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Policosanol is a mixture of very long chain alcohols that is purified from sugar cane wax. Approximately 67% of policosanol is octacosanol. Although some research has been conducted using policosanol, little research is currently available that focuses on octacosanol alone. One preliminary clinical study in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease- a chronic, progressive, neurologic disease in which loss of nerve cells produces muscle paralysis) patients showed no measurable benefit from octacosanol. As octacosanol is the main component of policosanol, more research is needed to determine if octacosanol is the primary active component of policosanol.
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