A natural way to keep cholesterol away
May 14, 2002 | 12:00am
Cholesterol has been getting a bad rap. Accused as the cause of body disorders. Tagged as the culprit behind some of today’s killer and dreaded diseases. These charges are not entirely baseless. A high concentration of cholesterol hardens the arteries that carry blood – and oxygen – to the heart, causing a fatal sickness called arteriosclerosis.
But this sterol found in most body tissues is indispensable to the human anatomy. Comprising a good part of our brain, cholesterol empowers the body to function well.
So what gives? Most health experts believe that the real killer is not cholesterol per se but the sedentary lifestyle of this age.
Medical statistics buttress this observation.
In its latest nutrition survey, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute revealed that four out of 10 Filipino adults have high cholesterol levels way beyond the normal amount. These adults have cholesterol levels as high as 240 mg/dL, much higher than the safe level of 159.2 mg/dL.
To date, physicians have identified a possible match to cholesterol – a group of drugs called statins. These drugs lower blood cholesterol by inhibiting the function of a liver enzyme responsible for the buildup of cholesterol in the liver cells.
Statins, widely considered the most effective cholesterol control treatment, are found most potent at 20-40 mg doses where they are safe and free from major side effects. A higher dosage is found to cause liver damage and muscle disorder.
Studies show statins perform more wonders if taken with a nutritional supplement called squalene, a health supplement that is naturally derived from the liver of deep-sea dogfish.
Dr. Brian Tomlinson, head of clinical research of the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong, conducted one of these studies.
Published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Dr. Tomlinson and his colleagues conducted a double blind and randomized clinical trial involving elderly patients with hypercholesterolemia. They were given a dose of 860 mg of squalene equivalent to two capsules and 10 mg of pravastatine (a statin drug), either alone or in combination for a period of 20 weeks.
The results: Squalene reduced LDL (bad cholesterol) levels by 22.2% and total cholesterol by 17.3%. Combining squalene with pravastatine cut total cholesterol by 36.6% compared to 23.5% with pravastatine alone. An 860 mg of squalene in tandem with 10 mg of pravastatine was more potent in lowering blood cholesterol than 10 mg of pravastatine alone.
Joey Bonifacio, president and CEO of Issho Genki Corporation, which distributes squalene in the Philippines, said squalene is a nutritional supplement, not a drug.
He said Issho Genki’s Squalene iP6, currently the leading squalene brand on the market, is standardized, tested and accepted by leading hospitals and institutions.
But this sterol found in most body tissues is indispensable to the human anatomy. Comprising a good part of our brain, cholesterol empowers the body to function well.
So what gives? Most health experts believe that the real killer is not cholesterol per se but the sedentary lifestyle of this age.
Medical statistics buttress this observation.
In its latest nutrition survey, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute revealed that four out of 10 Filipino adults have high cholesterol levels way beyond the normal amount. These adults have cholesterol levels as high as 240 mg/dL, much higher than the safe level of 159.2 mg/dL.
To date, physicians have identified a possible match to cholesterol – a group of drugs called statins. These drugs lower blood cholesterol by inhibiting the function of a liver enzyme responsible for the buildup of cholesterol in the liver cells.
Statins, widely considered the most effective cholesterol control treatment, are found most potent at 20-40 mg doses where they are safe and free from major side effects. A higher dosage is found to cause liver damage and muscle disorder.
Studies show statins perform more wonders if taken with a nutritional supplement called squalene, a health supplement that is naturally derived from the liver of deep-sea dogfish.
Dr. Brian Tomlinson, head of clinical research of the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong, conducted one of these studies.
Published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Dr. Tomlinson and his colleagues conducted a double blind and randomized clinical trial involving elderly patients with hypercholesterolemia. They were given a dose of 860 mg of squalene equivalent to two capsules and 10 mg of pravastatine (a statin drug), either alone or in combination for a period of 20 weeks.
The results: Squalene reduced LDL (bad cholesterol) levels by 22.2% and total cholesterol by 17.3%. Combining squalene with pravastatine cut total cholesterol by 36.6% compared to 23.5% with pravastatine alone. An 860 mg of squalene in tandem with 10 mg of pravastatine was more potent in lowering blood cholesterol than 10 mg of pravastatine alone.
Joey Bonifacio, president and CEO of Issho Genki Corporation, which distributes squalene in the Philippines, said squalene is a nutritional supplement, not a drug.
He said Issho Genki’s Squalene iP6, currently the leading squalene brand on the market, is standardized, tested and accepted by leading hospitals and institutions.
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