Unilever's new spread helps cholesterol reduction with soy sterols6/20/2001 - ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., June 19 /PRNewswire -- Patientsalready on statin medication can reduce their LDL (bad) cholesterolfurther by consuming a spread containing plant sterols, as part of a dietlow in saturated fat and cholesterol. The plant sterols, from naturallyoccuring soybean extract, work as part of the normal digestive process tohelp block absorption of cholesterol.According to a study published in the June issue of Atherosclerosis(1),the spread containing plant sterols, Take Control(R), actively reduced LDLcholesterol by 10 to 15 percent in both patients who tookcholesterol-lowering medication and in those who did not. HDL (good)cholesterol levels remained unchanged. The study was carried out at theRadcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, England, on 62 hypercholesterolemic patientsbetween 33 and 62 years of age. The subjects consumed 25 g per day of TakeControl over the eight-week trial period. Thirty of the patients were oncholesterol-lowering medication and 32 were not."These findings add to the weight of clinical evidence demonstrating thebenefits of consuming a plant sterol spread for all adults with raisedcholesterol levels -- whether or not they are on statins," said ErnstSchaefer, MD, professor of medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine,Endocrinology and Lipids Division. "Spreads containing plant sterolsprovide an additive effect on top of their medication when used as part ofa healthy diet. In some patients drug therapy might be avoided, and inothers it might allow treatment at lower doses."According to lead researcher Andrew Neil, Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford,"These findings now show that spreads containing plant sterols are equallyefficacious in reducing total and LDL cholesterol in patients regardlessof whether they are taking statin medications or not. Patients who usethese spreads alongside cholesterol-lowering drugs can see greatercholesterol reductions than those achieved with medication alone."Take Control's active ingredient, plant sterol esters, was highlighted inthe National Cholesterol Education Program's (NCEP) new guidelines fortreating high cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease (releasedMay 15, 2001). In September of 2000, this active ingredient in TakeControl received FDA approval for early use of a heart-health claim.(2)Final approval of the health claim is expected at any time.Hundreds of studies conducted since the 1950s show the cholesterol-lowering effect of plant sterols.(3,4) In addition, Unilever hasundertaken 30 studies demonstrating the safety and efficacy of theproduct, which clearly show that no other spread is more effective atlowering cholesterol.Unilever, the parent company of Unilever Bestfoods, is the world's leadingmanufacturer of margarines and spreads, with category expertise extendingback more than seven decades. Outside of the U.S., Take Control ismarketed under the brand name, Becel/Flora proactiv. More information onTake Control products can be found at www.takecontrol.com .