Unlocking the mystery of lowering cholesterol with policosanol and plant sterols

Policosanol and plant sterols go together like apple pie and ice cream.

The chances are good that you found this website because your doctor wants you to go on Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, Vytorin or some other "miracle" statin drug to lower your cholesterol. These drugs will lower your cholesterol dramatically but are the side effects worse than the cure?

Steve had muscle pains caused by statin drugs, and now he wants to know, "Does the muscle pain ever go away? I have been off for about 1 week and it is a little better but still hurts."

Jo says she took statins for only one week. Her reaction: "Enough! Apart from the skin rash, the insomnia and twitching in bed, I had brand new muscle pains. It took about 5 or 6 weeks for those pains to fade."

Manufacturers of Lipitor, Zocor and Crestor would have us believe that the side effects from their drugs are minor or rare. But if you're one of those who are experiencing some of these side effects it's far from minor.

A study at the U.C. San Diego School of Medicine reported the following side effects from patients taking Lipitor

sexual function problems
fatigue and/or dizziness
liver function abnormalities
muscle pain or weakness and occasionally something called “myopathy” occurs, involving actual damage to muscle tissue
changes in memory, attention, or concentration. Some people have trouble finding the right word; may forget tasks they started to do.
Some describe "holes in their memory" and others worry that they are developing Alzheimer's.
depression and changes in mood.
cholesterol medications can lower activity of the brain chemical serotonin. Low serotonin activity is known to relate to suicide and depression in people. Some people report that when they are on statins they are more irritable and impatient.
peripheral neuropathy (tingling and numbness or burning pain) may occur with statins.
sleep problems

How does policosanol work?
Policosanol has been shown to exert direct effect on the liver cells that control cholesterol manufacture and breakdown. Specifically, it balances cholesterol levels by impacting both excessive manufacture and impaired breakdown of cholesterol. It is also an effective antioxidant and has several other benefits.

I'm frequently asked why doctors automatically choose statin drugs with their debilitating side effects rather than take advantage of the all natural solution of policosanol and plant sterols.

The physician who is up to speed on natural remedies is rarer than a do-do bird. Most doctors know little or nothing about policosanol as an option to Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor and Vytorin.

Marcia Angell, former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine and author of "The Truth About the Drug Companies" gives us some revealing clues why doctors choose to write a prescription for a statin drug rather than choose a natural alterntive:

The makers of Lipitor and Zocor alone spent $150 million on advertising in the year 2000 alone.
The pharmaceutical giants employed 88,000 sales representatives in 2001 to "visit" doctors, promote their products and provide them with free samples. That comes out to one drug rep for every 6 practicing physicians!
Medical protocol dictates that statin drugs are automatically prescribed as the "standard of care" regardless of the need. My cardiologist was "miffed" when I chose policosanol rather than take a statin drug.
Physicians have never studied the research. Click here for a comprehensive Policosanol Research Report that can be printed and provided to your physician.

Can policosanol lower cholesterol better than Lipitor, Zocor or Crestor without side effects?
Let's ask one of the most renowned natural doctors.

Dr. Michael Murray ND, author of Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine says this about policosanol:

"The results from the clinical studies involving nearly 30,000 total patients clearly demonstrate that policosanol is overall the absolute best answer to high cholesterol levels, whether we are talking about a nutritional supplement, herbal product or drug."

Policosanol Clinical Trials
Policosanol shown to be more effective
than Zocor and other statin drugs.
Reported in New Hope Natural Media, 6/6/02

"In a six-month study, 10 mg per day of Policosanol reduced total cholesterol by 16% and LDL cholesterol by 24%, and increased HDL cholesterol by 29%."

Several other studies have compared Policosanol with some of the conventional medications used for lowering cholesterol and the results have shown that of 5 to 20 mg per day to be more effective than Lovastatin (Mevacor®), pravastatin (Pravachol®)and Simvastatin (Zocor®), with minimum side effects.

Is policosanol safe?
Policosanol is one of the most widely tested natural products. In clinical trials of nearly 30,000 persons policosanol derived from sugar cane has been proven to be safe.

