Health Risks You Must Know About Now!

Dear Friend,

I’m a good-natured guy and I don’t get any joy out of saying these words, but unfortunately I have to tell you today “I told you so!”

And the only reason I’m saying this is because it may help you (and someone you pass this along to) recognize that we all must take our health care into our own hands.

There were two stories recently in the news that reported important “new” health risks. But the fact of the matter is that I told my newsletter subscribers about these items years ago and they’ve been benefiting from my advice ever since. It’s too bad that the rest of the world is just now getting this valuable information from the mass media.

Let me further explain:

“Study links diet sodas with cardiovascular risks”

It was recently reported that drinking more than one soda a day—even if it's a sugar-free or diet soda—can lead to metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome describes a cluster of risk factors linked to the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These risks include high blood pressure, elevated levels of triglycerides, low levels of HDL (the “good” cholesterol), high fasting blood sugar levels, and excessive waist circumference. A person is thought to have metabolic syndrome when they have three or more of these risk factors.

The link between this syndrome and the consumption of sodas was found as a result of the Framingham Heart Study, which has been studying residents in the Massachusetts town of Framingham since 1948. When the soda consumption aspect of the study began, none of the participants had metabolic syndrome. Four years later, participants who drank more than one soft drink of any kind each day were 44% more likely to develop metabolic syndrome than those who didn’t drink soda.

I told you so.

For many years now I’ve been telling my newsletter subscribers and all who would listen that sodas should almost never be your drink of choice. They have no discernable value and are loaded with high fructose corn syrup, which can lead to obesity.

In fact, according to George A. Bray, an obesity researcher and professor of medicine at Louisiana State University Medical Center, “The rise in high fructose corn syrup consumption closely parallels the jump in obesity rates. Nothing else in the food supply does this.”

And since we know that obesity is a strong precursor to heart disease, diabetes, and a myriad of other serious health concerns, I strongly urge you to avoid all forms of soda completely.

Whatever your political views may be, we owe a big “thank you” to ex-President Bill Clinton. Back in May of last year he brokered a deal to help reduce the sale of soft drinks in public school vending machines. Thanks to this deal, worked out by anti-obesity advocates and the American Beverage Association, most calorie-dense soft drinks are now less prevalent in school vending machines.

The beverage companies are only supposed to sell water, unsweetened juice, and low-fat milk at elementary and middle schools. Diet drinks, unsweetened teas, flavored water, and low-calorie sports drinks will be allowed in high schools. Please share this information with family and friends who have school-aged children so they can ensure that their schools are playing by the rules.

While I applaud this development, to me it only goes halfway. I’m still quite concerned that diet sodas are sold at schools. As I’ve been saying for years, and as the Framingham Study recently confirms, diet sodas also have their share of problems. They can also lead to metabolic syndrome and, because of their high phosphorus content, they can rob calcium from your bones. While diet sodas may be somewhat helpful for weight loss, that’s pretty much where their value ends.

Click here now to learn what I suggest you drink instead of sodas.

“Low Cholesterol May Increase Risk of Cancer”

According to a study reported in the July 31st issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, there is a slight increase in cancer risk among people who take statins and have very low LDL levels.

The increase in risk, while small, was found among statin users who achieved the lowest LDL cholesterol levels and did not involve any specific type or location of cancer.

The study also indicated that there are significant advantages to raising your HDL cholesterol, including niacin (vitamin B3), which I talked about recently in an e-letter and which I’ve strongly advocated using for years.

Again, I told you so.

Some of my peers actually laughed when I made this observation some 10 years ago! They thought I was crazy to suggest that statin drugs could contribute to cancer.

In fact, if you've been with me for a while (like many of my subscribers have) you may recall that in the May 1997 issue of the newsletter I shared with you the results of the CARE (Coronary and Recurrent Events) Study, which showed an increase in the incidence of breast cancer in women who were using statins to reduce their cholesterol levels.

Let me emphasize that the recent finding suggests that there is a slight correlation, but that’s enough for me to take notice. When you think of how many people in this country—and in our age range—are taking statins each day, this is important news.

It would be wonderful if I could just tell you to stop taking your statins, but I can’t do that. For many people the benefits outweigh the risks. I will, however, ask that you discuss your statin drugs seriously with your doctor to be sure that you really have to be on them, and that you’re doing what you can to minimize any risks associated with them. For example…

My newsletter subscribers already know this well, but let me briefly re-state it here: If you’re taking a statin, you should also be taking CoQ10. Statins lower your level of CoQ10, which is one of your body’s best defenses against oxidative stress and the chronic diseases of aging. Whenever I put a patient on a statin drug, I always recommend that they take at least 150 mg of CoQ10 daily.

I also encourage you to carefully watch your diet. Click here now to see my top dietary picks for lowering cholesterol naturally.

Along with adhering to a healthy diet, I urge you to exercise to keep your cholesterol levels healthy.

I recommend walking 15 to 30 minutes, twice a day. And, it might interest you to know that studies indicate that working with weights will have a positive impact on your cholesterol and blood pressure, and can also enhance your cardiovascular endurance and overall well-being.

But before you run out to the gym or a sporting goods store to buy yourself some weights, have your muscular strength evaluated by a certified exercise specialist or exercise physiologist. They can prescribe a muscle-building and endurance program that specifies the right amount of weights, number of repetitions, duration and intensity that are best for you. Ask your doctor about muscular-strength training centers for cardiac patients, or call the cardiac rehabilitation program at your local hospital.

I hope you understand that while I’m saying “I told you so” it’s not to pump up my ego at all. The point I’m making is one that should be taken very seriously.

The fact that the media and conventional medicine are just now making you aware of health information I told my subscribers about years ago is really disturbing!

But that’s why I’m here for you:

It’s my job to do the research, to make the connections, and to be on top of health news that is important to you. I report my findings to you each month in the pages of my newsletter Heart, Health & Nutrition. If you’re not a subscriber, you’re missing out. Click here to learn how you can join us today.