Policosanol
by NOW · capsule · 90 vcaps(R)
- Off the market since July 2012 (NIH)
- UPC 7 33739 01824 3
- DSLD label 2838
- Serving 1 vegetarian capsule
Policosanol by NOW lists 5 ingredients, 5 with an amount per serving of 1 vegetarian capsule, such as 20 mg of policosanol, 100 mg of artichoke extract, 100 mg of milk thistle extract and 50 mg of alpha lipoic acid. Its current label entered the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database on December 23, 2011.
What is in Policosanol?
Each row as the label prints it, per serving of 1 vegetarian capsule. The capsule beside an amount places it among every product in the NIH database that lists the same ingredient: the bar is the middle half of their amounts, the line in it the median, the whiskers the 10th and 90th percentiles; the green tick is the FDA Daily Value and the red dashed tick the adult upper limit (IOM).
| Ingredient | Amount | % DV | Among products listing it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Policosanolas Sugar CanePolicosanol (Form: from Sugar Cane) | 20 mg | Higher than 65% of 223 products listing policosanol (median 10 mg). Per day at the most servings: 40 mg. | |
| Artichoke Extractas CynarinArtichoke Extract (Form: min. 2% Cynarin) PlantPart: Leaf Genus: Cynara Species: scolymus | 100 mg | 46% of 433 products listing artichoke give more (median 100 mg). Per day at the most servings: 200 mg. | |
| Milk Thistle extractas SilymarinMilk Thistle extract (Form: min. 80% Silymarin) PlantPart: fruit/seeds Genus: Silybum Species: marianum | 100 mg | 65% of 1,277 products listing milk thistle give more (median 175 mg). Per day at the most servings: 200 mg. | |
| Alpha Lipoic Acid | 50 mg | 47% of 2,407 products listing alpha lipoic acid give more (median 50 mg). Per day at the most servings: 100 mg. | |
| Grape Seed ExtractGrape Seed Extract Genus: Vitis Species: vinifera Note: min. 90% Total Polyphenols | 30 mg | 65% of 1,900 products listing grape give more (median 50 mg). Per day at the most servings: 60 mg. |
Source: NIH ODS Dietary Supplement Label Database, label 2838 (entered December 23, 2011), version 9.4.0. See the label on DSLD. Amounts are what the maker printed; DSLD does not test products. Daily Values: the FDA's Daily Value page.
Is that a lot?
Every amount on this label with a position sits within the middle 80% of the products that list the same ingredient.
The NIH database records 1 to 2 servings a day from the label's directions; its % Daily Values are for adults and children 4 or more years of age. The directions as printed are further down this page.
The Tolerable Upper Intake Level is the most of a nutrient per day, from food, water and supplements together, that is likely to pose no risk for almost all adults (Institute of Medicine, 2011). It does not apply under medical supervision. This page compares labels; it is not medical advice.
Sources: amounts from the DSLD label; Daily Values from 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv); adult upper limits from the Institute of Medicine's DRI summary tables (2011). How positions are computed.
Which products have the closest formulas?
The products whose ingredient lists overlap most with Policosanol's, rare ingredients counting for more.
- Double Strength Policosanol 20 mgNOW 5 shared, 78% alike
- SytrinolNOW 3 shared, 56% alike
- Liver DetoxDivine Health 3 shared, 43% alike
- Milk Thistle 175 mgVitabase 2 shared, 40% alike
- Standardized ArtichokeNature's Way · off the market 2 shared, 40% alike
- Sytrinol Cholesterol FormulaProtocol For Life Balance · off the market 3 shared, 39% alike
Source: ingredient lists of every product's current label in DSLD (version 9.4.0); similarity weights each shared ingredient by how rare it is.
What does the label say about taking it?
Quoted from the label as DSLD transcribed it: the maker's words, including any claim about what the product does, which the FDA has not evaluated and PlainVitamins does not endorse.
- Directions
- SUGGESTED USAGE: As a dietary supplement, take 1 Vcap(R) 1 to 2 times daily, preferably with food.
- Warnings
- Contains soy derivative.
- Allergens and what it does not contain
- Contains no salt, wheat, gluten, milk, egg, shellfish or preservatives.
- Storage
- Store in a cool, dry place. Please Recycle.
Source: label statements in DSLD label 2838.
What else is on the label?
Other ingredients: Vegetable Polysaccharide, Maltodextrin, Rice Flour, Magnesium Stearate, Silica.
Seals and symbols as the label prints them (the maker's; a certifier's own list confirms a seal): QUALITY GMP ASSURED.
How many labels does Policosanol have?
One label is on file, entered on December 23, 2011.
- Label 2838 (current) Entered December 23, 2011 · off the market July 3, 2012 · 90 vcaps(R) · UPC 7 33739 01824 3
DSLD also links this label to: Double Strength Policosanol 20 mg (image difference, same product), Double Strength Policosanol 20 mg (image difference, same product), Double Strength Policosanol 20 mg (image difference, same product), Double Strength Policosanol 20 mg (image difference, same product), Double Strength Policosanol 20 mg (image difference, same product), Double Strength Policosanol 20 mg (image difference, same product).
Source: DSLD label entry and market events, version 9.4.0 (labels entered through September 25, 2025).
Who makes it?
The label names NOW FOODS (manufacturer), Bloomingdale, IL. All NOW products.