Policosanol Comparison from Google and MSN Searches.

There are dozens of cholesterol lowering products on the market and the policosanol comparison choices can be mind boggling. I have chosen the following products as a representative sampling of what is available. The comparison isn't perfect but I've done my best to make it helpful.

I have prioritized this comparison in the order of importance. If you jump down to price (we are conditioned to do this) and skip the rest you are not doing yourself a favor. There are a couple of sayings you should remember... "You get what you pay for." and "Let the buyer beware."

• The manufacturer's credentials. You should be aware that nutritional supplements are not regulated by FDA and there are a lot of products that are not what they seem to be.

• In a study conducted by ConsumerLab four of seven policosanol products tested contained only 23% to 78% of the amount listed on the label. If quality is important to you be certain that the manufacturer of the supplement meets the Good Manufacturing Practices standards. This insures you that what you see on the label is actually in the bottle!

• The ingredients used. The original studies were conducted with policosanol derived from sugar cane. It's wise to avoid policosanol made with bees wax, rice wax or other plant waxes as many are not as effective as the sugar cane formulas. The University of Kansas Hospital  "Natural Pharmacist" website reports, "There is reason for concern that  policosanol products made with bees wax may not be effective."

• The ingredient details. It is a pattern of mass marketers to omit disclosure of the ingredient details, such as the percentage of octacosanol or the breakdown of the the other aliphatic alcohols. It's a little like baking your favorite pie or cake. If you substitute poor ingredients you won't be happy with the results.

• The sellers guarantee. Most web retailers have a 30 day guarantee and some don't have any. The problem is you won't know if the policosanol is effective for 8-12 weeks because it takes that long for it to work. Choose a retailer with a 90 day or longer guarantee.

• The price. I'm part Scotch so you know I like a bargain...but cheap policosanol is rarely a bargain.

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