According to a trial result it is said that the dietary supplement policosanol is no better than a placebo.
According to a trial result it is said that the dietary supplement policosanol is no better than a placebo. This drug is used as an alternative to reduce cholesterol. It is made from the waxy coating on sugar cane and sometimes from beeswax, wheat germ and rice bran. The study results were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study was conducted by Heiner Berthold of the University of Cologne, Germany. The drug contains alcohols which act on cholesterol metabolism in the liver in a different way than statins. The study analysed 143 patients with high cholesterol for a period of nine months. They were given 80 milligrams of policosanol per day or a placebo. In the end it was found that no significant differences were found. But the author says that more independent studies are necessary to prove the effect of the drug.
