Plant Stanol ester-enriched foods (the twin of plant sterol esters) could reduce cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk especially for consumers not following a Mediterranean-style diet, claims a new study from Greece . The study shows that a diet including plant Stanol-ester enriched foods and a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits and vegetables, vegetable oil, legumes, whole grains, fish, and low-fat dairy products are equally effective in reducing the estimated risk of CVD. A coronary heart disease risk reduction health claim for plant Stanol ester was recently accepted by the EU Commission.

A new study that included 934 people with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) found that if they consumed moderate amounts of oily fish, they reduced their risk of developing left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). The patients were followed for three years. We revealed a dose-response association between fish consumption and the likelihood of developing left ventricular systolic dysfunction after an ACS, wrote the researchers from the University of Athens .

Researchers in the Department of Joint Disease research, Graduate School of Medicine in Tokyo examined the lifestyle and habits of 719 elderly Japanese men and women and any connection to arthritis of the knee that was proven through X-ray testing. The following had an impact on the development of arthritis of the knee; age, body mass index, and being a woman. Having a low level of Vitamin K was connected to arthritis of the knee and the lower the intake of Vitamin K the worse the condition.

Hepatitis C is a virus that attacks the liver and in once established, chronic infection can progress to scarring of the liver (fibrosis), and advanced scarring (cirrhosis) which is generally apparent after many years. In some cases, those with cirrhosis will go on to develop liver failure or other complications of cirrhosis, including liver cancer . The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact.

The supplement Plant Sterols is an established non-drug agent for reducing total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol and Sterols are recommended for managing cholesterol by world renowned health care institutions. In this randomized, placebo controlled study 50 subjects with moderately high cholesterol were given a soy drink that included 2.6 grams of Plant Sterol Esters each day or soy drink without Sterols for 8 weeks (placebo). The patients maintained their regular diet and level of physical activity.