damagedgoods

Guys - I foud this article on another forum - have any of you heard of this stuff- can you get it in the UK and what are your thoughts?



When on cycle, your cholesterol levels tend to rise dramatically to > 200, your HDL drops to about 10-20, and your LDL increases to 150-200.

Well, there's one supplement out there that can remedy that.
Its one of the things I have been researching for the past 4 months. I posted this at AF already, but I'll post it here as well.

Its called policosanol. Its not expensive at all, and works better than any prescription cholesterol lowering drug with no side effects whatsoever.

This is just a brief description:

Policosanol is a natural supplement derived from sugar cane. The main ingredient is octacosanol. Octacosanol is an alcohol found in the waxy film that plants have over their leaves and fruit. The leaves and rinds of citrus fruits contain octacosanol, and so does wheat germ oil.

[Very important section]

Policosanol has been shown to normalize cholesterol as well or better than cholesterol-lowering drugs, without side effects such as liver dysfunction and muscle atrophy.1 Efficacy and safety have been proven in numerous clinical trials, and it has been used by millions of people in other countries. Policosanol lowers harmful LDL-cholesterol and raises protective HDL-cholesterol. HDL-cholesterol removes plaque from arterial walls.

[As you can see above, it sounds really, really good]

Policosanol helps stop the formation of artery lesions too, an effect similar to that of statin drugs. This was proven in studies on rabbits fed a diet designed to create high cholesterol. According to researchers “in most policosanol-treated animals, atherosclerotic lesions were not present, and in others, thickness of fatty streaks had less foam cell layers than in controls.,3

Policosanol also inhibits the oxidation of dangerous LDL-cholesterol4 which promotes the destruction of blood vessels by creating a chronic inflammatory response. Oxidized LDL can also provoke metalloproteinase enzymes.5 These enzymes promote blood vessel destruction, partly by interfering with HDL’s protective effect. Studies show that rats treated with policosanol have fewer foam cells, reflecting less inflammatory response causing less blood vessel destruction.6,7

Healthy arteries are lined with a smooth layer of cells so that blood can race through with no resistance. One of the features of diseased arteries is that this layer becomes thick and overgrown with cells. As the artery narrows, blood flow slows down or is blocked completely. Policosanol can stop the proliferation of these cells in much the same was as lipid-lowering drugs.8,9

Policosanol also inhibits the formation of clots, and may work synergistically with aspirin in this respect. In a comparison of aspirin and policosanol, aspirin was better at reducing one type of platelet aggregation (clumping together of blood cells). But policosanol was better at inhibiting another type. Together, policosanol and aspirin worked better than either alone.10,11

Thromboxane is a blood vessel-constricting agent that contributes to abnormal platelet aggregation that can cause a heart attack or stroke. Significant reductions in the level of thromboxane occur in humans after two weeks of policosanol.12

[This section probaby describes ever single person on AAS)

People with elevated LDL-cholesterol (over 100) or low HDL-cholesterol (under 50) should seek to protect themselves from the potentially fatal effects of cardiovascular disease. Some people can achieve optimal cholesterol levels via dietary modification, while others require intervention with dietary supplements like policosanol or prescription drugs.

Some people will not achieve adequate results with policosanol or FDA-approved cholesterol-lowering drugs. That is why it is so important to have your blood tested when using policosanol (or FDA-approved drugs). Some people will only require 5 mg to 10 mg a day of policosanol, while others may need 20 mg/day. The same dosage variation may be true of cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Davey21

It sounds very good. Did the original post contain links to any articles that contain any 'proof' of this research? I'm not trying to argue mate, I'm just very interested because if its true I will try this stuff, but I want to make sure it is first. Thanks for posting.

damagedgoods

sorry for thelate reply - just been going through my subscriptions and noticed that I missed the update to this.

here is some more info and some things about studies:

Policosanol is a unique natural product derived from sugar cane wax and beeswax: It has proved effective at reducing cholesterol levels and for some individuals may be a reasonable natural alternative to the commonly prescribed "statin-type" cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Most research using the sugarcane-derived form of policosanol has been conducted in Cuba, in both animals and humans. The studies showed that policosanol not only reduced cholesterol levels, but also had positive effects on other cardiac risk factors, through actions such as reducing platelet "clumping" and inhibiting the development of atherosclerosis. A 2002 analysis in the American Heart Journal reviewed more than 60 clinical trials of sugar cane-derived policosanol that involved more than 3000 patients. The authors concluded that policosanol is "a very promising phytochemical alternative to classic lipid-lowering agents such as statins."

This could be welcome news for some of the 30 million Americans who are currently using the expensive statindrugs. Some studies indicated that policosanol is not only equal to, but may possibly even be somewhat more effective than statins or fibrates in lowering total and LDL cholesterol and increasing "good" cholesterol, or HDL. One study showed that patients taking the standard daily 10 mg dose of policosanol experienced a 17% drop in total cholesterol, a 25.6% drop in LDL cholesterol, and a 28.4% rise in HDL cholesterol. These percentages are equal to results obtained with statin medications.

