tschram

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 71-year-old female in good health who is quite physically active. I have been taking red yeast rice with CoQ10 to help with my cholesterol levels. (My son-in-law, who is a chiropractor and pretty knowledgeable about supplements, suggested this to me.) My cholesterol levels are still somewhat high, but my doctor has not pressed me to start a statin drug. My husband and a good friend of ours both had high cholesterol levels and started taking a statin drug. Both developed neuropathy and feel that the drug had a part in that. I do not want to take a chance on taking a statin drug.

Dear Amy: I live in a country that celebrates a tradition that I am, at best, uneasy with. It involves a bizarre ritual by which parents of small children routinely lie to them about the existence of an elderly domestic intruder who supposedly brings small chocolate statues of himself along with toys and gifts once a year (spoiler alert: the parents buy this stuff).

Q: Sugar is essential for brain function, and you can’t live without it. So, why all the fuss about sugary foods? -- Dorothy R., Terra Haute, Indiana A: There’s a big difference between added sugars and those naturally found in fruits and grains. Added sugar is often engineered -- for example, high fructose corn syrup, added to prepared foods and snacks, is nowhere in nature! It causes impaired muscle function with insulin resistance, inflammation, high triglycerides, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, increases your appetite and promotes obesity. And all added sugars -- sucrose, glucose, fructose -- add up to health woes. So can processed foods that remove fiber, like orange juice. A whole orange has 10-13 grams of sugar and lots of fiber; a 16-ounce glass of orange juice delivers 48 grams of sugar with no moderating fiber.