"...on the many benefits of vitamin D, one of which is the prevention of heart disease. According to a number of papers, statin drugs seem to increase levels of vitamin D in those who take them, which makes me wonder if any benefits that statins provide don’t come from this increase in vitamin D levels. If so, it would be a whole lot cheaper and a whole lot safer to simply take vitamin D3 supplements.
This issue reminds me of a talk on the mechanism of action of statins that I sat through at a medical meeting in Napa, California about 10 years ago. At that time researchers knew that along with their cholesterol-lowering capabilities statins also acted as anti-inflammatory agents. Statins increase the production of nitric oxide, an extremely short acting substance that has relaxing and anti-inflammatory effects on the lining of the arteries. The researcher giving the talk was from Harvard, and he had done a study in which he compared the nitric oxide releasing ability of l-arginine (an amino acid) and a statin drug. He found that the way that statins increased the production of nitric oxide mimicked the way l-arginine did the same thing. He proudly announced that his research showed for the first time how statins really worked to exert their anti-inflammatory effects. I wondered at the time why he didn’t just recommend that patients be given l-arginine – a natural substance with virtually no side effects – instead of statins? I would have asked the question, but this was a mainstream medical meeting, and I figured if I asked that question I might be stoned.
Thanks to this and subsequent research, we know that the anti-inflammatory benefits provided by statins can be had cheaper and more safely by taking l-arginine, available at health stores everywhere. ( Incidentally, know what the best natural source of l-arginine is? Wild game. Just another piece of evidence in favor of a Paleolithic diet.) And now we know that statins increase production of vitamin D, another heart-healthy substance.
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/statins/statins-and-vitamin-d/
Initially supplemented with 1 to 3 grams of Arg and noticed only placebo effect. Coupled with most nutritionist advice that this low level was adequate or that all pro Arg was bunk, I soon discontinued.
ReplyDeleteThen I saw Arg sold in bulk 1 lb powder (454g) for only 30$. I read that one could safely supplement with 30g/d so 5g 3x/d didn't sound like LD50. After going zero sugar/low carb, high D3/k2 (mk4) I've learned to view AMA guidelines skeptically.
At age 45 suffering from HBP, and looking at a future stroke... I am overjoyed by the positive results.
Lesson; as with D3, dosage level is everything.