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Nutrition Information |
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Policosinol and Cholesterol Reduction
The word cholesterol has become synonymous with poor health. Indeed, one does not typically hear the word used, or see it printed, unless it points to yet another distressing fact -- that high cholesterol is the number one factor for coronary heart disease, and the number one cause of heart attacks[i]. However, cholesterol is, in itself, not a negative thing. On the contrary, cholesterol plays a vital role in forming cell membranes, regulating hormones, insulating nerves, and more. The problem with cholesterol therefore lays not in cholesterol itself, but the amount of cholesterol present in the bloodstream. For most Americans who talk and read about this subject, the scenario almost always involves too much cholesterol, or the condition known as hypercholesterolemia. When there is too much cholesterol in the blood, it cannot easily dissolve, and thus cannot effectively be transported to cells by the carrier called low-density lipoprotein (LDL). This can create a build-up of LDL cholesterol (a.k.a. "bad cholesterol"), and start to interfere with arteries that transport blood to the heart and brain. Both a stroke and a heart attack are the most severe manifestations of LDL cholesterol build-up, and the main reason why so many people are seeking ways to reduce the LDL build-up in their bloodstream[ii]. However, reducing cholesterol has been fraught with challenges. Though reducing or eliminating certain foods from diet is a necessary first step for most individuals, some who suffer from hypercholesterolemia require medical interventions to immediately begin lowering their risk of heart attack or stroke. As such, dozens of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are currently on the market, and while some people have experienced relief due to their use, there are side effects that cause concern, including nausea, diarrhea, muscle tenderness, and increased liver enzymes[iii]. The out-of-pocket costs of these statin drugs can also be cost prohibitive for those not covered by a comprehensive drug plan. However, a natural product called policosinol is generating an unusual amount of attention - both positive and negative - from the medical community in light of its purported cholesterol lowering capacity. Derived from the wax of sugarcanes and honeybees, policosinol is said by some to reduce cholesterol, offer no known side effects, be safe in high doses, increase blood flow, reduce platelet clumps, and prevent atherosclerosis (plaque buildup on the artery walls)[iv]. Studies have been conducted on policosinol efficacy, and there is some empirical research evidence that supports it as a high LDL cholesterol remedy. A 2002 study by researchers at the University of Bonn reviewed 60 clinical trials involving 3000 patients, and concluded with cautious optimism that policosinol is a promising alternative to cholesterol lowering stain drugs, and thus warrants further study[v]. However, those poised to buy policosinol and lower their cholesterol should approach with caution; and this is the message voiced by those who are less than enthusiastic about the policosinol's emergence as something of a wonder cure. Though a natural remedy and thus far not causing the side effects associated with statin drugs, those skeptical about policosinol quickly point out that it is not an FDA approved drug. As such, it has not been subjected to the rigorous testing that comes with approving a new drug, including supervised preclinical trials and standardized testing in successively larger population of people. The fact that the FDA approves 1 out of 5000, or .0002 of the applications that it receives for new drug approval, is an indication of how highly valued - and rare - this approval is. However, this instigates another debate - whether the FDA approval process is the most appropriate way to accept drugs into drug plans, and whether doctors should be permitted to prescribe non-FDA-approved drugs without undue concerns for malpractice lawsuits. Indeed, an MD may have personally benefited from a natural remedy like policosinol, but to prescribe that to a patient requires more support than personal preference, or even personal testimony. And it is the intersection of these two separate debates -- whether policosinol works or not, and whether the FDA approval process is fair or not - that the situation, and verdict on policosinol, currently lies. This debate is frustrating to all sides; including patients themselves, who simply want a real solution. However, despite these frustrations, the fact that efforts are being undertaken to develop - or verify - a remedy that is safe, complete, and free of side-effects - is a step in the right direction. Additional research on policosinol will further clarify whether that step should be towards FDA approval, or towards a warning label. ABOUT PROTICA Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at http://www.protica.com You can also learn about Profect at http://www.profect.com REFERENCES [i] Source: "Heart Mender". CNN.Com. http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/americasbest/science.medicine/pro.pridker.html [ii] Source: "Cholesterol". American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4488 [iii] Source: "Statin Medications: What are the Side Effects?". Mayoclinic.com http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=AN00587 [iv] Source: "Policosinol ". Wholehealthmd.com. http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/substances_view/1,1525,10127,00.html [v] Source: "Policosinol : clinical pharmacology and therapeutic significance of a new lipid-lowering agent". Gouni-Berthold I, Berthold HK. Am Heart J. 2002 Feb;143(2):356-65. Copyright - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com
