SubscribeCholesterol Lowering Cookies
Right Direction Foods have created a 'health' cookie. They claim the chocolate chip cookie will lower cholesterol.
RD Foods was founded by two dietitians - the cookies are their first product. The cookies contain plant sterols and soluble fiber (in the form of psyllium husk powder) and carry the following health claim:
The American Heart Association recommends increasing soluble fiber intake and adding 2-3 grams of plant sterols with other lifestyle changes to promote healthy cholesterol levels.
Plant sterols have been cropping up in a number of so-called functional foods - predominantly table spreads and dietary supplements. Spreads in particular are backed by some hefty marketing dollars - much of which goes into promoting any possible health improvements..
It seems odd that we repackage foods into something apparently more palatable. Plant sterols are found naturally in fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Is it too simplistic to ask that we just eat more plant-based foods?
The Right Direction Cookies have 1.3 grams of plant sterols per cookie - an amount that has been shown to aid in LDL cholesterol reduction (see more here).
How many cookies would you need to eat to achieve a sustained outcome? At a dollar per cookie - it could get expensive.
I always knew our biological Ancestors evolved on cookies!
ReplyWow! I guess healthy cookies are expensive but I am sure they taste not like my mom's fattening cookies. Well, I always like t try new treats so I'll be looking for this new healthy cookie at Wal-Mart.
ReplySo we have to be treated like children to be persuaded to eat something healthy? Well OK, maybe I will eat a box of these while I watch SpongeBob tonight.
ReplyMMMM cookies
ReplyI am not sure my store will sell them
so I guess I have to eat oatmeal, veggies, lean meats, and exercise.
I'll be interested to see what sort of unpronounceable chemicals are thrown into this "healthy" cookie.
ReplyOh for godssakes... and I bet it tastes about as good as it sounds (i.e. like cardboard). Eat some fruits and veggies, eat some whole grains, eat some nuts. And then maybe once a week enjoy a REAL chocolate chip cookie!
ReplySince each cookie has 160 calories I will enjoy some 'less healthy' cookie.
ReplySince there is a warning of choking hazard if you don't drink a glass of water with this cookie, I think I will get my fiber and other good stuff elsewhere.
I agree with jj. it probably is an absurd 'treat'.
Just because these cookies have some "cholesterol lowering stuff" in it, it's still junk food.
If you have a sweet tooth, why not eat an apple or even some low sugar dark chocolate instead.
ReplyEh, I don't like cookies and I don't have high cholesterol.
ReplyIf you want a cookie, eat a REAL cookie. One that you want to eat and that tastes great. Not some weird artificial crap like this.
Without any solid clinical evidence, the company's claim is nothing but a marketing gimmick. Haven't we seen too many of such unsubstantiated claims for commerial interests?
ReplyNo thanks...give me REAL homemade chocolate chip cookies anyday, not those manufactured things. Not only do they probably taste nasty, they probably make ya gain weight too if you eat too many just like any other cookie or snack.
ReplyOne of these again. I don't believe any of these cookie/candy products before I see some real clinical results. They usually taste bad also :(
ReplyWOW cookies lowering cholesterol i think i rather take those then taking garlic pills.
great info
ReplyI agree with James. I don't believe it till I see the research with all the results.
Plus I think it is better to have 1 regular cookie. Everything is good in moderation!
ReplyHello to all in this blog. I am Norman Null, one of the founders of RD Foods and would like to provide an answer to some of the concerns. Right Direction Cookies are a great option for anyone wanting to incorporate the amount of soluble fiber and plant sterols clinically shown to improve cholesterol. As registered dietitians we did not want to introduce Right Direction Cookies with borrowed science so we had the cookie tested in a double blind, placebo controlled cross over study.
A Soluble Fiber and Plant Sterol-Containing Cookie for Lowering Cholesterol: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Study.
Presented April 2, 2006 Experimental Biology: Dietary and Biological Factors Affecting Lipid Metabolism. Abstract # 109.1
Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Connecticut, Neag School of Education
Jay Udani, MD
Medical Director, Medicus Research
Maria-Luz Fernandez, Ph.D
Professor, University of Connecticut, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Abstract
The combination of psyllium (PSY) and plant sterol (PS) as a nutritional therapy improved plasma LDL cholesterol and glucose levels and resulted in a larger LDL particle.
This study was also presented January, 2006 at the 3rd Annual Scripp’s Integrative Medicine Conference of Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Update in La Jolla, CA and was awarded for a clinical study.
For those wondering about artificial additives, there are none! Here is a copy of our ingredient list and nutrition facts:
Nutrition Facts: serving size: 1 cookie, Amount per serving: Calories 160, Fat Cal 60. Total Fat 6g (9% DV), Sat. Fat 2.5g (12% DV), Trans Fat 0, Cholesterol 10mg (3% DV), Sodium 150mg (6% DV), Total Carbohydrate 24g (8% DV), Fiber 5g (20% DV), Sugars 12g, Protein 2g.
