The body is an amazing machine far more sophisticated than even the most complex of human-created technology. However, as we all know, the human body has limits, and for people who take health seriously, that translates to concern for the health of the heart. Fortunately, people concerned about heart health or have a history of heart disease will celebrate emerging products in the food marketplace that include high doses of plant sterols.

In 2000, the FDA approved plant sterol-infused products as foods that significantly lower cholesterol when consumed regularly over a period of time. The reason that plant sterols lower the body’s total cholesterol is because plant sterols (which come from plants) are healthy. The body needs cholesterol for cell health, but most people consume too much of the stuff when they eat foods like butter or transfat margarine that are particularly high in regular cholesterol. Plant sterols are not only healthier than other kinds of cholesterol, but also block the body’s absorption of “bad” cholesterol so that the artery-clogging stuff exits the body with the rest of the waste. This discovery is proven through a number of scientific studies.

Although the news about plant sterols has been around for almost 10 years, only recently have food companies developed products that put these discoveries to good use. Regrettably, simply consuming natural foods with plant sterols (like fruits, vegetables, soy, etc) is not an effective way of taking advantage of this discovery. Given the amount of natural plant sterols in organic foods, a person would have to eat several pounds of fruits, vegetable, and nuts a day to get enough plant sterols to have any effect on cholesterol levels.

Fortunately, emerging products by Smart Balance such as Smart Balance Butter Spread or CoroWise are available on the market as safe, cholesterol-lowering products that contain no saturated fat or transfat. These products are infused with concentrated plant sterols which–when consumed daily–can result in up to a 15% reduction in the body’s overall cholesterol over a period of time. Clinical studies have been done to test the validity of claims. If you want to challenge yourself to lower your cholesterol and improve the health of your heart, definitely check out these emerging products.

Learn about the difference between butter versus margarine or view information about margarine alternatives.

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