Nutrient depletion

Statins Deplete Nutrients that are essential to your health

Statins are used primarily to control high cholesterol levels. While these drugs can be very helpful for lowering cholesterol in many people, they can be robbing your body of its ability to make several nutrients that are absolutely essential for the health of your heart, muscles, and immune system at the same time. The result can be like robbing Peter to pay Paul; one area of health improves at the expense of others. Replenishing the nutrients depleted by drugs can go along way towards supporting better health.

The rationale for supplementing the diet with the nutrients depleted by statin medications is three-fold.

• Depleting key nutrients results in declines in health and performance over time and a higher likelihood of experiencing additional health challenges.
• Depleting key nutrients results in a greater likelihood of having to take additional medications to manage new health challenges in the future.
• Depleting key nutrients increases the risk of experiencing unwanted functional adverse effects from the prescription medication.

• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
• Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (EPA/DHA)

Coenzyme Q10
Statin medications are known to inhibit the body's ability to synthesize CoQ10. The result can be a functional insufficiency of CoQ10 in the heart and other tissues. Since CoQ10 is indispensable in the generation of metabolic energy for the heart, the long-term effect of this depletion can include reduced heart function and increased risk of heart damage. This induced functional depletion might also reduce immune system performance, antioxidant defenses, and anti-cancer defenses, while increasing risk for periodontal disease, weight gain, and insulin resistance. Increasing the intake of CoQ10 to offset the interference with this nutrient is recommended while taking statin medications.

Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids
Statin medications can create a functional insufficiency of omega-3 essential fatty acids. The result is a relative imbalance of fatty acids and an excess of arachidonic acid. Since arachidonic acid is a precursor for inflammatory eicosanoids, the relative deficiency of omega-3 essential fatty acids contributes to imbalance in the inflammatory response system.

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