In the battle against high cholesterol, butter and many brands of margarine often get a bad rap. But researchers in Finland have developed a form of margarine that actually lowers blood cholesterol.
This margarine, produced by McNeil Consumer Nutritionals Europe, contains a key ingredient called plant stanol ester. Experts say this could fight heart disease by lowering the cholesterol that blocks the arteries.
The substance appears to work by blocking cholesterol from getting into the bloodstream through the digestive system. A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, says the plant stanol ester margarine could be a "crucial step" in delaying the onset of heart problems in children afflicted by a genetic disorder that increases their risk of coronary disease.
The study, conducted at the University of Helsinki, involved adults and children from the same families and found that boys and girls as young as 3 benefited from the new margarine. But the stuff doesn't come cheap: It costs about five times as much as standard brands.
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