Some studies confirmed the cholesterol-lowering effects of policosanol in specific groups, including post-menopausal women, the elderly, and people who have both diabetes and heart disease. In addition, policosanol was effective in treating intermittent claudication, a condition in which poor circulation in the legs causes severe leg pain during exercise. Because policosanol reduces the tendency of blood to clot by reducing the "stickiness" of blood platelets, the tiny particles involved in clotting, it may help prevent cardiovascular disease in a manner similar to aspirin.

During the research, study participants reported very few side effects. Because of this, policosanol may require less monitoring with blood tests than statin medications do. Although it appears there are no major side effects with policosanol, some people have reported weight loss, rashes, migraines, insomnia or drowsiness, irritability, dizziness, upset stomach, and nose and gum bleeding.

Policosanol is usually taken once or twice a day. Some nutritional supplement manufacturers combine policosanol with other heart-healthy substances such as Coenzyme Q10 and antioxidants.

General Interaction


Because policosanol can thin the blood as much as aspirin, if you are taking blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin) or NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or naproxen, consult your health care provider before taking policosanol.

There are no known interactions with nutrients or foods.

Cautions


Do not take policosanol if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.

Although very rare, it is theoretically possible that people who are allergic to bee stings or have a food sensitivity to sugar cane might risk side effects from policosanol.

damagedgoods

more studies follow:

Long-term effects of policosanol on obese patients with Type II Hypercholesterolemia.

Mas R, Castano G, Fernandez J, Gamez R, Illnait J, Fernandez L, Lopez E, Mesa M, Alvarez E, Mendoza S.

National Centre for Scientific Research, Havana City, Cuba.

Both hypercholesterolemia (HC) and obesity are coronary risk factors. Clinical studies have shown the benefits of lowering elevated plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) on clinical end-points. Policosanol is a cholesterol-lowering drug purified from sugar cane wax with a therapeutic range from 5 to 20 mg/day. This randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study was undertaken to investigate the long-term efficacy and safety of policosanol in obese patients (BMI>or =30) with Type II hypercholesterolemia. After 5 weeks on step one cholesterol-lowering diet, 129 patients were randomised to policosanol 5 mg or placebo tablets taken once daily with the evening meal for 3 years. Lipid profile variables, safety indicators, adverse events (AE) and compliance with diet counselling and study medications were assessed. Study patiens showed a high frequency of other coronary risk factors, hypertension being the most common. Both groups were well matched at randomisation. After one year on treatment, policosanol significantly (p < 0.01 vs placebo) lowered serum LDL-C, the primary efficacy variable (24.3 %) and total cholesterol (TC) (15.8 %), whereas increased high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (21.9 %). Changes of lipid variables in placebo were not significant. Treatment effects were persistent, even slightly enhanced, during the trial. At study completion, policosanol had lowered (p < 0.00001) LDL-C (31.8 %) and TC (20.1 %), while markedly raised (p < 0.00001) HDL-C (24.6 %). Thirty patients (18 placebo, 12 policosanol) discontinued the study: 15 (11 placebo, 4 policosanol) due to AE and 12 (9 placebo, 3 policosanol) due to serious adverse events (SAE), most vascular. Policosanol was safe and well tolerated, not impairing significantly any safety indicator. Average body weight was slightly reduced over the study, indicating a general acceptable compliance with dietary recommendations, but policosanol did not show any drug effect on body weight. Overall, 28 placebo and 26 policosanol patients reported some mild or moderate AE during the study. It is concluded that policosanol was effective for lowering cholesterol in obese patients with type II hypercholesterolemia, being also safe and well tolerated.

damagedgoods

Role of policosanols in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Varady KA, Wang Y, Jones PJ.

School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada.

Policosanols are a mixture of aliphatic alcohols derived from purified sugar cane. When administered at 5 to 20 mg/day, policosanols have been shown to decrease the risk of atheroma formation by reducing platelet aggregation, endothelial damage, and foam cell formation in animals. Additionally, policosanols have been shown to lower total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by 13 to 23% and 19 to 31%, respectively, while increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol from 8 to 29%. Policosanols are thought to improve lipid profiles by reducing hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis while enhancing LDL clearance. When compared with statins, policosanols exhibit comparable cholesterol-lowering effects at much smaller doses. The mixture is well tolerated when administered to animals; however, a more precise safety profile is needed for humans. In summary, policosanols are a promising resource in the prevention and therapy of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but these results need to be confirmed in independent laboratories.

KirstinOZ

Hi all. Have just switched from the usual gym grind to body building routines and have noticed that suddenly my cholesterol level has gone from 4.56mmol to 5.0 mmol. Does anyone know if this has anything to do with increased metabolytes etc? Just confused!!! On the plus side I never have to ask another to open a jar of vegimite for me!