Policosanol

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Policosanol (or polycosanol) is the generic term for a natural extract of plant waxes. It is used as a nutritional supplement to lower (bad) LDL cholesterol and increase (good) HDL cholesterol and to help prevent atherosclerosis.

Contents

[edit] Physical properties

Policosanol is a mixture of a few fatty alcohols derived from the waxes of such plants as sugar cane and yams, as well as beeswax. The most prevalent alcohol in policosanol is octacosanol, followed by triacontanol.

There is a much lower concentration of several other fatty alcohols: behenyl alcohol, lignoceryl alcohol, ceryl alcohol, 1-heptacosanol, 1-nonacosanol, 1-dotriacontanol, and geddyl alcohol.

[edit] Studies

Policosanol is touted as a natural way to treat high cholesterol levels. Published studies have come to conflicting conclusions regarding the efficacy of policosanol in lowering LDL (i.e., "bad cholesterol") or raising HDL (i.e., "good cholesterol").[1][2] Many of the studies that have found positive effects of policosanol have come from one group in Cuba,[citation needed] whose research has been funded by Dalmer Laboratories (aka Laboratorios Dalmer). This company was created by the National Center for Scientific Research in Havana, Cuba specifically to market policosanol. Cuba produces sugar cane, one of the sources of policosanol. A German study failed to find evidence of cholesterol-lowering effects. In this study, 143 participants with hypercholesterolemia or combined hyperlipidemia were randomly assigned to policosanol at doses of 10, 20, 40 or 80 milligrams daily or placebo. After 12 weeks, the researchers found no statistically or clinically significant effect on LDL-C, HDL-C, total cholesterol, triglycerides, or lipoproteins. In other words they found policosanol to be of no clinical value.[1]

[edit] Production

Policosanol (PPG)is produced, promoted and studied extensively in Cuba, where pharmaceutical research and sugar cane farms both exist in abundance. The supplement is used as a panacea by some Cubans.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Heiner K. Berthold, MD, PhD; Susanne Unverdorben, MD; Ralf Degenhardt, PhD; Michael Bulitta, Dipl-Stat; Ioanna Gouni-Berthold, MD (May 17, 2006). "Effect of Policosanol on Lipid Levels Among Patients With Hypercholesterolemia or Combined Hyperlipidemia". Journal of the American Medical Association 295 (19): 2262-2269. Retrieved on 3 October 2006. 
  2. ^ Pons P, Rodriguez M, Robaina C, Illnait J, Mas R, Fernandez L, Fernandez JC. (1994). "Effects of successive dose increases of policosanol on the lipid profile of patients with type II hypercholesterolaemia and tolerability to treatment". International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Research 14 (1): 27-33. PMID 7927958. Retrieved on 3 October 2006. 

[edit] External links

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