Safe option to statins "Heart-Healthy Tortilla Chips"

Heart-Healthy Cholesterol-Reducing Snacks
Article Date: 09 Oct 2007 - 4:00 PDT
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/84984.php

"Corazonas Foods, Inc., has announced an exclusive licensing agreement
with Brandeis University to utilize its technology in creating several
new categories of heart-healthy snacks. Brandeis's innovative
technology allows high levels of plant sterols to be incorporated into
snack foods while retaining the product's outstanding flavor. The
partnership's first venture, Corazonas Heart-Healthy Tortilla Chips,
are currently the first and only snack chips clinically proven to
reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, a.k.a. "bad
cholesterol," by up to 15 percent.....

.......A variety of scientific studies have shown that plant sterols,
when appropriately added to other foods, can lower blood cholesterol
and reduce risk for coronary heart disease. ..."

The tasty cure for LDL

Thanks Vince

On Oct 28, 9:52 am, bigvince wrote:
Heart-Healthy Cholesterol-Reducing Snacks
Article Date: 09 Oct 2007 - 4:00 PDThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/84984.php

"Corazonas Foods, Inc., has announced an exclusive licensing agreement
with Brandeis University to utilize its technology in creating several
new categories of heart-healthy snacks. Brandeis's innovative
technology allows high levels of plant sterols to be incorporated into
snack foods while retaining the product's outstanding flavor. The
partnership's first venture, Corazonas Heart-Healthy Tortilla Chips,
are currently the first and only snack chips clinically proven to
reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, a.k.a. "bad
cholesterol," by up to 15 percent.....

......A variety of scientific studies have shown that plant sterols,
when appropriately added to other foods, can lower blood cholesterol
and reduce risk for coronary heart disease. ..."

The tasty cure for LDL

Thanks Vince

I assume you posted this for its comic value? This is just so much
marketing . . .

Marilyn

MarilynMann wrote in part:

On Oct 28, 9:52 am, bigvince wrote:
Heart-Healthy Cholesterol-Reducing Snacks
Article Date: 09 Oct 2007 - 4:00 PDThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/84984.php

"Corazonas Foods, Inc., has announced an exclusive licensing agreement
with Brandeis University to utilize its technology in creating several
new categories of heart-healthy snacks. Brandeis's innovative
technology allows high levels of plant sterols to be incorporated into
snack foods while retaining the product's outstanding flavor. The
partnership's first venture, Corazonas Heart-Healthy Tortilla Chips,
are currently the first and only snack chips clinically proven to
reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, a.k.a. "bad
cholesterol," by up to 15 percent.....

......A variety of scientific studies have shown that plant sterols,
when appropriately added to other foods, can lower blood cholesterol
and reduce risk for coronary heart disease. ..."

The tasty cure for LDL

Thanks Vince

I assume you posted this for its comic value? This is just so much
marketing . . .

Marilyn

The link from snack foods like tortilla chips with added plant sterols to
meaningful clinical endpoints isn't there.

Note that Vince worries about the ability of atenolol to raise blood
glucose, yet seems happy to see more corn-based snack foods.
--
Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA

On Oct 28, 12:35 pm, Jim Chinnis wrote:


The link from snack foods like tortilla chips with added plant sterols to
meaningful clinical endpoints isn't there.

Note that Vince worries about the ability of atenolol to raise blood
glucose, yet seems happy to see more corn-based snack foods.
--

Yes. Foods that contain plant sterols have been shown to increase
blood levels of plant sterols. No one knows whether that is safe or
not. Personally, I am staying away from plant sterols until more
information is available.

Marilyn

friend Jim Chinnis wrote:
friend MarilynMann wrote in part:
friend bigvince wrote:

Heart-Healthy Cholesterol-Reducing Snacks
Article Date: 09 Oct 2007 - 4:00 PDThttp://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/84984.php

"Corazonas Foods, Inc., has announced an exclusive licensing agreement
with Brandeis University to utilize its technology in creating several
new categories of heart-healthy snacks. Brandeis's innovative
technology allows high levels of plant sterols to be incorporated into
snack foods while retaining the product's outstanding flavor. The
partnership's first venture, Corazonas Heart-Healthy Tortilla Chips,
are currently the first and only snack chips clinically proven to
reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, a.k.a. "bad
cholesterol," by up to 15 percent.....