Numerous clinical trails show that elderly persons, diabetics and those with liver damage can safely take policosanol.
Studies show that this all natural product made from sugar cane DOES NOT affect blood thinning and there is no interaction between policosanol and blood-thinning medication such as warfarin.

In short and long-term clinical studies, it has been simultaneously used with calcium antagonists, beta-blockers and diuretics with no evidence of clinically relevant adverse interactions.
NASAIDs, anti-depressants, digoxin, warfarin, thyroid hormones and anti-ulcer drugs have also shown no evidence of clinically relevant adverse interactions with policosanol.

What are the side effects of policosanol?
The side effects of policosanol are rare and minimal. In studies of 27,879 patients (17,225 patients for two years and 10,654 patients for four years), only 86 patients (0.31%) reported adverse effects, the most frequent of which was weight loss.

How long does it take to get results?
Detailed clinical trials have shown that Policosanol produces beneficial effects on cholesterol control within the first 6-8 weeks of use.

What is the recommended dosage?
Dosage used in the clinical studies was from 10 mg to 20 mg per day. It was shown that increasing the dose to 40 mg had little additional benefit. The majority of persons take 20 mg per day but others prefer to start with 10 mg and increase to 20 mg if needed.

Additional Benefits of Policosanol

Increases protective HDL cholesterol levels. Most statin drugs do NOT improve HDLs. HDL cholesterol levels typically increase by 15 to 25% after only two months of policosanol use.
The "good" HDL cholesterol is the "Superman" heart protector. HDL cholesterol acts like a miniature hydraulic vacuum cleaner, streaming through your arteries scooping up the heart- stopping LDL cholesterol, and carrying it back to your liver where it can be “dealt with”.
HDLs also douse the fires of inflammation. It is this smoldering inflammation and oxidation that causes the cholesterol in our arteries to turn rancid and clog our arteries.
Scientific studies also show that people with the highest levels of HDL cholesterol have the greatest longevity.

New studies show that oxidation and inflammation are more important contributors to artery clogging than just high LDLs alone.
It doesn’t interfere with sex life as statins often do.
Lowers Lp(a) cholesterol. Many researchers say this is the "baddest" form of cholesterol.
Reduces platelet aggregation (stickiness) which lowers risk of arterial blood clots.
Improves intermittent claudication (pain in the leg muscles due to inadequate blood supply).
This all natural supplement may prevent and reverse atherosclerotic lesions and thrombosis (clotting).

Cautions
It is a good idea to have your cholesterol checked after 8-12 weeks of use and reduce your dosage if it causes your cholesterol to drop below 150 mg/dL.

Many doctors fail to tell you that your risk of stroke increases
if your cholesterol becomes too low.

Pregnant or nursing women should not take policosanol without consulting with a health care professional.

Summary
The benefits of policosanol and plant sterols are well documented by numerous studies and come with recommendations from recognized authorities such as Dr. Michael Murray and The American Heart Association. Unlike statin drugs such as Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor, side effects are rare and minimal.

I'm Gene Millen. I've spent hundreds of hours sifting through clinical research for the latest information you (and I) need to know to keep our hearts as strong and vital as our Creator designed them to be.

Are you confused by conflicting claims and media hype about cholesterol, heart disease and how to avoid a heart attack? Who wouldn't be? National author and fitness consultant, James Rippee says it better than I could.

“We have too much knowledge, too much media exposure to ‘breakthroughs and controversies’. What we need is more
common sense!"

Fortunately there is one voice of reason crying in the wilderness of main stream gobbledygook...Dr. Al Sears.

I discovered Dr. Sears about two years ago and have been increasingly impressed with his knowledge and his natural approach to cholesterol and heart disease.

Dr. Sears has a very successful medical practice in Florida and a remarkable track record. He has produced results for thousands of people from around the world.

I've learned an amazing amount of information from Dr. Al and recommend that you take a look at his book, The Doctor's Heart Cure. Just click here to discover how you can dramatically reduce your risks of having a heart attack or stroke.

Gene