Cholagest - How it Works

Background

We have taken the innovative step of combining policosanol, a nutritional supplement from crushed sugar cane known for its cholesterol fighting properties, with coenzyme Q10 which has been called one of the "most important dietary supplements of the new millennium”. In addition, we have added the well-documented, metabolic fat-burning power of niacin along with concentrated anti-oxidants from red grape seed, ActiVin®, which have been shown to attenuate development of atherosclerotic plaque.

Policosanol – has recently been shown to be effective in fighting high cholesterol levels as published in a medium-sized human clinical study comparing policosanol against a statin drug¹. Policosanol appears to be advantageous, compared with statin type drugs, in that unwarranted side-effects, such as muscle weakness are insignificant and patient compliance is higher. Of course the conscious will of patients, with high cholesterol to remain on prescription, is one key factor to returning these people to healthy cholesterol levels.

Coenzyme Q10 (Co Q10) - is the critical coenzyme which transfers the energy from food, such as sugars and fats, into the mitochondrial enzymes which synthesis NADH, ATP and GTP – thee latter two are the well known triphosphates. ATP and GTP are the two forms of exchangeable energy used as “currency” by every cell in the body. In addition, Co Q10 is a powerful antioxidant which plays a key role in keeping your mitochondria from becoming irreversibly damaged by reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. These two ROS are synthesized by “mistake” during oxygen reduction in your mitochondria. Co Q10 supplementation is vital for patients already on statin drugs, for these cholesterol inhibitors are known to reduce the level of this anti-oxidant in humans – Co Q10 deficiency is one root cause for the documented muscle weakness often felt by these subjects². Ingestion of large amounts of Co Q10 has documented benefit for possibly preventing pathologies such as Parkinson’s disease³ and Co Q10 is now thought an acquired vitamin by some⁴.

Niacin - is required in high amounts to help burn food in the mitochondria. Niacin, in combination with adenosine, composes the key coenzymes NAD and NADP which shuttle energy throughout this sub-cellular organelle. NAD and NADP react via specific enzymes with lipids and simple sugars such as glycerol, to yield NADH and NADPH thus oxidizing fats and sugars. NADH and NADPH in turn are “burned” by atmospheric oxygen creating ATP and GTP in the mitochondria. Niacin, if ingested by itself, sometimes exhibits the puzzling phenomenon of facial flushing along with hot flashes. These are totally benign and quickly pass without consequence, but undesirable from the patient’s viewpoint. We have included inositol hexaniacinamide in place of simple niacin, a compact form of covalently “locked” niacinamide, which only slowly releases niacin in the bloodstream thus avoiding unwanted flushing.

ActiVin - Lastly included are 50mg of ActiVin grape seed extract, a multi-purpose and powerful antioxidant that has been shown in clinical studies to be quite useful in supporting cardiovascular health . The proanthocyanidins have been found to reduce atherosclerotic plague in lab studies.

References

1. Castano, G., et al. (2003). Comparison of the efficacy and tolerability of policosanol with atorvastatin in elderly patients with type II hypercholesterolaemia. Drugs and Aging 20(2): 153-163.
2. Crane, F.L. (2001). Biochemical functions of Coenzyme Q10. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 20(6): 591-598.
3. Shults, C.W. et al., (2002). Effects of coenzyme Q10 in early Parkinson’s disease. Archives of Neurology 59: 1541-1550.
4. Wikipedia “Coenzyme Q”, August 2006.

Supplement Facts - Cholagest

Quality Assurance Statement - Anabolic Laboratories

Founded in 1924, Anabolic Laboratories formulates and manufactures clinical nutrition products. Our expertise in pharmaceutical manufacturing, patient programs, and clinician training sets the standard for health care professionals.

At Biossential Nutrition, we pride ourselves in offering the best products available to our customers. Offering the highest quality products & individual ingredients, as well as ensuring our products are effective & work as advertised, are the mains goals we strive to achieve with our product offerings.

Why We Recommend Anabolic Laboratories Nutritional Supplements

History

Anabolic Laboratories was founded as a nutritional products company in 1924 and became a pharmaceutical manufacturer in 1940. Anabolic Laboratories is one of the oldest manufacturers of nutritional products in the world.

Standards

As a pharmaceutical manufacturing operation, the standards used for raw materials, production and finished product testing exceed the new requirements for nutritional product manufacturing.

Quality

Pharmaceutical standards of manufacturing provide nutritional products with label accuracy, potency and purity as dictated by the USFDA (United States Food & Drug Administration).

Formulas

A nutritional program and clinical formulas that are based on the specifications used in the scientific research.

The Need To Consider Quality:

Of the magnesium supplements tested by ConsumerLab.com, 25% failed to meet quality standards. One magnesium supplement contained only 45.4% of labeled amount, despite boasting a "GMP" (Good Manufacturing Practices) seal on its label, and another supplement provided only 28.8% of the labeled amount.
Reference: ConsumerLab.com, Magnesium Supplement Reviews and Quality Ratings, Posted 5/19/09

Tests by ConsumerLab.com have found multivitamins that were short on ingredients, failed to dissolve properly, or were contaminated with heavy metals.
ConsumerLab.com, New Product Review: Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplements, Posted 4/1/09

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found that manufacturing problems have been associated with dietary supplements. Products been recalled because of microbiological, pesticide, and heavy metal contamination, and because they do not contain the dietary ingredients they are represented to contain, or they contain more or less than the amount of dietary ingredient claimed on the label.
Reference: June 22, 2007, FDA @ http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dscgmps7.html