More useful information, thank you. I’m starting to understand how symptoms like muscle pain and fatigue can indicate statin-induced nutrient deficiency. I’m fortunate in that I don’t have any of those symptoms (yet), but after my experience with Lercanidipine I’m acutely aware that meds need to be adapted to meet the changing needs of your body. So I’ll be watching closely and supplementing if necessary, while always keeping the possibility of stopping the statins in mind. I read an interesting article about taking statin holidays to determine whether a symptom is a result of statins, which was an intriguing idea.
2 Likes
The article about the Statin holiday is very interesting. Worth considering if it is possible for you.
Thanks for sharing Paul 
Hello Roland - I am sorry if this has already been covered elsewhere, but I don’t recall seeing it. I would like to know what your take is on cholesterol.
I am aware there are many and possibly conflicting views on this but I would be interested on your deep dive view on the “high cholesterol” diagnosis.
For anyone else reading this, I am seeking information for my own use and it is not meant to be advice or recommendations etc.
I have had high cholesterol for many years and I once too statins and either completed the first course and then stopped or maybe stopped even sooner. On subsequent visits several GPs in my GPs practice have tried to put me back on statins and I have always refused to take them. My last consultation was with a younger GP and she was not concerned I did not want to take statins and she was happy I was “lowering” my cholesterol level through lifestyle changes.
Nevertheless, my cholesterol remains “high” compared to advisory levels and so I wonder what we really know or do not know about the subject.
I appreciate you are busy with other interests, and in your own time, when you get a chance, it’s over to you @Pando
1 Like
Ok, brace yourself
the Masai tribe in Kenya, who love milk, have the lowest heart failure rates in the world, and also the highest levels of saturated fats and cholesterol !. If you have high cholesterol then congratulations ! The people with high cholesterol live longest… and saturated fats are not good, by the way, they’re great !
Let me tell you what cholesterol is: Your gall bladder breaks down fat with bile. Your liver manufactures these bile acids from cholesterol . The liver makes 80% of our cholesterol, and 20% comes from diet. So cholesterol is used to make bile acids (Bile surrounds fat globules and breaks them apart into countless tiny droplets). Your pancreas then breaks down fats further so that your small intestine can finally absorb fat from which you get energy eventually.
Let me say you definitely want to absorb fat, call it fuel, otherwise you poo it out, and your poo floats forever because it’s full of fat which was not absorbed. I know because that happened to me, but I have fixed my pancreas 60% by Earthing (but that’s another story). Let me get back to your question. Cholesterol is always discussed in a negative light, but it’s actually essential for human life . You need it to function properly. Cholesterol is a fundamental component of the outer layer of every single cell in your body. It is also used to make many hormones. I’ve explained it makes bile, but even the myelin sheath of nerves. Our brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ in the body! It’s everywhere ! (or should be). I too refused $tatins on 3 separate occasions about 15 years ago because they made me throw up in the mornings. I’m so glad I refused, as they block cholesterol, CoQ10 & selenium absorption.
You may have heard of good & bad cholesterol - that’s just hype to scare you:
- LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) - Often called “Bad”: This particle delivers cholesterol from the liver to your cells. If there is too much LDL, it can build up in the walls of your arteries, forming plaques that can lead to heart disease.
- HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) - Often called “Good”: This particle acts like a cleanup crew. It picks up excess cholesterol from your arteries and tissues and brings it back to the liver for disposal or recycling.
Cholesterol is not the bad guy. Atherosclerosis is. (which is why I live on Magnesium (to dissolve plaques and calcification) and a bunch of things like Diatomaceous Earth (Opal Silica to strengthen heart arteries) and do Earthing to improve my circulation (slows down on stroke side). Tonight I am doing a fast, for example ; no food - no insulin (which damages artery walls). i.e.) Repair mode / time. There’s a lot more to this story, but I hope I’ve given a fair overview. I make no apologies for portraying cholesterol in a good light ; watch any decent podcast on it and they will say exactly the same
Relax, keep calm & rejoice ; your cholesterol is not a problem !!
