Did you know your orange juice for breakfast and crackers for a snack may help lower high cholesterol levels? We’re talking about orange juice and crackers that have been fortified with plant sterols. The best part about foods fortified with plant sterols is they taste and look like regular food plus they are very effective in helping to reduce cholesterol that is too high.
Plant sterols occur naturally in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, nuts and seeds and have powerful cholesterol-lowering properties. Some health experts believe them to be one of the most effective dietary approaches to help control high cholesterol. They help lower bad cholesterol ( LDL) by competing for absorption with cholesterol found in foods.
Plant foods contain small amounts of plant sterols. You would need to eat 44 apples or 26 oranges to get the same amount of plant sterols found in fortified foods. Manufacturers have tried to make it easier to get this heart-healthy nutrient by extracting the compound and adding concentrated amounts to food. Fortified foods virtually have no difference in taste or appearance. Plant sterol-containing foods include:
- Minute Maid Heart Wise orange juice
- Kashi Heart to Heart whole grain crackers with plant sterols
- Kardea nutrition bars
- Corazonas Heart-Healthy tortilla and potato chips
- Centrum Cardio multi-vitamin
- Silk Heart Health soy milk
- Benecol and Take Control margarine spreads
The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends consuming 2 grams of plant sterols daily. When consumed as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, plant sterols may reduce LDL cholesterol by 5– 15%, which may result in a 25% reduction in heart disease risk. Refer to food labels to determine the exact amount of plant sterols per serving. Most fortified foods recommend 2 servings each day with meals.
Talk to a Hy-Vee dietitian for more information. The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.
