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Policosanol - The Natural Way to Optimize LDL & Cholesterol Levels |
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by Robert Crayhon, M.S.
  olicosanol is a blend of natural
plant compounds found in
sugar cane wax (Saccharum
officinarum). Many human
studies have shown that policosanol
is an effective and safe
way to lower LDL cholesterol
and raise beneficial HDL cholesterol. Best of all,
policosanol does this without the side effects of
drugs. Unlike statin drugs, policosanol does not
interfere with the body’s production of CoQ10.
Naturally Promoting Healthy Cholesterol Levels
Some 179 patients aged 60–78 years with high
cholesterol and high risk for heart disease participated
in a 30-week trial. When patients were
treated with 5 mg per day of policosanol for 12
weeks, LDL cholesterol dropped 17 percent and
total cholesterol decreased 13 percent. Levels of
beneficial HDL cholesterol rose 14 percent.
When policosanol intake was increased to 10
mg per day the results were even more impressive:
LDL dropped 24 percent, total cholesterol
decreased 16 percent and HDL rose a whopping
29 percent.
BENEFITS OF POLICOSANOL:
 Lowers total and LDL cholesterol
Lowers triglycerides
Raises HDL cholesterol
Inhibits platelet clotting
Improves intermittent claudication
Lowers blood lipids in diabetics
Lowers blood pressure
Inhibits lipid peroxidation
Fights inflammation |
Policosanol and Cholesterol Lowering Drugs Studied Head On
A number of studies have demonstrated that
policosanol provides similar, often superior, benefits
to those of cholesterol lowering drugs.
When policosanol and the drug pravastatin were
tested side-by-side in an eight-week study in 68
adults, policosanol performed better. Ten milligrams
of policosanol reduced total cholesterol
by 14 percent and LDL by 19 percent. HDL levels
also increased 18 percent and triglycerides
dropped 14 percent. Policosanol also slightly
lowered blood pressure. Pravastatin reduced total
cholesterol but by less—12 percent. LDL reduction
was also less with pravistatin—16 percent.
Most important of all, pravistatin failed to benefit
two of the most important predictive factors
for heart disease—HDL and triglyceride levels.
Inhibiting Platelet Clotting
Unwanted blood clots can lead to heart attacks,
stroke or life-threatening embolisms. For this
reason, helping to keep blood “thin” (that is,
reducing its clotting tendency) has many advantages.
One of the ways to keep blood “thinner” is to inhibit the natural tendency of platelets to
clot. Policosanol has been found to inhibit
platelet clotting naturally. Policosanol appears to
thin blood without increasing bleeding time.
Improving Exercise Endurance in Heart
Disease and Intermittent Claudication Patients
Policosanol improves the exercise response in
patients with coronary artery disease.
Policosanol taken at a 20 mg dose for two years
increased walking distances and improved
symptoms caused by poor circulation. It also
increased the ankle-to-arm pressure index in
patients with intermittent claudication.
How to Take Policosanol
Research suggests that the beneficial doses of
policosanol range from 10 to 20 mg per day. For
maximum effectiveness, only use policosanol
derived from sugar cane wax. This is the kind
which has been found safe and effective in
humans. Policosanol from beeswax or other
sources may not be as effective.
Safety
Policosanol has been found to be very safe and
extremely well tolerated over many years of consumption.
Toxicity tests in rats, using 1,724
times the human dose showed no toxicity. Note
that policosanol contains none of the sugar
found in sugar cane and is safe and beneficial for
diabetics.
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