Look For
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Next use: vacation rental Shaw Local The Best Treehouse Rentals on Airbnb Are a Childhood Fantasy Come True Architectural Digest This Victorian-Era Vacation Rental Is the Perfect Home Base for Wisconsin’s Best Hiking Trails Only In Your State Airbnb to crack down on ‘unauthorized and disruptive’ parties on summer bookings The Spokesman-Review City Council report: Claremont to allow short-term rentals Claremont COURIER Study: Top vacation spots where short-term rental prices jump the most in the high season - Bankrate Southern Utah’s Best-Kept Secret: High-End Hideouts at Sand Hollow FinancialContent This Historic Vacation Rental Is the Perfect Home Base for Ohio’s Best Food and Drink Trails Only In Your State Hawaiʻi County Council revisits more oversight on the short-term rental industry Hawaii Public Radio Vacation rentals in GJ: Smart opportunity for local investors thebusinesstimes.com This Creekside Vacation Rental Is the Perfect Home Base for Indiana’s Best Hiking Trails Only In Your State This Off-Grid Vacation Rental Is the Perfect Home Base for North Cascades National Park’s Best Hiking Trails Only In Your State City has no mercy for illegal vacation rental operators Hawaii News Now Spain Wants Airbnb to Remove 65,000 'Illegal' Rentals. What Will This Mean for Your Summer Plans? Fodors Travel Guide Spain Slaps Down Brutal New Rules On Short-Term Rentals As Popular Travel Hotspots Brace For Major Tourism Shakeup Travel And Tour World Honolulu Can Fine Airbnb, Vrbo for Illegal Vacation Rentals. It Never Has Honolulu Civil Beat Board refines proposed vacation rental regulation changes to focus on management companies The Palm Springs Post 15 Best Airbnbs in Spain, From Ibiza to San Sebastían Condé Nast Traveler StayTerra Expands Its Vacation Rental Collection with Investment in Moving Mountains - Business Wire This Rustic Vacation Rental Is the Perfect Home Base for Illinois’s Best Hiking Trails Only In Your State Vacation Rentals of the Desert Accused of Owing Property Owners, Renters Over $1 Million NBC Palm Springs This New York Cabin Airbnb Has the Most Underrated Fishing Spot Only In Your State Study: Maui Should Phase Out Vacation Rentals With Caution Honolulu Civil Beat Vacation Rentals of the Desert Accused of Owing Millions; Riverside DA Launches Investigation After Public Outcry NBC Palm Springs New York’s top-rated Airbnb revealed — see where it is Press & Sun-Bulletin Plan To Convert Maui Vacation Rentals To Long-Term Housing Delayed Honolulu Civil Beat This Mountain Cabin Is the Perfect Home Base for Tennessee’s Best Hiking Trails - Only In Your State This Treehouse Vacation Rental Is the Perfect Home Base for Arizona’s Best Rail Trails Only In Your State Maui Council To Take Up Bill Phasing Out Vacation Rentals This Summer Honolulu Civil Beat Couple who owns Manasota Key vacation rentals welcomes first renters since Hurricanes Helene, Milton FOX 13 Tampa Bay Community invited to briefing about proposed registration process for short-term vacation rentals Big Island Now 11 Extraordinary Vacation Rentals You'll NEVER Regret Booking House Beautiful Town Tightens Up Vacation Rental Oversight Beach Talk Radio News Vrbo Just Released Its Top Vacation Homes for 2025—and We're Ready to Book Our Next Trip veranda.com Maui mayor's plan to phase out vacation rentals would increase housing but shrink the economy AP News Santa Cruz County moves to rein in vacation rentals Lookout Santa Cruz Fire district nearing 1K vacation rental inspections Anna Maria Islander Uncertain Economy Contributes to Slow Summer Rental Bookings The Vineyard Gazette The Best Vacation Rental Travel Insurance for 2025 U.S. News & World Report Stunning Summer Vacation Rentals Less Than 3 Hours from Alexandria Alexandria Living Magazine Chicago tries again to crack down on Airbnbs, vacation rental industry Chicago Sun-Times Housing panel looks at new rules for rent-setting algorithms, vacation rentals - Evanston RoundTable Housing panel looks at new rules for rent-setting algorithms, vacation rentals Evanston RoundTable No More Vacation Rentals In Maui. Here's How The Mayor's Plan To Strip The Island of Short-Term Rental Will Affect The Economy Yahoo Finance Jersey Shore summer rentals: Here's the good news and bad news for landlords, renters Asbury Park Press Vacation rentals may face new taxes as WA lawmakers eye housing fix The Center Square The 9 Most Remarkable Airbnb Treehouses You’ll Ever Stay At Outside Magazine It's Not Your Imagination: Palm Coast Homes Used as Vacation Rentals Increase by 70% in 2 Years, to Over 500 FlaglerLive Resources for Vacation Rentals for Springs Protection Alachua County Judge strikes down South Lake Tahoe vacation rental limits San Francisco Chronicle Cocoa Beach hikes fees to operate vacation rentals Florida Today Vacation rentals rebound on Anna Maria Island as tourism picks up after 2024 hurricanes Bay News 9 Wyoming’s Most Wish-Listed Vacation Rentals Are Remote Cabins And A Dome Cowboy State Daily Maui transient vacation rental phaseout—more housing, fewer jobs University of Hawaii System Manatee County Commission votes to pursue regulation of short-term vacation rentals Sarasota Herald-Tribune Gulf Shores Rentals Gulf Shores & Orange Beach |
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