INGREDIENTS: unbleached white flour, chocolate chips (sugar, cocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milkfat, soy lecithin, vanilla, natural flavoring), zero trans margarine (liquid soybean oil, palm oil, water, salt, mono and di-glycerides, soybean lecithin, natural flavor, annatto color, vitamin A palmitate), psyllium husk powder, sugar, brown sugar, oat flour, eggs, plant sterols, baking soda, vanilla extract, salt.
Thank you all for posting your comments about Right Direction Cookies.
ReplyThat's just too ridiculous for words. Cookies are - and always will be - a treat food. There is no replacement for lots of leafy green veggies, lots of fresh fruit, a low fat diet, fresh water (and plenty of it), fresh air, and moderate exercise.
I've never seen any other 'diet' work but the above recommendations I've just made.
By all means enjoy cookies - but one at a time, once every few weeks.
ReplyJust to let you know - I've tried these cookies, and they're pretty gross. $1 for chewy cardboard!! I'm sticking with salads...thanks anyway, norman.
ReplyA dollar per cookie!! I definitely think there are better (and cheaper) ways to go about lowering your cholesterol than going that route.
ReplyI heard about right direction. but not how to access this site , or to order. It is a known fact that oat bram lowers cholesteral but lets see what psyllium can do. Do You have an addy to obtain these.
Replythank you JackieLamphier R.N.
The sad thing is that someone out there will actually buy this. We're all afraid of cholesterol, but how many of us really understand it? What do you think raises your cholesterol? Saturated fat and cholesterol? No, that's not what gets you.
The biggest cause of high cholesterol is, drum roll please, excess carbohydrates. Let me repeat this: eating excess/refined carbohydrates is what's jacking up your cholesterol! Dietary cholesterol barely has any effect on the amount of cholesterol in your blood, and saturated fat isn't so bad for you either.
So, what's the solution? Eat less carbohydrates and/or eat natural forms of carbohydrates. These include fibrous carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables, and also starchy carbohydrates like brown rice, steel-cut oats, and sweet potatoes and yams. Avoid any grain source that uses flour if possible, even whole grain flour. I'm not big on the low-carb thing, but do try to limit your carbohydrate intake. Refined flour and sugar are the worst things for your cholesterol, and this cookie has it.
Another thing you can do is eat more meat. Many of you out there probably think beef will kill your heart. However, many of you don't know your fats. For some people, it's just saturated and unsaturated, maybe trans fats. For the better informed, they know about saturated, trans, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. Even this is not enough!
I recognize different lengths of carbon chains in all non-trans fat, and different sites of double bonding in unsaturated fats, as well as cis or trans fat molecules.
However, I don't bother differentiating trans fats, as we shouldn't be eating any of them.
Most of the fat in beef is monounsaturated, which is good for your heart. Out of the remaining saturated fat, most of it is stearic acid, which doesn't affect your cholesterol at all! Beef is probably one of the best things you can eat; it's a staple in my diet. I never feel healthy without some type of red meat.
So, now that we've got that out of the way, what fats are bad for you? Well, you're not going to like this, but margarine, vegetable oil, canola oil, and corn oil are probably some of the greatest contributors to heart disease in this country.
Eat meat to get your saturated fats. Use butter, lard, or extra virgin olive oil for cooking; the molecules are more stable and won't be mutated by the heat as much. Natural peanut butter and avocados are also good sources of fats. For your omega fats, I recommend cold-pressed flaxseed oil and fish.
For a long time, we knew practically nothing about fat metabolism, but we're getting a better grip on it now. If you want to understand fats better check out this piece: http://www.health-report.co.uk/saturated_fats_health_benefits.htm. It will also explain why cholesterol is a nutrient and not a hazard.
Many of you probably don't know that your cholesterol levels are not a good indicator of heart disease. If you want to get a better idea, get an apolipoprotein B test. It's much more correlated with heart disease and doesn't require you to fast before it.
Remember: never go on a low-fat diet. It will hurt you more than help you. I recommend at least 20% of your calories come from healthy fats. I wouldn't go much above 40%. You'll be amazed how much better you feel with healthy fats and how much they can accelerate weight loss.
ReplyI realize that the comments made on this site are from a couple of years back, but just in case anyone stumbles on it and reads all the negative about right directions cookies I need to tell you that if you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel, these cookies are a miracle. I have had problems for years. So much so that it affected my daily life. I tried everything. Then a friend of mine told me about these cookies and gave me a box to try. I told her that they wouldn't work, because I tried everything. She told me that i would be "pooping" in no time. Of course I took the cookies. They are not the best tasting cookies, but they are not so bad when you see that they really do work. I am so much healthier now. I go to the bathroom every single day. For me, they are a miracle cookie. I can't convey to you how they have changed my life.
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