Can sugary cereal and a chocolate drink really lower your cholesterol?
FOODS that claim to be good for your heart, cholesterol levels or circulation would seem a sensible buy. But can they really lower your risk of cardiovascular problems? ANGELA EPSTEIN asked Dr Gideon Paul, a consultant cardiologist at the University Hosp
Kellogg’s Optivita Raisin Oat Crisp Cereal, £2.99 for 375g
Per 100g: calories, 362; sugar, 25g; fat, 4.5g (saturated fat 0.7g) CLAIMS: ‘ developed with the active part of oats to lower cholesterol.’
EXPERT VERDICT: This cereal is made with oat bran, which is rich in beta glucan. This is a type of fibre that has been found in numerous studies to help lower cholesterol. It’s thought to stick to the walls of the intestine and reduce the absorption of ‘bad’ — LdL — cholesterol.
However, this can only work to reduce bad cholesterol as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle — it cannot work by itself. A 40g serving also provides half our daily allowance of folic acid (a type of B vitamin). This, together with other B vitamins, can help break down homocysteine — an amino acid in the body implicated in coronary heart disease, though we don’t know how much is needed to do this.
The problem with this cereal is the sugar content — 25g per 100g is high (and more than twice as much as that found in rice Krispies). Even in the recommended serving size of 40g, you’d still be getting two teaspoons of sugar. This will lead to the body releasing a high level of insulin in the blood stream. This prompts the body to store the sugar as fat rather than use as fuel.
To me it would be much better simply to have a bowl of porridge and get your beta glucan and folic acid that way.
1/10
Welch’s Purple Grape Light juice drink, £2.59 for 1 litre
Per 100ml serving: calories, 27; sugar, 6.1g; fat, trace
CLAIMS: ‘ Contributes to vascular system — approved by Heart uK, the Cholesterol Charity.’
EXPERT VERDICT: This is a drink made from purple grapes, which are rich in the antioxidant vitamin C. Antioxidants can help reduce the damage caused by free radicals — molecules in the body that can attack healthy cells.
These can damage the lining of the blood vessels and lead to furring up of arteries around the heart.
dark purple grapes also contain antioxidants known as polyphenols — studies have found grapes contain higher levels than many other fruits. These may help prevent heart disease, but I’m not sure you’d get enough from this drink to make a difference.
The endorsement by Heart uK seems reasonable as the concept is a good one. That said, the sugar levels in this drink are very high. I think it’s better to have a bowl of grapes and take a vitamin C supplement (I take 1g a day).
6/10
Benecol Fat Free Garden Fruits Yoghurt (peach), £2.39 for four 120g pots
Per 100g: calories, 63; sugar, 10g; fat, 0.5g (saturated fat, 0.1g)
CLAIMS: ‘Proven to lower cholesterol.’
EXPERT VERDICT: Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance made in the liver and found in certain food from animals, such as eggs and meat.
The body needs some cholesterol for functions such as production of bile acids that help to digest fat. But it needs only a limited amount — and too much can lead to health problems, notably heart disease.
The yoghurt contains plant stanols, substances shown to help prevent cholesterol from being absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream after meals. Instead of clogging up the arteries, cholesterol goes out with the waste.
According to research, 1.5-2.4g of stanols are needed daily to help lower cholesterol. So in order to get the full effect of this yoghurt, you would need to have two to three pots a day — and with 76 calories in each pot that’s nearly 250 calories a day just on yoghurt.
It’s a low-fat food, but the sugar content is quite high — 12g (three teaspoons) in a pot — which would have an effect on insulin levels.
5/10
Vive Soy Chocolate Flavour Soy Drink, £1.25 for 1 litre
Per 100ml: calories, 59; sugar, 5.9g; fat, 1.6g (saturated fat, 0.3g)
CLAIMS: ‘ Helps keep cholesterol normal.’
EXPERT VERDICT: This drink is offered as an alternative to dairy milk, which is higher in saturated fat and in large quantities may raise cholesterol.
natural soy may be beneficial to cardiovascular health because it is high in polyunsaturated (good) fats, low in saturated fat and naturally cholesterol-free.
However, soy can raise levels of the hormone oestrogen, which may increase insulin levels. The sugar content is already quite high, and even higher if you follow the manufacturer’s recommendation of three glasses a day.
