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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(NUI) - Almost 50 percent of adults, a staggering 105 million Americans, have borderline high or higher total blood cholesterol levels. Since high cholesterol can lead to an increased risk for heart disease, this near epidemic must be addressed.
Experts say foods containing added plant sterols, naturally sourced plant extracts, have been found to help lower total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol. This benefit comes from the plant sterols' ability to block the absorption of cholesterol.
Because of this discovery, people may soon notice a variety of new products that contain plant sterols. And these products will not just be found in health food stores.
For instance, Minute Maid has just introduced Premium Heart Wise Orange Juice, a new product that contains 1 gram of plant sterols in each 8 fluid ounce serving.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, if consumed twice a day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, foods containing at least 0.4 grams of plant sterols per serving may reduce the risk of heart disease.
In a recent clinical study conducted at a major medical center, participants significantly lowered their LDL cholesterol by drinking two servings of Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise daily with meals for eight weeks. The benefits of this juice were demonstrated in people with normal to borderline high cholesterol.
And after tasting both, consumers said they liked the new juice as much as Minute Maid Premium Original Orange Juice.
"We've known for some time that plant sterols help reduce cholesterol levels," said Kim Galeaz, a registered dietitian. "Adding plant sterols to a naturally fat-free product such as orange juice makes sense because it's a good-for-you drink that many adults already are consuming daily."
Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise Orange Juice is available in grocery stores nationwide and is comparably priced with other 64-ounce Minute Maid juices. For more information, visit www.minutemaid.com.
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