akn
Musclechemistry Member
Policosanol is a supplement made from plant waxes that is often used by people to regulate their levels of cholesterol. Policosanol seems to have a significant influence on reducing bad cholesterol in the body and increasing the levels of good cholesterol. Of course, there are a lot of other medications that do the same thing, but very few are also a hundred percent natural. Here are some important things to know about policosanol supplements and their role in fighting cholesterol.
What is Policosanol?
Policosanol is a natural food supplement that is currently used to fight the effects of cholesterol. It is derived from the waxy coating on sugar cane and it has been shown to have a positive effect on lowering LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and increasing HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol). Scientists are still working on figuring out just how it manages to do that. The one thing that is clear is that it does seem to lower the production of LDL cholesterol and encourage the body to produce more HDL cholesterol. And because HDL cholesterol cleans up the blockages formed by LDL cholesterol, the overall effect of policosanol appears to be positive.
What is the Difference Between LDL and HDL Cholesterol
Cholesterol has a few essential functions in the body, the most important of which is to repair damage to the veins and arteries. HDL cholesterol does a seamless job of patching up any problems in the blood vessels. But LDL cholesterol does more than just patch up holes. It tends to stick to the walls of blood vessels, whether they are damaged or not. In time, these patches of LDL can grow to cover up the entire vein or aorta and that is what causes heart attacks. The good thing is that HDL cholesterol does more than patch work: it also cleans the LDL deposits from the walls of the blood vessels.
Does Policosanol Help in Other Ways?
Policosanol also reduces the stickiness of blood platelets. Blood platelets are the blood cells that are used by the body to create blood clots wherever there is a wound. Their role is essential in healing any cut or scrape but they also have the negative side effect of helping LDL cholesterol clots to form on the inside of healthy, normal blood vessels. So, while policosanol is not strong enough to prevent platelets from healing a wound, it is strong enough to help prevent LDL from plugging up blood vessels.
How Beneficial is Policosanol?
The effects of policosanol are comparable with those of the top artificial, conventional medications designed to do the same thing. After an eight week study, patients showed a reduction in LDL cholesterol of 11?28 percent. It further increased the levels of HDL cholesterol from 17?29 percent. During the study, the subjects were given a single daily dose of policosanol of five to 10 milligrams, depending on their constitution.
Is Policosanol Safe?
Policosanol has been used for years and no major negative side effects have been reported. Furthermore, two studies were conducted, examining more than 30,000 people who took policosanol for two to five years. In total only 48 of those people reported negative side effects. And the most negative side effect reported was a loss in weight.
The cholesterol-lowering benefits of policosanol have been scientifically demonstrated for decades. Luckily, it is still not one of the mainstream medications for cholesterol so it is also relatively inexpensive to use. Policosanol has few negative side effects and it has been shown to lower cholesterol in as little as eight weeks. For these reasons, you should give policosanol a try and see how well your body responds to it.
What is Policosanol?
Policosanol is a natural food supplement that is currently used to fight the effects of cholesterol. It is derived from the waxy coating on sugar cane and it has been shown to have a positive effect on lowering LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and increasing HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol). Scientists are still working on figuring out just how it manages to do that. The one thing that is clear is that it does seem to lower the production of LDL cholesterol and encourage the body to produce more HDL cholesterol. And because HDL cholesterol cleans up the blockages formed by LDL cholesterol, the overall effect of policosanol appears to be positive.
What is the Difference Between LDL and HDL Cholesterol
Cholesterol has a few essential functions in the body, the most important of which is to repair damage to the veins and arteries. HDL cholesterol does a seamless job of patching up any problems in the blood vessels. But LDL cholesterol does more than just patch up holes. It tends to stick to the walls of blood vessels, whether they are damaged or not. In time, these patches of LDL can grow to cover up the entire vein or aorta and that is what causes heart attacks. The good thing is that HDL cholesterol does more than patch work: it also cleans the LDL deposits from the walls of the blood vessels.
Does Policosanol Help in Other Ways?
Policosanol also reduces the stickiness of blood platelets. Blood platelets are the blood cells that are used by the body to create blood clots wherever there is a wound. Their role is essential in healing any cut or scrape but they also have the negative side effect of helping LDL cholesterol clots to form on the inside of healthy, normal blood vessels. So, while policosanol is not strong enough to prevent platelets from healing a wound, it is strong enough to help prevent LDL from plugging up blood vessels.
How Beneficial is Policosanol?
The effects of policosanol are comparable with those of the top artificial, conventional medications designed to do the same thing. After an eight week study, patients showed a reduction in LDL cholesterol of 11?28 percent. It further increased the levels of HDL cholesterol from 17?29 percent. During the study, the subjects were given a single daily dose of policosanol of five to 10 milligrams, depending on their constitution.
Is Policosanol Safe?
Policosanol has been used for years and no major negative side effects have been reported. Furthermore, two studies were conducted, examining more than 30,000 people who took policosanol for two to five years. In total only 48 of those people reported negative side effects. And the most negative side effect reported was a loss in weight.
The cholesterol-lowering benefits of policosanol have been scientifically demonstrated for decades. Luckily, it is still not one of the mainstream medications for cholesterol so it is also relatively inexpensive to use. Policosanol has few negative side effects and it has been shown to lower cholesterol in as little as eight weeks. For these reasons, you should give policosanol a try and see how well your body responds to it.
