What are the health benefits of policosanol?

Policosanol seems to decrease cholesterol production in the liver and to increase the breakdown of LDL (low-density lipoprotein or “bad”) cholesterol. It might also help HDL (high-density lipoprotein or “good”) cholesterol work better. Policosanol also decreases the stickiness of cells in the blood known as platelets.

Does policosanol really work?

Conclusions: Policosanol administered long term is effective in lowering LDL-C and TC as well as increasing HDL-C levels in older patients with hypertension and type II hypercholesterolaemia without a history of CHD or cerebrovascular disease.

What foods contain policosanol?

Contents and compositions of policosanol in different plant sources such as rice bran, wheat bran, sugar cane wax, corn kernel, green tea leaves, grain sorghum, perilla seeds and grape seed have been reported [12, 22–25]. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum L.) is an important medicinal plant from the family Asteraceae.

How quickly does policosanol work?

A typical dosage of policosanol used in studies has been five to 10 milligrams twice daily. Studies generally find that it can take up to two months to notice benefits.

Does policosanol help you lose weight?

However, after 8 weeks of policosanol consumption, visceral fat mass was reduced by 25% in the YS group. The MN group also showed 6 and 9% reduced total fat mass and visceral fat mass, respectively, at week 8 compared with week 0.

Does policosanol dissolve plaque in arteries?

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for… Clogged arteries. Early research suggests that taking policosanol daily, alone or together with aspirin for 20 months, can reduce heart disease-related events in people with clogged arteries.

Is policosanol a statin?

Policosanol is a cholesterol-lowering drug purified from sugar cane wax with a therapeutic dosage range from 5-20 mg/day. Atorvastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor which across its dosage range (10-80 mg/day) has shown significantly greater lipid-lowering effects than all previously marketed statins.

Is policosanol better than statins?

These effects compare favorably to those of other lipid-lowering drugs. In head-to-head short-term trials, policosanol has produced LDL cholesterol reductions generally comparable to those of various statin drugs. However, the HDL increase observed with policosanol typically has been superior to that of statins.

Does policosanol work like a statin?

A dietary supplement made from sugar cane doesn’t lower cholesterol as advertised. Posts on the Internet and magazine ads claim that taking policosanol, which is extracted from the waxy coating of sugar cane, lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol by 25%. That’s about as much as a modestly powerful statin.

Does vitamin D raise cholesterol?

Vitamin D deficiency linked to an increased risk for dyslipidemia. Higher vitamin D levels appear to be associated with higher total cholesterol levels and higher HDL cholesterol levels, according to a new study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) 65th Annual Scientific Sessions.