Overview

Why support healthy cholesterol levels†**?
It's sensible and easy to do:

Plant sterols are proven to help reduce cholesterol.

†† Scientific evidence proves that including plant sterols in your diet helps to lower blood total and LDL cholesterol levels. Following a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and consuming 400mg or more of plant sterols twice a day may reduce the risk of heart disease.

**Already within normal limits.

Why use Cholesterol Shield^™†?
It's clinically effective!

This powerful blend of plant sterols is backed by research to maintain healthy cholesterol levels already within normal limits. †

It combines clinically-studied ingredients: This unique combination of pantethine and phytosterols works together to:

• Support heart health and healthy cholesterol production.†
• Limit absorption of cholesterol from food.†
• Limit re-absorption of cholesterol from bile.†

Directions

One tablet three times daily, with or immediately before each meal.

Pill Size

Interactions and Depletions

Technical Data

DESCRIPTION
Cholesterol Shield phytosterol blend is a dietary supplement designed to help retain healthy cholesterol levels that are already within normal limits.^† It combines the benefits of pantethine with a proprietary phytosterol blend.

The key ingredients in Cholesterol Shield work together in three ways to help retain healthy cholesterol levels already within normal limits.^† Pantethine acts at the synthesis stage in the liver to help support healthy cholesterol production.^† Phytosterols work in the intestines to help impede the body's ability to absorb cholesterol from foods.^† They also impede reabsorption of cholesterol from the bile.^†

Cholesterol Shield's unique combination of two clinically-studied ingredients, pantethine and phytosterols provide the following benefits:

• Proven to help reduce cholesterol^††
• Triple-action formula
• Effective dosage levels^†

^††Scientific evidence proves that including plant sterols in your diet helps to lower blood total and LDL cholesterol levels. Following a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and consuming 400 mg or more of plant sterols twice a day may reduce the risk of heart disease.

INTRODUCTION
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all cells. Cholesterol is essential for the formation of cell membranes. It is also plays a role in the synthesis of certain hormones, the formation of cholic acid in the liver (relating to the formation of bile salts), and is utilized by the skin in the support of skin integrity.¹

Cholesterol is both produced by the body and obtained from food. Endogenous cholesterol is formed by human cells, particularly liver cells. The liver produces varying amounts, usually about 1,000 milligrams a day. Exogenous cholesterol is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract from food. Approximately 400 to 500 mg (or more) can be contained in foods from animal sources (especially egg yolks, meat, poultry, fish, seafood, and whole-milk dairy products).¹

Cholesterol is lipophilic (“fat loving” or water insoluble) by nature. It cannot be dissolved in the blood, and must, therefore, be transported by carriers known as lipoproteins. These carriers are classified by density, with LDL (low density lipoproteins) and HDL (high density lipoproteins) being the most common.^2,3

LDL is often referred to as “bad” cholesterol. LDLs carry cholesterol throughout the body. Conversely, HDL, or “good” cholesterol, is responsible for carrying cholesterol away from the arteries to the liver where it is eventually processed and eliminated from the body.^2,4,5

Cholesterol is transported throughout the body by the bloodstream. The American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults 20 years of age or older should get their cholesterol checked at least once every five years. Men older than 45 and women older than fifty should have their cholesterol checked more often.⁶ Healthy cholesterol levels already within normal limits are essential for blood vessel health and proper blood flow.¹

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Cholesterol Shield^™ phytosterol blend is a dietary supplement to help retain healthy cholesterol levels that are already within the normal range.^†

Phytosterols
Simply stated, phytosterols are the “fat” of plants. The proprietary phytosterol blend found in Cholesterol Shield occurs naturally and is structurally similar to cholesterol, though its activity is very different. The major phytosterols found in nature are beta-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol. The typical daily diet contains 100-300 mg of phytosterols.⁷

At usual levels of consumption, phytosterols have little effect on blood cholesterol concentration. However, because phytosterols share structural similarities with cholesterol, they bind to sites in the intestines that would be used for cholesterol binding were they not blocked.^†7 Dietary consumption of phytosterols in the 1200 mg per dose range reduces intestinal and biliary cholesterol absorption and helps to retain healthy cholesterol levels that are already within normal limits.^†7