......A variety of scientific studies have shown that plant sterols,
when appropriately added to other foods, can lower blood cholesterol
and reduce risk for coronary heart disease. ..."

The tasty cure for LDL

Thanks Vince

I assume you posted this for its comic value? This is just so much
marketing . . .

Marilyn

The link from snack foods like tortilla chips with added plant sterols to
meaningful clinical endpoints isn't there.

Note that Vince worries about the ability of atenolol to raise blood
glucose, yet seems happy to see more corn-based snack foods.

It is not what we are eating but how much we are overeating that is
harming us.

Be hungry... be healthy... be hungrier... be blessed:

http://TheWellnessFoundation.com/PressRelease

Prayerfully in the infinite power and might of the Holy Spirit,

Andrew
--
Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Lawful steward of http://EmoryCardiology.com
Bondservant to the KING of kings and LORD of lords.

After reading on the great health benefits of lowering ldl- C it would
seem that a safe and tasty alternative exist. Heck most statins which
are recommended here have not been tested against clinical
endpoints ;only for their lipid effects.Seems to me that anyone overly
concerned about LDL would want to try a safe and tasty alternative. Is
someone suggesting that reducing LDL levels is of no value unless
accomplished with a statin.Why? Heck as the story noted

":A variety of scientific studies have shown that plant sterols, when
appropriately added to other foods, can lower blood cholesterol and
reduce risk for coronary heart disease. Brandeis University has
licensed its patents exclusively in the field of snack products to
Corazonas Foods" and the FDA has evidently allowed that claim to be
made. ' and ........ "Brandeis is thrilled that Corazonas is
successfully turning our basic discovery into products that have both
a positive health benefit and are gaining broad acceptance by
consumers," said Irene Abrams.....

Seems a safe and tasty option to statins.Statin side effcts are well
documented; muscle pain or loss ,liver function and others; for those
concerned about corn soon to be made in potato chips. It also has
scientific studies and the backing of a major University

Thanks Vince

On Oct 29, 9:13 am, bigvince wrote:
Seems a safe and tasty option to statins.Statin side effcts are well
documented; muscle pain or loss ,liver function and others; for those
concerned about corn soon to be made in potato chips. It also has
scientific studies and the backing of a major University


I'm not saying eating a few of these chips will kill you. I'm just
saying that you really have no idea if eating foods enriched with
plant sterols lowers the risk of cardiovascular events or not. For
all we know, it might increase the risk. How does the fact that
statins have side effects prove that some other intervention that
lowers LDL is safe?

One of the reasons for concern with plant sterols is that there is a
genetic disease, similar to familial hypercholesterolemia, except
people with this disease have high levels of sterols in their system
instead of high levels of LDL:

"Sitosterolemia is a rare inherited plant sterol storage disease.
Bhattacharyya and Connor first described this disease in 1974. The
original report detailed 2 sisters who presented with extensive tendon
xanthomas but normal plasma cholesterol levels. Subsequently, they
were found to have significantly elevated plasma levels of plant
sterols in the form of beta-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol.

Sitosterolemia is characterized by tendon and tuberous xanthomas and
by a strong propensity toward premature coronary atherosclerosis.
Significant increases of plant sterols (ie, phytosterols) are found in
blood and various tissues. Arteries and xanthomas in patients with
sitosterolemia contain increased amounts of these sterols,
particularly sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, and their 5-alpha
derivatives.

Untreated, the condition causes a significant increase in morbidity
and mortality. Coronary heart disease and its inherent health
consequences are the primary causes of illness and premature death in
untreated patients."

It may turn out that moderate consumption of plant sterols is safe.
It may even turn out that plant sterols lower the risk of CVD events.
Right now, we just don't have any definitive information on the
matter.

