Tag: cholesterol
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New Study Reevaluates Effect of Fat Intake on Cholesterol and Heart Disease Risk
A study reevaluating “the traditional diet-heart hypothesis” concludes that replacing dietary saturated fat with vegetable oils lowers serum cholesterol but does not reduce the risk of death from coronary heart disease or other causes. Christopher Ramsden, et al., “Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73),” BMJ, April…
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PCRM Sues Federal Agencies Seeking to Maintain Existing Federal Cholesterol Intake Guidelines
The nonprofit advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has brought suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California seeking to prevent the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) from adopting a recommendation of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). The DGAC is a…
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Suit Challenging Smart Balance® Cholesterol-Blocking Claims to Continue
A California federal court has denied Boulder Brands, Inc.’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that the company misrepresents the cholesterol-blocking effect of the plant sterols in its Smart Balance® butter products because the amount of plant sterols is “not enough to generate a ‘clinically meaningful cholesterol blocking effect.’” Mitchell v. Boulder Brands, Inc., No. 12-1862…
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Court Refuses to Dismiss Consumer Fraud Claims Against Smart Balance® Butter Maker
A federal court in California has denied the defendant’s motion to dismiss a putative class action alleging that the company misleads consumers by claiming that its Smart Balance® butter products contain plant sterols that can block the absorption of cholesterol; according to the plaintiff, a single serving of the product contains insufficient sterols to achieve…
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New Study Reexamines Role of Egg Consumption in Coronary Heart Disease
A recent meta-analysis has reportedly concluded that, contrary to previous assumptions, “higher consumption of eggs (up to one egg per day) is not associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease [CHD] or stroke.” Ying Rong, et al., “Egg consumption and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke: dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies,”…
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Putative Class Alleges Plant Sterols in Butter Product Fail to Block Dietary Cholesterol
A California resident has filed a putative class action against Smart Balance, Inc., alleging that the 100 mg of plant sterols in a single serving of the company’s spreadable butter products do not, as advertised, block the absorption of dietary cholesterol. Aguilar v. Smart Balance, Inc., No. 12-1862 (S.D. Cal., filed July 27, 2012). The…
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New Study Questions HDL Cholesterol’s Role
A recent study has reportedly questioned the role of HDL cholesterol in lowering heart disease risk, suggesting instead that one specific protein or compound in so-called “good” cholesterol might be better than others at removing bad cholesterol. Amit Khera, et al., “Cholesterol Efflux Capacity, High-Density Lipoprotein Function, and Atherosclerosis,” New England Journal of Medicine, January 13,…
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Nonstick Cookware Allegedly Linked to High Cholesterol in Children
A recent study purportedly ties compounds in nonstick cookware and waterproof fabrics to higher cholesterol levels in children. Stephanie Frisbee, et al., “Perfluorooctanoic Acid, Perfluorooctanesulfonate, and Serum Lipids in Children and Adolescents,” Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, September 2010. Researchers from West Virginia University evaluated 12,476 children and teens in the mid-Ohio River Valley to…