Yogurt with a Twist

Yogurt fortified with heart-healthy ingredients could be a helpful addition to your cholesterol-lowering efforts.

In a recent study, people who daily ate yogurt fortified with plant sterols -- heart-healthy plant compounds that help control cholesterol -- experienced reductions in both total and LDL cholesterol after three weeks. A mere 1 to 2 grams of plant sterols per day may help control your cholesterol.

Beautiful Benefit: Reducing your total cholesterol to 160 mg/dL or lower can make your RealAge as much as 1 year or more younger.



Plant sterols are small molecules found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and grains. They compete with cholesterol for absorption in the intestine, thereby lowering both total and LDL cholesterol. Bread, cereal, yogurt, milk, and margarine may be fortified with plant sterols. In a recent study comparing the cholesterol-lowering effects of four plant sterol-enriched foods, enriched yogurt lowered total cholesterol by 5.6 percent and LDL cholesterol by 8.6 percent; enriched milk lowered total cholesterol by 8.7 percent and LDL cholesterol by 15.9 percent; enriched bread lowered LDL cholesterol by 6.5 percent; and enriched cereal lowered LDL cholesterol by 5.4 percent. Although eating enriched cereal increased blood levels of plant sterols as much as drinking enriched milk, the plant-sterol enriched milk lowered LDL more. Researchers aren't sure why different plant sterol-enriched foods produce different cholesterol-lowering effects. If you have high cholesterol, follow your healthcare provider's advice regarding diet, exercise, and medication.