Marilyn

On Oct 29, 9:59 am, MarilynMann wrote:
On Oct 29, 9:13 am, bigvince wrote:

Seems a safe and tasty option to statins.Statin side effcts are well
documented; muscle pain or loss ,liver function and others; for those
concerned about corn soon to be made in potato chips. It also has
scientific studies and the backing of a major University

I'm not saying eating a few of these chips will kill you. I'm just
saying that you really have no idea if eating foods enriched with
plant sterols lowers the risk of cardiovascular events or not. For
all we know, it might increase the risk. How does the fact that
statins have side effects prove that some other intervention that
lowers LDL is safe?




' FDA AUTHORIZES NEW CORONARY HEART DISEASE HEALTH CLAIM FOR PLANT
STEROL AND PLANT STANOL ESTERS
The FDA has authorized use of labeling health claims about the role of
plant sterol or plant stanol esters in reducing the risk of coronary
heart disease (CHD) for foods containing these substances. This
interim final rule is based on FDA's conclusion that plant sterol
esters and plant stanol esters may reduce the risk of CHD by lowering
blood cholesterol levels.

Coronary heart disease, one of the most common and serious forms of
cardiovascular disease, causes more deaths in the U.S. than any other
disease. Risk factors for CHD include high total cholesterol levels
and high levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. '

.. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/ANS01033.html

The evidence of benefit is the same as most statins LDL reduction .

Thanks Vince

On Oct 29, 10:28 am, bigvince wrote:

' FDA AUTHORIZES NEW CORONARY HEART DISEASE HEALTH CLAIM FOR PLANT
STEROL AND PLANT STANOL ESTERS
The FDA has authorized use of labeling health claims about the role of
plant sterol or plant stanol esters in reducing the risk of coronary
heart disease (CHD) for foods containing these substances. This
interim final rule is based on FDA's conclusion that plant sterol
esters and plant stanol esters may reduce the risk of CHD by lowering
blood cholesterol levels.

The fact that the FDA approved a certain health claim does not mean
they necessarily had an adequate basis for doing so.


The evidence of benefit is the same as most statins LDL reduction .

Not true. With most statins we have clinical endpoint data. We don't
have that with plant sterols.

Marilyn

bigvince wrote in part:

After reading on the great health benefits of lowering ldl- C

I'm not aware of evidence based on randomized trials going to clinical
endpoints, except for certain statins. The answer is definitely not in yet
on the advantages of lowering ldl by other than certain statins.

it would
seem that a safe and tasty alternative exist. Heck most statins which
are recommended here have not been tested against clinical
endpoints ;only for their lipid effects.

Huh? Crestor hasn't been so tested, but most of the rest have.

eems to me that anyone overly
concerned about LDL would want to try a safe and tasty alternative. Is
someone suggesting that reducing LDL levels is of no value unless
accomplished with a statin.Why? Heck as the story noted

Someone who is "overly" concerned should probably just try not to worry
about it. And, yes, I'm only aware of randomized trials for certain statins
showing improved clinical outcomes. The ldl reduction might just be a
"side-effect" of taking a statin. We don't know yet.

":A variety of scientific studies have shown that plant sterols, when
appropriately added to other foods, can lower blood cholesterol and
reduce risk for coronary heart disease.

Do you have a cite for the "scientific studies" that show sterols reducing
the risk for coronary heart disease? I don't think there are any. I think
this is just marketing fluff.

licensed its patents exclusively in the field of snack products to
Corazonas Foods" and the FDA has evidently allowed that claim to be
made. '

They also approve statins and atenolol. I didn't realize you were a fan of
the FDA!

and ........ "Brandeis is thrilled that Corazonas is
successfully turning our basic discovery into products that have both
a positive health benefit and are gaining broad acceptance by
consumers," said Irene Abrams.....

More marketing fluff.

Seems a safe and tasty option to statins.Statin side effcts are well
documented; muscle pain or loss ,liver function and others; for those
concerned about corn soon to be made in potato chips. It also has
scientific studies and the backing of a major University

The major university makes money on sales of this stuff. Doesn't that bother
you the same way pharmaceutical firms make profits on their products? Why
not?
--
Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA