Policosanols - Are these waxy plant components capable of lowering serum-cholesterol levels?

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death and disability in industrialized countries. During the last few years, potential health promoting effects of policosanols have been controversially discussed. Policosanols are described as a mixture of naturally occurring long-chain aliphatic alcohols derived from sugar-cane wax. When administered at 5 to 20 mg/day, policosanols are said to lower serum cholesterol levels. Various studies, most of them of Cuban origin, report that policosanols have cholesterol lowering effects comparable to that of statins. Based on the results of Cuban research groups, policosanols are world-wide distributed as OTC products for which serum cholesterol lowering action without side-effects is claimed. However, recent studies of research groups outside of Cuba have not found a correlation between policosanol intervention and reduced serum cholesterol concentrations, In view of these controversial results, further research into the cholesterol lowering effect and its potential mechanism of action is recommended. At present, however, therapeutic supplementation of policosanols to lower serum cholesterol levels is not advisable.