Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death worldwide. A healthy balanced diet, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, can help reduct the risk. But so too can plant sterols and stanols, which have been clinically proven to reduce cholesterol levels. These ingredients are often added to breakfast cereals, which can then make the claim: ‘Plant sterols have been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol. Blood cholesterol lowering may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.’
High levels of cholesterol are believed to be bad for the heart. Increasing numbers of people in the western world now take statin drugs to help reduce the levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol in their bloodstream, as it can lead to blocked arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. But a number of …
