Benecol proven safe and effective also in larger usage
A recent international research reveals that using Benecol-products containing the cholesterol-lowering ingredient, plant stanol ester, is completely safe also when consumed in quantities several times above the recommended daily amount. It has been shown that the cholesterol-lowering effect is boosted with larger doses of plant stanol.
These new conclusions were the outcome of two new studies, the results of which were published in Boston, USA in mid-June. The studies, which were conducted in Finland and the Netherlands, examined the effects of a daily dose of up to 9 grams of plant stanols while the current recommended daily dose is only 2 grams.
Maastrict University in the Netherlands and University of Kuopio in Finland investigated high quantity use of Benecol. According to both studies the daily dose of 9 grams of plant stanols achieved a greater reduction in LDL cholesterol than what had been assumed before, basing on the results of previous studies. In both studies the "bad" LDL cholesterol dropped by more than 17 per cent compared to the control group. The large daily dose of plant stanol ester did not cause any adverse side effects.
The results of the newly published studies refute the assumptions that there are no added benefits of consuming plant stanol ester in doses higher than the current recommendation or that increased consumption could potentially have adverse effects.
Benecol is Finland's widest cholesterol-lowering product range. It is a trademark owned globally by the Finnish company Raisio, whose brands are for example Benecol, Elovena and Sunnuntai. The company's product range includes vegetable fat spreads, energy drinks, instant porridge and soya snacks. Plant stanol ester is an ingredient patented globally by Raisio and it is found only in Benecol products.
www.raisio.com
Comments (4)