Thursday, April 13, 2006

Beeswax One Source of Cholesterol-Lowering Drug

Drug May Help Cut Your LDL
Richard Harkness, Sun Herald (USA), 4/13/2006

Q: Due to the cost of Zocor and the need for long-term use, I'm interested in trying policosanol to lower my cholesterol. But could you tell me why policosanol, which comes from sugar cane, has the same side effects as drugs like Zocor?

A: Zocor (simvastatin) is one of the cholesterol-lowering prescription drugs called statins.

I'm wondering how you came by your notion that policosanol has the same side effects as statin drugs, which doesn't seem to be the case. More on this shortly.

Policosanol, a dietary supplement, is a mixture of waxy alcohols derived primarily from sugar cane. Other sources include wheat germ, rice, beeswax and yams

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