That would be around 17g (four teaspoons) of sugar, which is around a quarter of a man’s maximum daily recommended amount (70g), and a third of a woman’s (50g) of added sugar.
2/10 Per 100g: calories, 320; sugar, 0.5g; fat, 35g (saturated fat, 8g) CLAIMS: ‘Actively lowers cholesterol.’ EXPERT VERDICT: This low-fat spread contains plant sterols, Per 100g: calories, 448; sugar, 19.2g; fat, 18.7g (saturated fat, 3g) CLAIMS: ‘Lowers cholesterol.’
EXPERT VERDICT: A combination of oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, linseeds and cranberries.
oats are good for the heart — high in the beta glucan, which can help lower cholesterol. one bowl has 1g of beta glucan soluble fibre — a third of the recommended daily intake.
But because the oats are honey baked, they are loaded with sugar — a 45g serving gives you 13.3g (three tsp) of sugar, and 1.3g of artery-clogging saturated fat — or 2.4g if you have it with semiskimmed milk (the recommended daily allowance of saturated fat is 30g for men and 20g for women), so hardly one for those watching their weight or cholesterol. 4/10
Flora pro-activ, £3.75 for 500g
which have been linked to lowering cholesterol. However, the sterols within the spread are not in their natural state as they are chemically processed to help them mix better in the spread.
Also, this is a margarine, a chemically altered food with questionable health benefits. A better alternative would be a little dash of butter in moderation, and a diet rich in vegetables, fresh fruit, nuts and seeds, which are abundant sources of plant sterols.
3/10
Lo-Col Cheese Alternative, £2.29 for 195g
Per 100g: calories, 400; sugar, 0; fat, 34g (saturated fat, 5g) CLAIMS: ‘ It is proven to reduce cholesterol.’ EXPERT VERDICT: This claims to be a healthy alternative to cheese, high in plant sterols and polyunsaturated fat. made with skimmed milk and wheat germ oil (which may increase levels of good HdL cholesterol, and decrease bad LdL), it is 34 per cent fat but only 5g are saturates — in average cheese it would be around 27g.
However, this cheese still has a relatively high fat content, so should still be eaten in small
Beta Heart Bar, £6.95 for a box of seven 40g bars
Per 100g: calories, 374; sugar, 39.7g; fat, 10.3g (saturated fat, 4.9g) CLAIMS: ‘Supports a healthy heart.’ EXPERT VERDICT: This sounds too good to be true: a crunchy dark chocolate and raspberry bar to keep your heart healthy. The claim is based on the beta glucan content. Each bar contains 1.5g of oat beta glucan.
However, since 3g is the recommended daily intake, you need to eat two bars to get the full effect. That stacks up to nearly 300 calories (there are 149 calories per bar).
The main ingredient is fructose syrup, which in the u.S. is regarded as public enemy number one as its high sugar levels can increase insulin levels and fat storage. This results in 15.3g of sugar in each bar, which undermines the healthy benefits of the oat content.
2/10
Chia Bia’s Whole Chia Seed, £12.09 per 100g
Per 100g: calories, 418; sugar, 0; fat, 31g (saturated fat, 3.4g) CLAIMS: ‘Contributes to maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels’
EXPERT VERDICT: These tiny, tasteless seeds are a rich source of omega-3 — two dessertspoonfuls contain 2.9g (compared with 1.4g in an 80g portion of salmon). omega-3 oils can lower bad cholesterol and raise levels of good cholesterol, and in addition make the blood less ‘sticky’.
This makes it less likely to clot and cause a stroke or heart attack. As a topping on cereal or salad, it could help reduce cholesterol levels as part of a healthy diet.
9/10
Dole Live Right: Blueberry Almond Mini Crunch, £2.99 for five 20g bags
Per 100g: calories, 547; sugar, 19.8g; fat, 40.2g (saturated fat, 3.2g)
CLAIMS: ‘Approved by Heart uK.’
EXPERT VERDICT: These are bite- sized chunks of roasted almonds and blueberries. The benefits of the blueberries would be negligible after being dried and processed. However, almonds are cholesterol- free, low in saturated fat and, in some studies, have been found to reduce LdL. This might be why Heart uK, the cholesterol charity, has approved them.
But this snack is quite high in sugar and calories — 4g and 109 calories in a 20g portion. Better to simply eat a handful of almonds.
4/10