Statins are a Symbol podcast

What do I mean by saying that statins are a symbol?  Well, I mean that the widespread, in fact almost universal prescribing of such a drug is symbolic of what has happened to modern medicine.  Medications are routinely prescribed to patients, whether or not that medication will actually help the person or not!

Let’s look at the case of statins: if you are a man of any age without existing heart disease, statins won’t extend your life span.  And if you are over the age of 80, with or without heart disease, there is no benefit to be had from a statin.  In addition, although the chances of you benefiting from a statin are quite slight, the chances of bad side effects are quite great.  10% of statin users are inflicted with muscle damage and pain, and there is also risk of kidney damage as the breakdown of muscle tissue overloads the kidneys with deteriorated muscle tissue in a condition known as rhabdomyolysis.

Personally, I know how important muscle tissue is for health, particularly as a person ages.  When you see older people hunched over, barely able to walk or even get up out of a chair, much less off of the ground or a floor- this is because of sarcopenia, which is just a simple term for muscle wasting as people age.  But I am here to tell you that muscle wasting is not only something to avoid at all costs, but you certainly don’t want to cause it to happen faster by taking a statin!

For women, especially women over the age of 60- statins have not been shown to be of any benefit whatsoever.  In fact, a higher cholesterol level amounts older women seems to be very protective in terms of overall longevity, rather than the reverse.  Also, for women, a 9% increased risk for diabetes is another side effect of statins.  Men also get an increased risk of diabetes, but more in the area of 6%.  

While there are some rare instances when a statin is appropriate, the key word there is rare.  For the vast majority of us, the risks are not worth the small advantage- especially in light of the fact that, while statins do lower the “magical” cholesterol numbers- this works out into no longer life expectancy.  So, really, what is the point?

And that is why I think that statins themselves are a symbol- a symbol of the vast overuse of medications, for pretty much everyone, all the time.  Medications that just treat symptoms (like a high number on the cholesterol chart), but deliver no increases in health or wellness.  Depression medications, stomach acid reducing meds, drugs for this, drugs for that- overall, I would estimate that over 95% are either totally unneeded and very expensive (hence big pharma’s vested interest in having a lot be sold).  Also- usually the side effects are worse than the symptoms of the disease they are supposed to treat.

In light of all of this, I am starting to think that the traditional Rod of Asclepius, which is a staff surrounded by  a twisting serpent, is starting to really be a good representation of modern medicine today.  I don’t mean to be harsh, but really, I often see the big medical clinics, along with their legions of drug peddlers as more of an adversary than as a wise counselor.

Take a Pill? Or, take a Paleo "Pill"!

As I write these words, I am downloading a slide show with an accompanying song that I threw together.
Don't worry- the slide show is about 1 minute, as is the song...  the intent is to show that there is an alternative to taking drugs to treat the ills brought about by our modern, processed diet:

Mainly, by returning to a real foods diet of meats, natural fats, vegetables and fruits!

(What a concept!)

I know, it sounds insane, just eating foods as they have come forever through nature, as God created them for us...  crazy!  I mean, of course we know that we can do better- just load foods up with as much refined sugar, grain "fillers" (which come out as the same as sugar, but with gut deteriorating compounds built in), throw in some high fructose corn syrup guaranteed to ruin our livers, and hey-

Diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and all the other diseases of modern civilization are all there for us everyone!!

There is an alternative to taking massive doses of drugs that have side effects that are, in many cases, worse than the disease they are supposedly taken to prevent.

Most of our modern drugs and pills are there to somehow correct our nearly complete, modern addiction to sugar and starch!  For instance, as Jill Escher, author of "Farewell, Club Perma-chub"puts it:

"Diabetes is simply sugar and starch poisoning"  

Jill Escher blog

She is 100% right!

And, if diabetes patients were simply told that, how many would wake up and cut back their sugars and starches??  Quite a few, I believe...

And, if people were simply told by their Doctor, whom they believe is really looking at restoring their health, and not just prescribing drugs that he has been told to prescribe... if they were told that eating good fats and protein for breakfast would be the perfect antidote to their sugar-and-grain addiction- 

What huge health ends would THAT not achieve ??

At any rate, here is my song/slideshow:

When I was a youngster

I ate all that there was

I didn't need to worry- I ate it- just because

I’m gonna eat my fill 

if it makes me ill

I’ll just take a pill 

Now I’ve gotten older

My health is not so great

I’m feeling kind of slow

My blood work- I just hate

I’m gonna eat my fill

if it makes me ill

I’ll just take a pill

I know that bread is poison

Sugar makes me sick

I like to eat fast food alot

And I don’t care a lick

I’m gonna eat my fill

if it makes me ill

I’ll just take a pill

J