Benecol——一种有效、安全降低血清胆固醇水平的独特食品配料

Benecol --a unique food ingredient for efficient and safe lowering of serum cholesterol levels

在世界范围内，心血管疾病——冠心病（CHD）、中风、周围动脉疾病的患病数量正在增加。据世界卫生组织（WHO）统计估计，每年大约有1600万人死于各种形式的心血管疾病。高血清胆固醇是导致各种心血管疾病的主要危险因素之一。近来，通过饮食方法如功能食品来降低胆固醇水平已经引起了极大关注。植物甾醇和植物甾烷醇是动物胆固醇的植物等价物，因为它们在植物细胞中的作用与胆固醇在动物细胞中的作用是一样的。如果在日常的饮食当中含有足量的植物甾醇或植物甾烷醇，则它们可以有效地降低胃肠道中对胆固醇的吸收量，从而降低血清胆固醇浓度。植物甾烷醇酯是世界上第一个基于植物甾醇的降低胆固醇的商业食品配料。1995年芬兰首次生产出添加植物甾烷醇酯的降胆固醇食品。如今，在全世界的24个国家销售Benecol品牌的各种植物甾烷醇酯强化食品，包括植物黄油、酸奶、牛奶、橙汁、通心粉等。 Benecol食品含有植物甾烷醇酯，专门针对想通过饮食方法降低血清胆固醇水平的人群。植物甾烷醇酯的安全性已经得到了严格的安全性测试，并得到了40多项人体临床研究的证实。国际专业团体已经充分肯定了植物甾烷醇酯食品的降低胆固醇的功效。

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease coronary heart disease （CHD）, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease is increasing worldwide. WHO statistics estimate that 16 million people die from various forms of cardiovascular diseases annually. Elevated cholesterol carries the greatest attributable risk for coronary heart disease. Recently lowering of elevated cholesterol levels by dietary tools such as functional foods has gained much interest. Plant sterols and plant stanols are the botanical equivalents of animal cholesterol as they serve the same functions in plant cells as cholesterol serves in animal cells. When plant sterols or plant stanols are present in the diet in sufficient quantities, they reduce cholesterol absorption from the gastrointestinal tract and, consequently, serum cholesterol concentration. Plant stanol ester was the first commercial plant sterol based food ingredient for cholesterol lowering foods. The first sta-nol ester enriched food for cholesterol lowering purposes was introduced in Finland 1995. Today various plant stanol ester enriched foods such as spreads, yoghurts, milk, orange juice, pasta, are sold under Benecol brand in 24 countries all over the world. Benecol foods contain plant stanol ester and are targeted at those people who want to lower their serum cholesterol levels by dietary means. The safety of stanol ester has been shown in a rigorous safety testing program and verified in more than 40 human intervention studies. The cholesterol lowering effect of Benecol foods has been acknowledged by international expert bodies.