IF YOU’RE TAKING a statin to lower your cholesterol, you may have wondered whether the medication gives you a little more freedom at the dinner table. After all, if a pill is lowering your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol—the so-called “bad” cholesterol—maybe that means a burger, steak, or plate of fries won’t clog your arteries as much. It’s an idea that guys have discussed online: if a statin is keeping your cholesterol in check, why not eat whatever you want?
On Reddit, posts occasionally come up about using statins to intentionally order fast food guilt-free. Have people discovered a junk food loophole? Surprisingly, docs say they might have a point.
When you’re on a statin, you don’t have to stomach a bland plate of grilled chicken and veggies for the rest of your life. The trick is to not go too far. Juan Carlos Rozo, MD, cardiologist at Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, says the goal isn’t to eliminate the foods you enjoy.
Rather, use statins as a “seat belt” to keep yourself maneuvering safely when you start to veer off-lane. STATINS ARE A class of prescription medications that lower LDL cholesterol. Common examples include atorvastatin (Lipitor), rosuvastatin (Crestor), and simvastatin (Zocor).
The reason lowering LDL matters is that when too much circulates in the bloodstream, it could contribute to the buildup of plaque inside artery walls. Rozo says too much plaque increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. One factor that can push LDL levels higher is diet.
We’re talking foods high in saturated fat, such as butter, full-fat dairy, sausage, bacon, and ribeye, Dr. Fortunately, statins help by lowering the amount of cholesterol the liver produces. They do this by blocking an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, which plays a key role in cholesterol production.
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