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Embargoed:
00.01am, 19 August 2009
CONSUMERS DUPED BY CHOLESTEROL CLAIMS
With cholesterol levels in adult Australians remaining alarmingly high, it’s time that savvy Australians
based their food choices on the facts to ensure they get the cholesterol lowering benefits they need.
Many foods claim they are good for cholesterol, but these often fail to give the whole story about their
actual effect.
Fifty percent of adult Australians are affected by high cholesterol levels (above 5.5mmol/L), a figure
that largely remains unchanged since 1980.
i
Accurate information about the most effective foods to
manage cholesterol is important if we are to improve this statistic.
Accredited Practicing Dietitian and best-selling author of the Australian Healthy Shopping Guide, and
the Australian Healthy Cooking Guide Caron Milham says it’s a case of buyer beware in the
supermarket.
“We need to look at the facts behind marketing claims to ensure the foods we buy deliver the health
benefits we want. We need to look beyond claims like ‘cholesterol free’ on some vegetable oils or
crisps as vegetable oils don’t actually contain cholesterol - only products with animal fat contain
cholesterol. Moreover, the amount of saturated fat in food affects blood cholesterol levels much more
than the amount of cholesterol it contains.
“Most people can lower their cholesterol by choosing an active lifestyle, achieving and maintaining a
healthy body weight, and eating better. This means eating less food high in saturated and, trans fats
and cholesterol and replacing some of these fats with foods high in polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated fats such as healthy oils, nuts and seeds. It also means eating more vegetables,
fruits, wholegrain breads and cereals, legumes, oily fish or fish oil, and choosing reduced fat dairy
products and lean meats and poultry.
“In addition, plant sterol enriched foods, like some margarine spreads, and increasing foods high in
soluble fibre, like oats, legumes, fruit and vegetables can also help lower cholesterol absorption
because they prevent some of the cholesterol from being absorbed or reabsorbed. (This cholesterol is
from the food we eat and from bile produced by the liver.),” says Milham.
Oat products actively use cholesterol claims but don’t tell the whole story. Consumers need to know
eating three bowls of oat cereal a day will only give half the results of a one rounded tablespoon of
Flora pro-activ, a plant sterol enriched spread
ii
. A more realistic one bowl a day will have even less of
an effect. While olive oil is a good oil rich in monounsaturated fats, when it comes to affecting
cholesterol absorption Flora pro-activ is 10 times more effective. Similarly fish, especially oily fish, is a
healthy food for the heart, however contrary to popular belief, fish has no effect on cholesterol.
A recent review of food and cholesterol studies supports the effectiveness of plant sterols when
compared to other foods. The plant sterols in just 1 rounded tablespoon (25g) of Flora pro-activ a day
-
the amount typically spread on three slices of bread - lowers cholesterol absorption by 10% in 3
weeks on average, plus an additional 5% when moving to a healthy diet
iii
. Other food such as oats,
almonds and olive oil don’t come close in comparison. The cholesterol absorption lowering power of
Flora pro-activ cannot be beaten by any other food.
Media Release
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The effectiveness of plant sterols in combating cholesterol is also supported by the Heart Foundation
in their recent Position Statement on Dietary fats and dietary sterols for cardiovascular health
iv
.
Despite this, there are plenty of misunderstandings about Flora pro-activ, says Accredited Nutritionist
for Flora, Brooke Sprott.
“People say you need to eat a lot of Flora pro-activ for it to work but the fact is a rounded tablespoon
(25g) is all you need to lower cholesterol absorption by 10% in 3 weeks on average, and up to 15% if
you improve the rest of your diet as well.
It’s easy to eat this amount because Flora pro-activ is versatile. Flora pro-activ can be spread on
bread, toast or crispbread, melted over vegetables or used in baking as a much healthier alternative
to butter.”
“The other common belief is Flora pro-activ is expensive but it actually offers good value because it is
scientifically proven to work and only costs 50c a day.”
“When 1 in 2 adult Australians are affected by cholesterol, it’s important for consumers to know which
foods work best to get it down,” says Sprott.
-- ENDS –
Issued by Publicis Life Brands on behalf of Unilever Australasia.
i
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). High blood cholesterol. Available at URL
ii
15. Ripsin CM, Keenan JM, Jacobs DR, Elmer PJ, Welch RR, Van Horn L, Liu K, Turnbull WH, Thye FW, Kestin M, et al. Oat
products and lipid lowering. A meta-analysis. JAMA 1992; 267:3317-3325.
iii
Demonty I, Ras RT, van der Knapp HCM, Duchateu G, Meijer L, Zock PL, Geleijnse JM, Trautwein EA. Continuous dose-
response relationship of the LDL-cholesterol-lowering effect of phytosterol intake. Journal of Nutrition 2009. 139 (2): 271-284
iv
Heart Foundation (Australia) Position statement Dietary fats and dietary sterols for cardiovascular health (2009). Available
2.7.09
INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE
For further information or to arrange an interview with Brooke Sprott, Nutritionist For Flora
please contact Publicis Life Brands:
Emma Norgrove – emma.norgrove@publicislifebrands.com.au, Ph: (02) 9436 2088,
M: 0405 507 556
Natasha Ciesielski- natasha.ciesielski@publicislifebrands.com.au, Ph: (02) 9436 2088,
M: 0407 683 716
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