Plant Sterol-Fortified Orange Juice May Prevent Heart Disease

Orange juice is a healthy beverage. Not only is it a wonderfully refreshing and rich source of Vitamin C, it’s also been shown to effectively prevent the formation of kidney stones.

Well some people even made it healthier… by fortifying OJ with plant sterols, and thus coming up with a heart-healthy drink.

Plant cholesterols known as sterols — recognized for their cholesterol-lowering power when added to margarines, salad dressings and other fats — also have been found to be effective in reducing low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol” levels, when added to orange juice. Now, UC Davis researchers have found that twice-daily servings of a reduced-calorie orange juice beverage fortified with plant sterols also reduces levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation and an accepted risk marker for heart disease.

The study has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The beverages used in the study were provided by the The Coca-Cola Company’s Beverage Institute for Health & Wellness. Didn’t say which brand, though, but my guess would be Minute Maid Heart Wise Orange Juice, launched as a heart-healthy juice a couple of years ago.