Policosanol 5mg, 60 caps
Olympian Labs
Policosanol is one of the most promising
nutritional supplements in recent history. It is
a combination of long-chain fatty alcohols (no
biological similarity to ethanol) that are
isolated and refined from sugar cane wax (Saccharum
officinarum). Octacosanol is the most important
of these isolated alcohols, followed by seven
other prominent high aliphatic (open-chain
structure) alcohols. This unique extract was
originally studied in Cuba as a
cholesterol-lowering agent and is an approved
treatment for high cholesterol in about
two-dozen countries.
Policosanol appears to slow down cholesterol
synthesis in the liver and increase liver
re-absorption of low-density lipoproteins (LDL).
Policosanol has also been shown to increase
levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL).
Cholesterol is a fat-related substance necessary
for good health. It is a normal component of
most body tissues, especially those of the
brain, nervous system, liver and blood and is
needed to form the sex and adrenal hormones,
vitamin D and bile; a digestive secretion
required for fat digestion. A high level of
blood cholesterol, however, increases the
likelihood of developing health problems such as
heart disease. There are five types of
cholesterol, but it is the HDL and LDL
cholesterol that we look to in assessing the
potential for disease.
HDL, referred to as the “good” cholesterol,
has the ability to clear built-up cholesterol
from the arteries and help in its removal from
the body. LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, is linked
to heart disease and is involved in the fatty
build-up on artery walls known as
atherosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries".
Recent research indicates that low HDL levels
are a strong predictor of cardiovascular
disease.
One of Policosanol’s important actions is to
reduce the abundance of cells in the arteries by
inhibiting the oxidation of LDL. Oxidized LDL is
dangerous. It promotes the destruction of blood
vessels by creating a chronic inflammatory
response. Oxidized LDL can also provoke
metalloproteinase enzymes. These enzymes promote
blood vessel destruction, partly by interfering
with HDL’s protective effect. Healthy arteries
are lined with a smooth layer of cells that
permit the blood to pass with no resistance.
Unhealthy arteries become overwhelmed with
cells, causing the blood passage to narrow and
eventually be blocked which can lead to heart
attack.
In recent studies, Policosanol has been
compared favorably to statin drugs, which are
lipid-lowering drugs that reduce cholesterol
levels by inhibiting an enzyme involved in the
biosynthesis of cholesterol. Statin drugs and
Policosanol show similar performance with
reducing LDL levels but and only Policosanol
shows better performance with increasing HDL
levels. Research is showing that high levels of
HDL cholesterol may be the most important factor
in protecting against cholesterol-induced
arterial disease.
Policosanol also appears to be helpful for
intermittent claudication, a disease
characterized by severe occlusion of the
arterial system in the lower part of the body.
The arteries supplying the legs with blood may
become seriously blocked in advanced stages of
atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
This can lead to severe, crampy pain when you
walk more than a short distance, because the
muscles are starved for oxygen. Although we don'
know how Policosanol helps in this condition,
evidence suggests that it can "thin" the blood
(or technically, impair platelet aggregation) to
about the same extent as aspirin at a dose of
100 mg per day.
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