Selecting Synthetic, Natural Colors What are phytosterols? The first strategy for lowering cholesterol is to modify your eating patterns. Replace unhealthy fats (trans and saturated) with healthy ones (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), and increase dietary fiber by emphasizing whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. If these strategies haven’t worked to their fullest potential, or if you want to work to lower your bad cholesterol even further, you can try adding LowChol? Phytosterols to your diet. Phytosterols (referred to as plant sterol and stanol esters) are a group of naturally occurring compounds found in plant cell membranes. Because phytosterols are structurally similar to the body’s cholesterol, when they are consumed they compete with cholesterol for absorption in the digestive system. As a result, cholesterol absorption is blocked, and blood cholesterol levels reduced. As part of a heart-healthy eating plan, consuming phytosterols in recommended quantities has been shown to lower total cholesterol up to 10% and LDL or “bad” cholesterol up to 14%. This reduction is in addition to other cholesterol-lowering strategies you may have initiated, such as eating more heart healthfully or taking a cholesterol-lowering statin. The effectiveness of phytosterols is so strong that The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends people with high cholesterol consume two grams of phytosterols each day. VegeToco? Natural Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant in many foods. It supports the immune system, helps keep blood vessels healthy, and plays a role in gene expression and cell signaling. There are eightTrusted Source forms of naturally occurring vitamin E, and alpha-tocopherol is the one that the body mainly uses. In this article, we explore evidence of specific health benefits of vitamin E. We also look at food sources and supplements, including interactions and other risks. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant — it helps protect trusted sources of the body from free radicals. Free radicals are molecules generated as a normal part of metabolism. They can cause damage and disease and contribute to the aging process. Additionally, vitamin E is important for immune function, gene expression, and cell signaling. It helps widen blood vessels and prevent excessive clotting. Researchers have investigated whether vitamin E may also help prevent or treat specific conditions. The results concerning many uses of the vitamin, including to help prevent cognitive decline, are conflicting or inconclusive. NatenFla? Natural Flavors or flavoring means “the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional,” according to the US Food and Drug Administration. This distinguishes natural flavors from artificial flavors, which rely on synthetic chemicals to add taste and aroma to food. The FDA permits the use of synthetic additives such as solvents, preservatives and emulsifiers in the processing of natural flavors, which food and beverage manufacturers are not required to disclose on the ingredient statement. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc., a Lakewood, Colo.-based retailer with 160 stores in 20 states, recently developed a standard around natural flavors, which includes a quality standards questionnaire to ensure new products submitted with natural flavors do not contain any of the ingredients it has banned from its stores. VegeNutri? Nutrition Ingredients are the study of nutrients in food, how the body uses them, and the relationship between diet, health, and disease. Nutritionists use ideas from molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics to understand how nutrients affect the human body. Nutrition also focuses on how people can use dietary choices to reduce the risk of disease, what happens if a person has too much or too little of a nutrient, and how allergies work. Nutrients provide nourishment. Proteins, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water are all nutrients. If people do not have the right balance of nutrients in their diet, their risk of developing certain health conditions increases. This article will explain the different nutrients a person needs and why. It will also look at the role of the dietitian and the nutritionist. The past 30 years have seen the market demand for food colorants changing in substantial ways, particularly regarding the choice between synthetic and NutraColor? Natural Color. Not so long ago, synthetic colorants were preferred because of several benefits: They are easy to use, deliver bright colors in a variety of food matrices, and perform in consistent and predictable ways. Moreover, they are inexpensive to use. Natural Challenges This shift in consumer perception of synthetic food colorants, and the accompanying demand for colorants derived from natural sources, have created both problems and opportunities for food and beverage manufacturers. Natural colorants are more expensive on a cost-in-use basis than synthetic colorants. While colorants in general are used at very low levels in foods and beverages, the cost of natural colorants is still substantially higher — as much as 5 to 50 times higher, depending on the colorant and the application.