By
Dr. Joseph Mercola
with
Rachael Droege
Researchers have come up with the latest cure-all drug for
heart disease--a six-in-one pill that they claim would reduce
heart attacks and strokes by 80 percent. The authors even
go so far as to conclude "that there is much to gain
and little to lose by the widespread use of these drugs. No
other preventive method would have so great an impact on public
health in the Western world."
Quite a claim considering there is no evidence showing that
the pill, known as the Polypill, does in fact reduce heart
disease as trials have not yet been conducted, and the idea
is based on a review of other studies. They are also assuming
that since each component of the pill appears to have a beneficial
effect on heart disease independently, combining them will
have a similar but amplified effect.
The pill contains six components--aspirin, folic acid, a
cholesterol-lowering drug and three drugs to lower blood pressure
at half doses--and each part of the pill is supposed to reduce
one of four cardiovascular risk factors (LDL cholesterol,
blood pressure, homocysteine, and platelet function). The
authors recommend the pill for everyone above 55 years of
age and younger people with a clinical history of occlusive
arterial disease.
A pill for an entire population above a certain age? This
sounds like the drug companies’ dream come true. It also
sounds like an accident in the making. To recommend a wonder
pill to "cure" a huge group of people from a disease
that is largely caused by diet and lifestyle factors is irresponsible
at best and just plain dangerous at worst. It is also like
sending out a "carte blanche" encouraging people
to eat all the junk food they want and not bother exercising
because the Polypill will save them from their impending heart
disease.
There is also no telling what effect a six-in-one pill will
have on your body. To recommend such a pill for this large
group of people disregards the complexity of the human body
and assumes that the pill will work in all types of people.
Blatantly overlooked in the ludicrous proposition of a pill
to prevent heart disease is the notion that diet, exercise
and stress management can have profound effects on your risk
of heart disease. If the money that will be spent developing
this new Polypill would be spent instead on educating the
public and encouraging them to adopt more heart healthy lifestyles,
the majority of these conditions wouldn’t develop in
the first place.
The truth is you can drastically cut back your risk of heart
disease and you don’t need a pill to do it. Check out
my nutrition plan for some advice
on how to get started. Starting an exercise program is also
important, as is managing your stress. I’ve found EFT
to be remarkably effective in dealing with stress.
Adding omega-3 fats in fish
oil and cod liver oil to your diet is another way to reduce
your risk of heart disease, because it is high in two fatty
acids crucial to human health, DHA and EPA. These two fatty
acids are pivotal in preventing not only heart disease but
also cancer and many other diseases.
When choosing your fish oil or cod liver oil, it is important
to remember that not all brands are the same. In my research--and
in my clinical experience with my patients--I have found that:
- the liquid form is superior to capsules
- certain brands definitely seem inferior to others
- the Carlson's brand of fish oil/cod liver oil is of an
exceptional quality and purity.
It is likely not the only brand in the world of such high
quality, but up to this point it is the only one of such quality
that I can recommend, so I now offer the Carlson's
fish oil and cod liver oil on Mercola.com; you can also
check your local health food store to see if they carry it.
So before you decide to pop a pill, try out some of these
basic suggestions. You’ll be amazed at how effective
they truly are.
Related
Articles:
Fish Oil Reduces
Heart Disease: The Evidence Increases
More Evidence
That Fish Oil Helps Heart Disease
Dietary Fats and
the Cause of Heart Disease
Reconsider Taking Aspirin
to Lower Your Heart Disease Risk
Depression, Even
if Treated, Increases Your Heart Disease Risk
Low
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Diabetes Cancer and Nearly ALL Chronic Illness
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