TAGS
The U.S. government claims that it is trying to address the problem of foodborne illnesses. So why is it recommending drugs that may actually put its citizens at greater risk from food poisoning?
Cholesterol drugs make you more vulnerable to bacterial infections such as e. coli and salmonella — a recent study shows that the statin drug simvastatin (sold under the names Zocor and Simvacor), which the government advocates as a means of lowering cholesterol levels, actually weakens your immune system.
According to the Alliance for Natural Health:
“… [T]he drug … hinders the ability of the body’s immune cells to kill pathogens, and increases the production of cytokines, which trigger and sustain inflammation.”
Statin drugs used to lower cholesterol are the world’s most-prescribed class of medications. In the United States alone, about 24 million Americans take the drugs, which include namebrands like Pravachol, Mevacor, Lipitor, Zocor and Crestor.
This amounts to 24 million Americans who are putting themselves at increased risk of falling ill to a foodborne illness, as the drugs are disastrous for your immune system.
If you are healthy your immune system should be able to fight off salmonella, e. coli and other bugs in your food relatively easily. But if your immune system is compromised, these pathogenic bacteria can quickly become deadly.
Scientists from Italy uncovered that the statin drug simvastatin (sold as Zocor and Simvacor) causes two very concerning changes in your immune system. It:
Since a strong immune system is your best defense against any pathogenic bacteria you come across, taking statin drugs is a risky proposition at best — and this is not the first time a study has found immune-damaging effects from statin drugs.
Research from Switzerland revealed that Lipitor, Mevacor and Pravachol known as helper T-cells. These cells act by recognizing foreign pathogens and then activating the production of the proper T cells and B cells in response.
.
