How to Fight High Cholesterol with Drug-Free Alternatives

How to Fight High Cholesterol with Drug-Free Alternatives

(ARA) - Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, has been the leading cause of death in the United States for many years. Eating right and exercising regularly are important steps in maintaining good heart health. Gaining control over high cholesterol levels has also proven to be an effective part of lowering risks for coronary heart disease.

High cholesterol is reaching epidemic proportions in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, at least 50 percent of the American adult population, or almost 107 million people, have high cholesterol, a total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher. Many, with the advice of their doctors, are using statin drugs like Lipitor and Zocor to help lower their cholesterol levels. Yet, for other people, these medical solutions are not viable options due to side effects, cost or the desire to avoid medications.

Based on data from the Third Report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults, less than half of the persons who qualify for pharmaceutical options to address their cholesterol problems are receiving them. And, less than half of people prescribed a prescription medication to lower their cholesterol levels are still taking them six months later.

While many foods contain soluble fiber and cholesterol-lowering plant sterols, most people don't eat enough of them. In response, a Canadian researcher created a cholesterol-lowering plan called the Portfolio Diet featuring plant foods that were high in fiber and plant sterols. It worked, with participants lowering cholesterol levels as much as if they were taking a cholesterol-lowering medicine, dropping about 30 percent. The bad news -- about 60 percent of them said they didn't want to eat that way for the rest of their lives.

Meanwhile, RD Foods LLC, the manufacturer of Right Direction Cookies, and Mars, Inc., the company that developed CocoaVia bars, funded clinical studies showing that eating two CocoaVia bars resulted in a six percent drop in LDL, or "bad cholesterol." Eating two of the Right Direction Cookies averaged a 10 percent decline.

RD Foods is a New Jersey-based company founded by two registered dietitians and nutritionists with a mission: to help people live healthier lives by providing resourceful, appealing food options. Their product, Right Direction Cookies, is helping people gain greater control over their cholesterol levels by adding soluble fiber and plant sterols to their diets in a tasty and convenient way. Two chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin Right Direction Cookies contain 10 grams of dietary fiber, including 8 grams of soluble fiber (as much as 3 cups of cooked oatmeal), and 2.6 grams of plant sterols (as much as 3 cups of sunflower seeds).

"The cholesterol-lowering benefits of two Right Direction Cookies per day can be a catalyst to people struggling with their cholesterol whether through diet modification alone or combined with prescription treatment options," notes Wendy Miller, MS, RD, co-founder of RD Foods with her partner Norman Null.

A study presented in 2006 on the cholesterol-lowering effects of Right Direction Cookies won the first place research award at the 3rd Annual Scripp's Integrative Medicine Conference in La Jolla, California. Study results indicate a significant decrease in total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol in patients who ate two chocolate chip Right Direction Cookies each day for 30 days.

"Soluble fiber absorbs water, cholesterol, fat and bile, carrying them through the digestive track and out of the body," says Miller. "Good sources of soluble fiber include oats, beans, peas and psyllium, the fiber we use in our cookies. Science shows that plant sterols, found in vegetables, nuts, seeds and their oils, lower blood cholesterol by blocking cholesterol absorption from food during digestion."

The bottom line? RD Foods' Norman Null reports that people across the country have called to say they really enjoy the taste of the company's cookies, and are thrilled with the results.

People with high cholesterol levels may soon be hearing the words "take two cookies and call me in the morning" from their medical advisors. And, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies will certainly go down easier than other treatment options.

For more information visit www.rightdirectioncookies.com or call (866) LDL-DOWN (535-3696).

Courtesy of ARAcontent