Policosanol
Policosanol is a mixture of alcohols isolated from cane sugar wax. Policosanol is well known to help control cholesterol and blood pressure.
Cholesterol is an important substance in our body, but high cholesterol contributes to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and stroke.
Clinical tests that show that consuming policosanol helps control cholesterol and blood pressure. In one study, 52 female participants were divided into a policosanol consumption group and a non-consumption group. Participants took a daily dose (10 mg) of policosanol or a placebo for 8 weeks.
The results of this research showed that the policosanol group showed a significant decrease in their average systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels by 10% and 14%, respectively, whereas the placebo group did not show any change in their systolic or diastolic blood pressure levels during the 8 week study. Also, the policosanol group showed a 19% reduction in total cholesterol levels and a 14% reduction in triglyceride levels, whereas the control group did not show any differences. Moreover, the level of LDL cholesterol, called bad cholesterol, decreased by 35% but the level of HDL cholesterol, called good cholesterol, increased by 38%.
In conclusion, the consumption of policosanol resulted in lower blood pressure levels and improved good cholesterol levels which can contribute to the prevention of aging-regulated disease, hypertension, and stroke.
This paper was published in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity.
Reference
Cho KH, Kim SJ, Yadav D, Kim JY, Kim JR (2018) Consumption of Cuban Policosanol Improves Blood Pressure and Lipid Profile via Enhancement of HDL Functionality in Healthy Women Subjects: Randomized, Double-Blinded, and Placebo-Controlled Study. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018: 4809525.
