Hello there, I'm Monica Rinegal, and you're listening to The Nutrition Diva Podcast Welcome.

What if you could replace your daily cholesterol medication with a couple of tasty snack bars?

A company called Step 1 Foods has recently launched a line of clinically formulated foods

that it claims can replace cholesterol medication for people who are unable or unwilling to take

statin drugs. And the product line includes a variety of snack bars along with flavored oatmeal,

pancake, and smoothie mixes. And in a study that was conducted with the Mayo Clinic,

54 people with high cholesterol were instructed to consume two of these products every day,

and this resulted in a 10% reduction in their LDL or bad cholesterol levels after four weeks.

I think it's too soon to say that these snack foods can replace cholesterol medications on

a long-term basis, but this is certainly an interesting development. More than a third of adults

over the age of 45 have high cholesterol, and statin drugs are among the most commonly

prescribed medications. And you know what, statins are quite effective in lowering cholesterol,

and by the way, also pretty darn good at reducing systemic inflammation. They're also

relatively inexpensive, and they're covered by most insurance companies.

Now, although they are generally safe, statins like any drug do have the potential to cause

side effects, and in this case, they might be things like muscle pain or weakness.

Now, only a small minority of people experience side effects, and for many, they're

little more than an annoyance, but side effects, or even just a fear of side effects,

could be one reason that makes people unwilling or unable to take statin drugs.

The step one products are rich in nutrients that are known to have a positive effect on

cholesterol levels, things like soluble fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants,

and phytosterols. Now phytosterols are naturally occurring compounds that block the absorption

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