Here are some frequently asked questions about cholesterol, natural plant sterols, and Heart Choice™. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, or if you’d like more information about Heart Choice, please email us.
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Whether or not you have, or are at risk for heart disease, managing cholesterol is important for everyone, including younger, middle-aged, and older adults.
Because our bodies have a difficult time getting rid of excess cholesterol, it tends to deposit on to the walls of our arteries, particularly the coronary arteries leading to our hearts. These deposits cause blockages, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
| Total Cholesterol (TC) | ||
| Less than 200 mg/dL | Desirable | Good for you! Try to keep it below this number. |
| 200-239 mg/dL | Borderline high | Be on the alert! You are at risk for a heart attack. You need to make changes in your lifestyle. |
| Equal to or higher than 240 mg/dL | High | Danger zone! You have a higher risk for a heart attack. Seek help from your doctor to lower your cholesterol level. |
| LDL ("bad") cholesterol | |
| Less than 100 mg/dL | Optimal |
| 100-129 mg/dL | Near optimal/above optimal |
| 130-159 mg/dL | Borderline high |
| 160-189 mg/dL | High |
| Equal to or higher than 190 mg/dL | Very high |
| HDL ("good") cholesterol | |
| Less than 40 mg/dL | Low |
| Equal to or higher than 60 mg/dL | High |
Plant sterols are naturally found in small quantities in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, legumes, vegetable oils, and other plant sources.
By modifying the structure of plant sterols to form plant sterol esters, they become more soluble in fats or oils, and are better distributed in the digestive tract. During digestion, sterol esters break apart, reducing cholesterol absorption, lowering your cholesterol levels.
No. The cholesterol-lowering potential of dietary plant sterols has been known for over 50 years. The FDA has recognized the role that plant sterols play in promoting heart health and has authorized a health claim associating plant sterols with the reduced risk of heart disease.
FDA Health Claim: Products containing at least 0.65g per serving of plant sterol esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily intake of at least 1.3g as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. (1.3g sterol esters = approximately 0.8g sterols)
The molecular structure of plant sterols is almost identical to cholesterol (animal sterols). Because our bodies can’t tell the difference, they accept plant sterols as though they were cholesterol, blocking the absorption of dietary cholesterol into the bloodstream.
Click here to see recent clinical studies. Then visit the U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program website, which recommends sterol-rich foods to boost your diet’s LDL-lowering power.
We consume plant sterols every day in the foods we eat, but the amounts are often not enough to significantly lower our blood cholesterol levels. Heart Choice helps you to take advantage of the proven benefits of natural plant sterols to reduce cholesterol — naturally, safely, and effectively.
Made from natural plant sterols and sterol esters, Heart Choice is used as an ingredient in tablets, soft-gels, and functional foods to help reduce cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease. You can purchase Heart Choice now as a dietary supplement, and you’ll soon find it in functional foods as well.
Heart Choice is a natural, safe, effective nutritional ingredient. No side effects have been associated when taking the recommended dose.
The natural plant sterols and sterol esters in Heart Choice have nearly the same molecular structure as cholesterol (animal sterols), so the human body can’t tell the difference. Our cholesterol receptors accept plant sterols as though they were cholesterol, blocking actual dietary cholesterol and preventing it from being absorbed into the bloodstream.
Managing cholesterol is important for everyone, including younger, middle-aged, and older adults, whether or not you have, or are at risk for, heart disease.
The symptoms of high blood cholesterol are usually not apparent. As many as 50% of us are either inadequately treated or unaware that our cholesterol levels are too high, unnecessarily increasing the risk for developing future heart disease.
If your cholesterol is borderline and you want a natural way to manage your cholesterol with diet and exercise, Heart Choice is:
• Derived from natural plant sources
• Clinically proven to lower “bad”(LDL) cholesterol an average of 10%
• Safe as well as effective, with no side-effects
If your cholesterol is high, you might already be taking a statin-based drug. Talk to your doctor about adding natural supplements. Heart Choice can:
• Offer a safe, effective complement to statins
• Provide an additional lowering of LDL above the statin-based drug’s effect
If you have a family history of elevated cholesterol, you too may choose Heart Choice to:
• Help manage your cholesterol levels
• Protect your future heart health
Heart Choice natural plant sterols should be taken twice daily, preferably with a meal.
FDA Health Claim: Products containing at least 0.65g per serving of plant sterol esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily intake of at least 1.3g as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. (1.3g sterol esters = approximately 0.8g sterols)
By taking as directed, results are typically seen between 2 – 4 weeks.
Yes, you can take Heart Choice on its own, or combine it with any other heart health program, including cholesterol-lowering prescription medications such as statins.
Always consult your physician before starting any dietary supplementation.