Phytosterols appear to decrease the solubility of cholesterol in the intestines, thus interfering with its absorption. Phytosterols also increase bile salt excretion in the intestines.^†7-12 In humans, administration of phytosterols significantly decreased cholesterol absorption from food by 38%.^†8 Clinical trials show that phytosterol consumption supports cardiovascular health.^†13

Scientific evidence proves that including plant sterols in your diet helps to lower blood total and LDL cholesterol levels. Following a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and consuming 400 mg or more of plant sterols twice a day may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Pantethine
Cholesterol Shield also contains pantethine, a precursor of coenzyme A (CoA). CoA is involved in 70 enzymatic pathways, including cholesterol synthesis. ¹⁴ Pantethine modulates the action of several enzymes, including 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase.^†15,16 Pantethine inhibits the activity of HMG-CoA reductase; this enzyme plays an important part in the pathway of cholesterol synthesis.^†15,17,18

Human studies have demonstrated that pantethine is beneficial for retaining healthy cholesterol levels that are already within normal limits.^†19-23 Additionally, studies have shown that 600 mg of pantethine per day is required to achieve this beneficial support.^†19,20 A year-long trial with pantethine was conducted in 24 individuals. The treatment was well tolerated with no subjective complaints or detectable side effects. Blood lipid assays repeated after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment revealed consistent benefit for retaining healthy cholesterol levels that are already within normal limits.^†21

In another study, the effect of pantethine (various mg doses daily for 3 to 6 months) was evaluated in 72 individuals. The results demonstrated that pantethine was tolerated well and retained healthy cholesterol levels that were already within normal limits.^†22

Combination of Phytosterols and Pantethine
Since pantethine and phytosterols exert their beneficial effects in different ways, it is theorized that a product combining both complimentary ingredients may synergistically provide even greater levels of significant support.^†

In a clinical study, patients received Cholesterol Shield™ for 24 weeks. Cholesterol Shield was found to support healthy cholesterol levels already within normal limits.^† In addition, this study showed that Cholesterol Shield supports healthy HDL/LDL ratio and healthy triglyceride levels already within the normal range.^†

Mechanisms of Action on Cholesterol Metabolism
The following table illustrates the potential synergies between phytosterols and pantethine:

Ingredient	Mechanisms
Phytosterols	Helps reduce cholesterol absorption from food† Helps increase bile salt excretion†
Pantethine	Helps inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis† Helps inhibits fatty acid biosynthesis† Helps increase fatty acid oxidation (catabolism)†

Conclusion
Cholesterol Shield^™ clinical formula with its powerful blend of plant sterols and pantethine, supports healthy cholesterol levels already within normal limits and contributes to a healthy cardiovascular system.^†

RECOMMENDATIONS
One tablet three times daily, with or immediately before each meal.

PRECAUTIONS
If you are pregnant, nursing, or taking prescription drugs, consult your healthcare practitioner prior to use.

The phytosterols and pantethine in Cholesterol Shield are well tolerated at the recommended dose.

A small number of transient mild gastrointestinal problems have been associated with ingestion of pantethine. Usually, they are reversed quickly when pantethine is taken with food.¹⁴

HOW IS IT SUPPLIED?

• 05519; 90 tablets

STORAGE RECOMMENDATIONS
Store at controlled room temperature, 59° to 86°F (15° – 30°C).

