Are you among the nearly 100 million or so Americans with higher than normal blood cholesterol? If so, a butter like spread made with plant stanol or sterol esters may help bring your LDL- (bad) cholesterol down, without affecting your HDL- (good) cholesterol level.
Plant stanol and sterol esters, also found naturally in small amounts in vegetables and plant oils, help block cholesterol in the intestine from being absorbed. That helps lower LDL-cholesterol in the bloodstream.
Anyone can get the cholesterol-lowering benefits, but people with high blood cholesterol levels get more. For the record, these spreads are safe to use if you are taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs.
If your LDL-cholesterol is higher than normal:
- Ask your physician about using these spreads with plant sterols or stanol esters, sold as Take Control and Benecol.
- Use them according to package directions—two to three servings daily with meals—as a butter or margarine substitute.
• Follow cholesterol-lowering advice, too: eat a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, stay physically active, and eat plenty of fruit, vegetables, and whole-grain breads and cereals.
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