Miracle drugs?
‘Everyone over the age of 40 should take cholesterol-busting statins,’ according to an eminent heart surgeon. Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub claims that the benefits of taking the controversial drugs ‘massively’ outweigh the risks and to not make them more widely available is ‘lunacy’. We may all be feeling we could be on the edge of ‘lunacy’ as we try and make sense of the widely conflicting reports on statins, the most- widely prescribed drugs in Britain.
The ‘for’ camp says they lower cholesterol and save lives – the ‘against’ say the side-effects far outweigh any benefits. Another report published in the British Medical Journal said the drugs, taken by eight million people, cause side-effects such as liver and kidney disease and diabetes in one in five patients.
Compare this argument with one very positive study that came out last week, a study that shows that a natural supplement could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Bergamet Mega + O is a tablet containing an extract from the juice of the Bergamot Orange and it works by lowering levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol and raising those of ‘good’ cholesterol. Dr Ross Walker is an eminent practising cardiologist in Australia and was part of the research team. Dr Hilary Jones is also in favour of the supplement, as are several leading pharmacists.
A study involving 107 patients enr olled at the San Raffaele IRCCS, Rome, and University of Catanzaro Italy, who took the supplement twice-a-day for 120 days consecutively saw levels of har mful LDL cholesterol fall significantly, while the amount of beneficial HDL cholesterol increased.
At the same time, the tablet also r educed levels of triglycerides – another type of potentially harmful fat – and helped to bring down blood sugar levels, low - ering the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
The r esearchers said: “The present data confirmed previous results showing that the extract of bergamot juice rich in polyphenols r educes both cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose in patients suffering from metabolic syndrome.”
Known as Citrus Bergamot, the fruit is endemic to the Calabrian r egion of souther n Italy, where the unique soil and climate combine to produce Bergamot juice with high concentrations, a minimum of 38 per cent, of disease-fighting polyphenols.
If you’re thinking ‘Can’t I just drink Earl Grey tea?’, its dif ferent: that’s made from oil derived from the peel of the fr uit. There’s no evidence that juice from the peel has the same cardiovascular benefits. Shame. I’m partial to a cup of Earl Grey. In any case, despite being over 40 I cer tainly won’t be considering taking statins.