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The first
cholesterol-lowering beverage has been developed which has
the same health benefit as oatmeal in reducing the risk of
coronary heart disease and stroke, according to the Arthur
D. Little consulting company, developer of the drink.
The drink
formulation contains a soluble dietary fiber, found naturally
in oats, that has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary
heart disease and lowers blood cholesterol.
"Consumers
can already enjoy these health benefits in hot and cold cereals,
but our challenge was to formulate oat fiber so that it could
be used in beverages that people grab on the run," said
Colleen Zammer, Manager of Food Product Development at Arthur
D. Little. "Without compromising taste, mouth-feel or
texture, we've created beverages so healthful that they can
be used as meal replacements because they contain a balance
of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals and
can reduce cholesterol."
The company
developed the beverages using Nutrim, a new generation of
oat bran, featuring a highly concentrated amount of oat beta
glucan. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved oat
beta glucan as the component of oats that lowers cholesterol.
Nutrim was developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
as a food additive to be used as a healthy replacement for
butter, oil, cream and other fats.
A low-carbohydrate
version of the drink has also been developed.
Arthur
D. Little, which helped develop Slim-Fast and sugarless gum,
and Van Drunen Farms are now seeking to partner with a major
food manufacturer to bring the cholesterol-lowering beverages
to the market.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of April 7, 2002
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