It’s thought that people using functional foods with approved health claims may be less likely to adhere to prescribed drug therapy. Researchers in The Netherlands assessed the influence of the use of phytosterol/-stanol-enriched functional foods on adherence to statin (cholesterol-lowering) therapy among patients initiating treatment.

Prof. Ernst has reviewed the evidence. Here’s what we know.

A healthy diet should be rich in vegetables and fruits, whole-grain, high-fiber foods, and fish, and should contain a small amount of saturated and trans fats. Researchers at Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, in France, reviewed dietary approaches proven to be associated with lowering LDL-cholesterol.

Researchers from Concord Hospital, in New Hampshire reviewed the evidence and graciously provide us with succinct conclusions. Here’s what we know.

Dr. Robert Kelly (photo) is associate director and curriculum coordinator for the Fairview Hospital /Cleveland Clinic Family Medicine Residency Program. He lists aspects of diet and exercise that are most and less effective in controlling cholesterol.

A cholesterol-lowering diet has been suggested as a management approach — independently or in addition to drug therapy — in children and adults with familial (passed down through families) high cholesterol blood levels. Researchers from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, in Chandigarh, India, provide this Cochrane review of the evidence.

Researchers from the University of Milano, Italy, list what we know.

Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics published guidelines for screening children for high cholesterol blood levels. Now, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia have estimated the number that might need treatment.

 What follows are recommendations from a meeting of experts in Australia where the evidence for dietary interventions to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol blood levels was reviewed.

 Fish oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids reduce triglycerides and raise HDL- (good) cholesterol blood levels, while phytosterols reduce total cholesterol and LDL- (bad) cholesterol blood levels. But what are the combined effects on the lipid profile in people with high cholesterol levels?

 Researchers from Wageningen University in The Netherlands reviewed the research on the LDL (bad) cholesterol–lowering effects of different phytosterol doses.

This study shows it can be done, with reductions that are relatively small. But read the comment to see what can be accomplished with diet, exercise, and omega-3.

“People should not routinely be recommended to take plant sterols and stanols for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD).” That’s the word from the London-based National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Dr. David Jenkins and colleagues at St Michael’s Hospital in Toronto have published research showing that diversifying cholesterol-lowering components in the same diet increases the effectiveness of diet as a treatment of high blood cholesterol levels.

MayoClinic.com has posted a review. Here’s the skinny.

A news release promotes this product as a “natural cholesterol supplement [that is] effective without side effects.” And on the LipidShield website there is an unpublished study in 30 men and women to prove it.

I received some emails promoting Nature Made CholestOff. It contains plant extracts called phytonutrients, specifically phytosterols and phytostanols. They work by reducing the absorption of LDL “bad” cholesterol and total cholesterol from the intestines. The ad emphasizes a 24% reduction in LDL cholesterol when combined with diet and exercise. However…

They’re modestly effective.

Canola oil and products that contain canola oil can now place the following statement on the label. “Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1 1/2 tablespoons (19 grams) of canola oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the unsaturated fat content in canola oil. To achieve […]

Three of 16 products failed the content analysis test. One product did not release its ingredients and two others had less than half the expected ingredients. That’s less than a 20% failure rate, which is better than often reported by this lab. An article in Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals reports that the following supplements were […]