Policosanol

Policosanol is the name of a mixture of long chain alcohols that are derived and extracted from plant waxes. Interestingly, it was mostly derived from sugar cane, but in recent years beeswax, fruits, grasses, and seeds have been used to isolate the compound. The carbon backbones of all policosanols are between 25 and 35 carbons, making them very long chain alcohols.

This compound can be currently found in certain supplements due to its health benefits.

History

A Cuban lab was the first to produce policosanol supplements. In fact, they carried out studies that showed policosanol to be safe, effective, and great for lowering bad cholesterol. As a result, over the past decade policosanol has grown in popularity, and it can now be found in health food stores throughout North and South America as a lipid lowering supplement.

Policosanol plants

How it works

Policosanol decreases cholesterol production in the liver, and increases the breakdown of bad cholesterol (LDL). Additionally, it helps reduce blood clots by decreasing the stickiness of particles in the blood.

Research and medical uses

Animal studies on rabbits have shown an increase in good cholesterol (HDL) when policosanol was administered to them. What's more, they also showed a reduction of platelet adhesion in those who had existing artery blockages.

In human studies done in Italy, 50 patients who already suffered from liver disease were given policosanol, leading to a decrease in their bad cholesterol (LDL). Furthermore, the most recent study showed that combining policosanol with other lipid lowering supplements had reductions in LDL, as well as total cholesterol levels.

Other health benefits

Apart from the above mentioned properties, policosanol can improve blood circulation in the legs, which is especially beneficial for those who have difficulty walking long distances. Policosanol will also improve clogged arteries, especially when stacked with aspirin or other support supplements.

Bodybuilders and Athletes

Bodybuilders, and all athletes, use anabolic steroids to reach their fitness goals. Unfortunately, in almost all cases anabolic steroids will increase bad cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol, which is known as lipid strain. For instance, I have seen blood work from those using harsher steroids like trenbolone, and they had cholesterol levels over 220-230 - an extremely dangerous level that can cause heart problems.

Therefore, using policosanol as part of a supplement stack is an effective way to keep cholesterol controlled and keep the heart strong.

Side effects

As of this article, no side effects have ever been registered with policosanol. Nonetheless, it is still best to stick to the recommended dosages.

Dosage

As a stand alone, taking policosanol at 5-10 milligrams (mg) twice per day is going to be the standard dosage. On the other hand, when used as part of a supplemental stack, you can drop that dosage by more than half and get prominent results.

Where to find

N2Guard contains 5mg of policosanol, plus dozens of additional ingredients, which make a very good anti-cholesterol cycle support.

References

• Policosanol: clinical pharmacology and therapeutic significance of a new lipid-lowering agent
• Policosanol supplementation significantly improves blood pressure among adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
• Policosanol: a new treatment for cardiovascular disease?
• Effects of policosanol 20 versus 40 mg/day in the treatment of patients with type II hypercholesterolemia: a 6-month double-blind study
• Comparative lipid-lowering effects of policosanol and atorvastatin: a randomized, parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
• Policosanols as nutraceuticals: fact or fiction