Many people are actually confused about the good effects and ill effects that high levels of cholesterol can cause to our body. In fact, there are two types of cholesterol, the good cholesterol or the HDL and the bad one, the LDL cholesterol. Cholesterol is actually needed for stimulating production of estrogen and testosterone. Also, presence of bad cholesterol cannot singularly harm your life, but its combination with bad lifestyle practices, lack of physical exercise regimen and excessive body weight can prove to be lethal, if not controlled effectively.
However, demonization of cholesterol in the medical circles has resulted in a spurt in production of drugs that are peddled as great cholesterol reducers. With different companies rushing into the scene, the scene is very hot with manufacturers vying with each other to attract potential customers with attractive advertisements and campaigns. Unfortunately, none of these write ups give conclusive evidence on how their merchandise would work and also about what are the side effects.
It has been observed that the major side effects of cholesterol reducing drugs are damages to kidney and muscles, inexplicable weakness, weakening of the immune system and most frighteningly, some types of cancers. In truth, prescription drugs never act as a life enhancer, but as a destroyer of health in the long term. Regular consumption of such drugs can also cause problems with eye sight and general pain.
Statin drugs are commonly used to fight bad cholesterol, but they need to be consumed with caution. Consuming the drug with grapefruit juice, anti-fungal drugs and antibiotics can invariably deteriorate your physical health, which may, in some cases, lead to death too. The most prominent negative effects of statin drugs are continuous headaches, pain in joints and stomach, numbness or tingling in limbs, nausea, depression, breathlessness, weight fluctuations, diabetes, skin problems, unwarranted blood pressure variations, loose bowels or constipation, bleeding from the ears etc.
This effectively points to the fact that drugs are not the one stop solution for bad cholesterol as one may think. This also means that one has to adopt a healthy lifestyle regimen involving consumption of natural foods and exercises to keep cholesterol levels at acceptable rates effectively, without any side effects. Many common foods out there are great cholesterol suppressants. These include olive oil, popcorn, fatty fishes, oats, dark chocolate, beans, apples, almonds and artichokes. It is no wonder that newer generations of cholesterol management drugs are claiming to contain extracts of these in enough quantities. But still, it is better to consult an expert in the field before you take a dive towards changing your dietary habits.
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