Good wishes to your mum
1 Like
LDL cholesterol is not a problem
1 Like
Roland,
Thanks for posting this, its a fascinating interview and backs up what I have been reading about heart disease and statins by other cardiologist. 4 days extra life is definately not worth the side effects I have experienced on 3 seperate statins and I will not be taking them.
2 Likes
Thanks for your feedback, Lizzie,
At least that’s 2 of us who think along the same lines !
I also talk about Nitric Oxide, which Malcolm Kendrick mentions, on my channel
I wonder if I’ve come across the cardiologists you refer to ?
ciao, Roland
1 Like
Nitrogen is also an important part of DNA-deoxyribonucleic acid,And the molecules that are part of the transcription and translation process mRNA and tRNA.sorry @pando when it comes to biology I can’t help myself!
🜃
1 Like
You are so interesting @pando,get this science nerd all fired up.the evils of cholesterol have long been sited wrongly by the media and girls with eating disorders cutting them out and ending up with menstrual cycle issues,because as you say cholesterol is the precursor to sex hormones like oestrogen,progesterone etc.the myelin sheaths around our neurones-nerve cells are fat based and offer increased conductivity to the cells and therefore improved communication between neurones and muscles or response organs.having had multiple neurone deaths,we,the stroke survivor need more protein and fat to restore this death.
2 Likes
Nice, Mich, thank you for your comments; keep 'em coming!!
I am aware that after a serious stroke, the body is left depleted of “nutrients” (and in this field we’re on our own since doctors study little about minerals, vitamins, nutrition.) I am a total amateur, compared to you, I just notice that my body is begging for essentials. Needles to say stroke leaves us in a state of shock (that’s one reason why we lose minerals), where even after a period of time, we think we’re back up on our feet, but alas, we’ve lost confidence in our body and fall short of the knowledge to give it whatever it needs to recover optimally. That’s what I hope to address on my channel and book; I just wish I’d known about the things I learnt this year last year ! And I wonder how much more there is to come !
Last night I skipped dinner ; a 20 hour fast to reset my insulin levels and blood-sugar and allow my body to enter repair mode. Wow, and what a reset it was ! I’m reading about the thyroid at the moment, and learning just why it’s called the ‘master’ gland; fascinating that so much depends on it… even our muscle development.
Wishing you a good weekend, and thanks for chipping in again.
Ciao dear friend, Roland
2 Likes
Hi Roland,
The cardiologist is Dr Aseem Malhotra, I have read/am reading the following books he has written;-
A Statin Free Life
The Pioppi Diet
I have found both very interesting and informative, and picked them up on Ebay for under £10. I like that he gives his facts and information in easy to understand language and that he is a big believer in diet as a way to reverse heart disease and improve health. This seems to mne to be the only way forward, especially as I don’t tolerate any medications very well.
I am only of average intelligence so it takes me a while to absorb and understand information but I want to thank you for posting so much, as your posts led me to looking up people like Dr Malhotra.
All the best
Liz
2 Likes
Thx so much. Yes, I have followed him, and I am, subscribed to his channel. Me too ; average intelligence ; sometimes I have to read a page 3 times, because I lost the thread !! You’re welcome !!
ciao, Roland
2 Likes
@pando
Its frustrating isn’t it!! I wish I had an idetic memory.
I find it hard enough just trying to remember peoples names and faces let alone facts and information, the stroke hasn’t helped as my short term memory is rubbish, hey ho the joys of being in stroke recovery.
2 Likes
That’s just what you want !! Let me explain further, though I don’t know if my little cholesterol lecture went down particularly well,!! @ManjiB 
Your role as mum’s caretaker, will inevitably lead to blunted cortisol levels. I would advise a high-fat carnivore diet which will ensure you have enough cholesterol in your bloodstream to regenerate cortisol hormone. Your adrenal system is important and complex, and probably very busy at the moment under considerable emotional strain.