REFERENCES

1. Guyton AC, Hall JE. Lipid Metabolism. In: Textbook of Medical Physiology. Philadelphia, Penn: W.B. Saunders; 1996:872-873.
2. Lehninger AL, Nelson DL, Cox MM. Bioenergetics and Metabolism. In: Principles of Biochemistry. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Worth Publishers; 1993:674-681.
3. About Cholesterol. American Heart Association. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=512. Accessed November 7, 2008.
4. Marieb E. Lipid Metabolism. In: Human Anatomy and Physiology. San Francisco, CA: Pearson Benjamin Cummings; 2004:966-969.
5. LDL and HDL Cholesterol: What's Bad and What's Good? American Heart Association. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=180. Accessed November 7, 2008.
6. How to get Your Cholesterol Checked. American Heart Association. Available at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=541. Accessed on November 7, 2008.
7. Executive Summary of The Third Report of The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, And Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol In Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001;285:2486-2497.
8. Maki KC, Davidson MH, Umporowicz DM, et al. Lipid responses to plant-sterol-enriched reduced-fat spreads incorporated into a National Cholesterol Education Program Step I diet. Am J Clin Nutr. 2001;74:33-43.
9. Jones P, Ntanios FY, Raeini-Sarjaz M, Vanstone CA. Cholesterol-lowering efficacy of a sitostanol-containing phytosterol mixture with a prudent diet in hyperlipidemic men. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;69:1144-1150.
10. Normen L, Dutta P, Lia A, Andersson H. Soy sterol esters and beta-sitostanol ester as inhibitors of cholesterol absorption in human small bowel. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71:908-913.
11. Pelletier X, Belbraouet S, Mirabel D, et al. A diet moderately enriched in phytosterols lowers plasma cholesterol concentrations in normocholesterolemic humans. Ann Nutr Metab. 1995;39:291-295.
12. Hendriks HF, Weststrate JA, van Vilet T, Meijer GW. Spreads enriched with three different levels of vegetable oil sterols and the degree of cholesterol lowering in normocholesterolaemic and mildly hypercholesterolaemic subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1999;53:319-327.
13. Moruisi KG, Oosthuizen W, Opperman AM. Phytosterols/stanols lower cholesterol concentrations in familial hypercholesterolemic subjects: a systematic review with meta-analysis. J Am Coll Nutr. 2006 Feb;25(1):41-8.
14. Hallikainen MA, Sarkkinen ES, Gylling H, Erkkila AT, Uusitupa MI. Comparison of the effects of plant sterol and plant stanol ester-enriched margarines in lowering serum cholesterol concentrations in hypercholesterolaemic subjects on a low-fat diet. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2000;54:715-725.
15. Pantethine. Monograph. Altern Med Rev. 1998;379-381.
16. Cighetti G, Del Puppo M, Paroni R, Galli G, Kienle MG. Effects of pantethine on cholesterol synthesis from mevalonate in isolated rat hepatocytes. Atherosclerosis. 1986;60:67-77.
17. Cighetti G, Del Puppo M, Paroni R, Fiorica E, Galli Kienle M. Pantethine inhibits cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis and stimulate carbon dioxide formation in isolated rat hepatocytes. J Lipid Res. 1987;28:152-161.
18. Hsu JC, Tanaka K, Inayama I, Ohtani S. Effects of pantethine on lipogenesis and CO2 production in the isolated hepatocytes of the chick. Comp Biochem Physiol. 1992;569-572.
19. McCarty. Inhibition of acetyl-CoA carboxylase by cystamine may mediate the hypotriglyceridemic activity of pantethine. Med Hypotheses. 2001;56:314-317.
20. Gaddi A, Descovich GC, Noseda G, et al. Controlled evaluation of pantethine, a natural hypolipidemic compound, in patients with different forms of hyperlipoproteinemia. Atherosclerosis. 1984;50:73-83.
21. Arsenio L, Bodria P, Magnati G, Strata A, Trovato R. Effectiveness of long-term treatment with pantethine in patients with dyslipidemia. Clin Ther. 1986;8:537-544.
22. Bertolini S, Donati C, Elicio, et al. Lipoprotein changes induced by pantethine in hyperlipoproteinemic patients: adults and children. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxcol. 1986;24:630-637.
23. Eto M, Watanabe K, Chonan N, Ishii K. Lowering effect of pantethine on plasma beta-thromboglobulin and lipids in diabetic mellitus. Artery. 1987;15:1-12.

Ingredients

Frequently Asked Questions

Ask a Question

Submit a question and our panel of experts will respond within 24-48 hours.

Product:	Cholesterol Shield™†
*Name:
*Email:
Phone:
*Your Question:

Find a Store