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. More on this below.
First, the 101 on Statins
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. Dr. 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. Rozo explains.
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. Arash Bereliani, MD, a cardiologist and medical director of the Beverly Hills Institute for Cardiology and Preventative Medicine, says the liver pulls more LDL out of the bloodstream, lowering the amount circulating in the body. Depending on the statin and dose, research shows that LDL can fall by roughly 30 to 50 percent or more. That’s a big deal, but LDL isn’t the whole story when it comes to your ticker.
Are Statins a Loophole to Eating Fast Food?
WELL, YES AND no.
Statins are a powerful tool for lowering the risk of heart disease, but while a statin can significantly lower one important risk factor—LDL cholesterol—it doesn’t address everything that contributes to heart disease.
Think of your heart health as a dashboard with several warning lights. You have one for LDL, blood pressure, blood sugar, and triglycerides. A statin can do an excellent job of bringing down LDL when it’s elevated. But warning lights for other health issues can still pop up because of the problems high-calorie junk food brings.
“A statin lowers one risk factor, LDL, but your diet affects far more than that,” says Dr. Bereliani. “A poor diet drives weight gain, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and inflammation, and a statin does little or nothing for most of those.”
While we might all wish statins can excuse all the greasy, fried foods we want to eat, that reality is fictional. But statins do give you a little more leeway. Cardiologists tell MH that you aren’t banned from eating a burger, milkshake, or fried chicken sandwich.
“An occasional indulgent meal isn’t going to undo good habits,” Dr. Bereliani says. So, if you love pizza and burgers, you can still have them—just maybe once a week in reasonable portions rather than making them staples of your diet.
“Think of a statin as a seat belt, not permission to drive recklessly,” says Dr. Bereliani.
A seatbelt can significantly reduce your risk of serious injury if something goes wrong, but you wouldn’t put one on and throw safe driving out the window. A statin works much the same way. It can meaningfully lower your cardiovascular risk, but it doesn’t eliminate the other risks that come with an unhealthy diet.
Statins and Diet Work Together
THE BIGGER GOAL is to make the foods you eat most often do the heavy lifting for your health. According to Dr. Bereliani, that means building your everyday meals around high-fiber foods. Think of oats, beans, and lentils, along with vegetables, fruit, nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish, while cutting back on processed meats, fried foods, and refined carbohydrates like white bread, white rice, and pastries.
That’s ultimately why a balanced diet and a statin work best together. A heart-healthy diet can help lower LDL on its own, while a statin can bring it down further, giving you more protection than either approach alone, says Dr. Bereliani. The key is to see medication and healthy habits as complementary, not competing approaches. “Statins reduce risk significantly, but they don’t eliminate it, because lifestyle is what addresses the rest of the picture.”
Andi Breitowich is a freelance writer who covers health, fitness, relationships, beauty, and smart living. She is a graduate of Emory University and Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her work has appeared in Women's Health, POPSUGAR, Food & Wine, What To Expect, Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, and elsewhere. As a former collegiate pole vaulter, she loves all things fitness and has yet to meet a group workout class she doesn't like.