Ciao, Roland
1 Like
@pando. Interesting stuff. My middle cerebral artery was 80 % blocked the night of my stroke. A severe stenosis. I became terrified of cholesterol,fats,sodium, highly processed fooods, and basically everfy food source on earth that wasnt raw fruits and vegetables. A follow up mri one year later showed the unthinkable. My neurosurgeon informed me that my stenosis was gone. He couldnt explain and claimed " this does not happen, ive ever seen or heard of an intracranial stenosis dissolve on its own." I dont know what yout doing, but keep doing it." What i was doing was consuming only raw foods. I can make no claim that my diet resulted in this. But, it does remain a thought in my head that my “over the top” diet which also includes no sugar or sodium and a very specific target of absolutely zero cholesterol, has placed a significant roll in my stenosis. Of course i also believe that the stenosis was never there or that iy was simply a clot that moved along. I have no way of knowing anythi g about any of this. I was a carpenter not a neurologist. Anyway, my eating disorder as i call it, has morphed into a healthy or unhealthy obsession. We have fun with it. My adult children love to chase me around the house with deli meat. Oh they think its so funny to watch a grown man run , or more accurately, limp and roll away from a piece of meat. Its not on a level of any psychiatric disorder, just a healthy fear of putting things in my body i feel are harmful. Id love your thoughts.
3 Likes
Can’t fault you ! My wife & I were vegetarians for 8 years - we go through phases. We’re omnivores right now. There’s value in everything that’s good. Of course, we all know processed foods are the devil. Within the last 4-5 months we have cut down on carbs a lot, though not eliminated carbs at all. For example, some people swear by a keto diet ; but actually entering ketosis is stressful for the body. No sugar is great. No sodium… well…opinions vary.
I did a fast last week to see my body produce ketones (when body uses fats for energy.. sort of clean energy). Sometimes I read books that say plant based food is not bioavailable… the plants scream when we eat them; whatever ! I can also reveal I used to eat 80% raw food diet… long time ago !!
Anyway I’m sure eating well can dissolve a stenosis, so congrats. You fixed your body, and the point is we have that power ! We are the best doctors in the world .. we must take responsibility, and eat wisely. It’s fun to eat, but it’s even more fun to be healthy ! So eat wisely (as you do). Also, remember you can always take it to the next level.
keep up the good work, Roland
1 Like
I’ve been restricting carbs too, trying to limit the spikes in blood glucose that I experienced after every meal. The best trick I’ve found is to make sure I’m getting at least 1g of fibre for every 5g of carbs in a meal. I’ve had to increase protein intake too, as I was losing muscle. Took a while, but I’m starting to enjoy salads, and have never eaten so much broccoli in my life
3 Likes
Hey Roland - the cholesterol lecture was interesting as are all your lectures. I have to say I am now at a point in my life where I am no worrying about things that are not bothering me right now. Whilst I am told by the GP that :
- I am overweight or even obese
- pre-diabetic
- high cholesterol
- high BP (which was totally a false alarm as discussed last week)
I am feeling fine and so until I don’t feel fine why worry? I know that regardless of what I do, I may have a stroke since nobody actually knows what leads to strokes and how to prevent them 100%.
I don’t do anything in excess :
- I eat sensibly and have been a vegetarian all my life (so no chance of going on a high-fat omnivore diet - sorry
- I exercise in moderation
- I drink the odd glass of wine or bottle of beer
- never smoked except passively but even that was many years ago since we now have smoke free zones
- etc etc etc.
The only thing I am not in control of right now is my role as carer which is driven by Mum’s care needs and I have to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. With experience, I have, and still am, learning to be sensible about this and now I accept I cannot do everything and occasionally Mum will have to put up with some discomfort since I simply don’t have the answers nor the strength to carry in regardless.
Next week I am going to have an ECG and after that I will have routine bloods done but I really don’t have any concerns whatsoever about my health, lifestyle or anything else. I am even resigned to the fact that my pension will not be anywhere near what I had planned having stopped working, but I know I can live comfortably and if I have to use soup kitchens so be it
I have learnt and continue to learn to be stoic - not easy, but it helps.
Life goes on.
Thank you for your continued support and words of wisdom.
1 Like
the book I am reading advises a high-fat carnivore diet, but that’s not everything - what is important to understand is the mechanism and connection that involves cholesterol & cortisol !
1 Like