detrimental to your health. The dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain that influence both mood and attention deficit disorders are made up of a certain type of Omega-3 fatty acid known as DHA. If there is a lack of DHA in the blood, the body may use man-made trans-fats (known as hydrogenated oils) to build into some of these receptors, causing these receptors to become seriously deformed. For a child who is still growing, this problem could ultimately cause health problems such as depression and ADD. This is why hydrogenated oils should be avoided. If your body does not have the proper building blocks...it will use what it finds.
Within a child whose brain is still developing, new neural pathways are constantly forming as the child is learning new things. DHA is needed to create delicate neural synapses and if there is a lack in DHA, other types are fats are used, and a child may develop memory problems.
Without a considerable amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in a diet, it is possible to harm a growing mind that needs DHA to build it. The imbalance has a serious effect on moods, memory, and concentration in both children and adults. Omega-3 deficiencies have also been known to be an influence in other conditions such as diabetes, weight gain, heart disease, allergies, arthritis, violence, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and various skin diseases.
Today, it is simple to still find foods that contain significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, but the American diet is almost devoid of them. Rather, we eat excessive amounts of man-made trans-fats that are high in Omega-6 fatty acids, which block our body’s effort to thrive on the few Omega-3’s that it obtains. Though the human brain is made up of more than 60% structural fat, we no longer eat the correct types of fats that we used to, but rather we ingest fats that deflect any helpful substances.
Centuries ago, men who lived as hunters and gatherers had diets rich in Omega-3’s, as they ate grass-fed meat along with fruits and vegetables, and rarely ate any grain. Certain components of their diets such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds are very good sources of Omega-3’s. (See our Post about Grass-fed meats)
Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in types of high-quality fish or krill oil and in meat that has been raised to eat “free-range,” or grass-fed. Research has shown that wild animals are much healthier to eat than grain-fed animals. Such animals that have diets lacking greens and grasses have significantly low or non-detectable Omega-3 levels, while those that eat only leafy greens and vegetables have considerably high Omega-3 levels and are a much leaner and healthier contribution to one’s diet.
Such meat cannot yet be found in your local grocery store, but it can be ordered online and shipped overnight. It has been predicted that within the next 10 or so years, the population will become more aware and concerned for the need of Omega-3 fatty acids and the production of food will change drastically to meet such requirements. For now, only some companies are taking steps to market Omega-3 rich foods by introducing not only free-range meat, but also tuna and eggs from chickens fed with Omega-3 rich foods. The Gerber baby food company has also begun to formulate foods with more Omega-3’s.
As the pressure rises to increase Omega-3 content in foods, the FDA also has announced that within a few years they will enforce a new rule that will require the trans-fat content of foods. For now, we will have to wait and continue to seek out the purest Omega-3 sources that we can.
