Heart Health

The Facts

No matter how often you see the statistics, the numbers are still staggering: Seventeen million lives lost worldwide each yeaer to cardiovascular deseases (CVD)!" "Almost 60 million Americans afflicted with one type or another CVD!" "One in 3 American men expected to develop some major form of CVD before age 60!" (Heart and Stroke Statistical Update; AHA website) Despite the medical advances made during the past several decades, coronary heart disease continues as the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world.

Market Opportunity

Among the various risk factors that predispose one to CVD, the link between total- and LDL-cholesterol levels and the devlopment of heart disease remains strong. The need for cholesterol reduction is clear–an estimated 101 million American adults (nearly half the adults in the US) have been classified as having borderline-high or higher total blood cholesterol levels (Heart and Stroke Statistical Update; AHA website). The cholesterol market is not limited to older consumers. The need for solutions begins with consumers in their mid-thirties. (see graph)

Product Solution

Because plant sterols are structurally similar to cholesterol, they compete with the cholesterol we ingest for absorption through the small intestine. To a point, the more plant sterol present in the intestine following a meal, the less cholesterol absorption will occur. Further the plant sterols we consume are not absorbed themselves to any appreciable extent. So, when you consume phyosterols, you not only inhibit the uptake of cholesterol by the body, but you "flush" most of the plant sterols through the system without absorbing them as well. The overall affect is an average "bad" (LDL) cholesterol decline of 8-15%, with no observed adverse effects.

Key products include:

CoroWise™ plant sterols
Corowise™ plant sterols, manufactured by Cargill, are GRAS (generally recognized as safe) and provide an effective means for promoting heart health and lowering cholesterol. CoroWise™ plant sterols can be easily incorporated into a wide variety of foods and an FDA heart health claim is available in labeling when formulated with 0.65 grams plant sterol esters or 0.4 grams free plant sterols per serving. A daily intake of at least 1.3 grams of plant sterol esters (0.8 grams free plant sterols) as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol is recommended to provide significant cholesterol lowering benefits in the range of 8-15%.  »Learn More

Stay tuned for more exciting product introductions in the future!

Cargill's Other Health Platforms

» Heart Health
» Joint & Bone Health
» Health & Wellness