BOUCHERVILLE, QC, To coincide with Heart Month, Danone Inc. in Canada today announced the launch of Danacol®, a drinkable yogurt enriched with plant sterols. Plant sterols are shown to reduce cholesterol. The Canadian launch builds on the remarkable international success enjoyed by Danacol® since 2004 when it was first introduced in Europe by the Danone Group.
Almost 50% of Canadians aged 40 or over have moderate to high cholesterol levels1. For the millions of people concerned about high cholesterol, one of the main risk factors for heart disease and stroke, this new drinkable yogurt, when consumed as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, can be an important ally in helping to manage excess cholesterol.
In Canada, the addition of plant sterols to certain food products including drinkable yogurt has been recently authorized up to a maximum of 1g per serving. 80mL of Danacol® provides 50% of the recommended daily amount of plant sterols shown to reduce cholesterol levels in adults.
"At Danone, we're especially proud to be able to offer this new product to Canadians," noted Louis Frenette, President and CEO of Danone Inc. in Canada. "Issues surrounding public health and nutrition have always been a primary concern at Danone. We firmly believe that nutrition plays an essential role in promoting personal health and well-being, and Danacol represents a key inititiative toward fulfilling our commitment."
The benefits of plant sterols have been recognized for decades. Plant sterols naturally occur in foods such as vegetable oils, nuts and cereals and in lesser amounts in fruits and vegetables; however, for people concerned about excess cholesterol, the quantity present in these foods is insufficient to have a significant effect on lowering cholesterol levels.
Clinical trials have shown that consuming 2g of plant sterols per day helps to reduce "bad" cholesterol by up to 8.8%.2
"Over the past three decades, more than 100 clinical studies have found the daily consumption of plant sterol enriched foods to significantly reduce blood cholesterol levels," stated Dr. Cyril Kendall, Research Scientist at the University of Toronto in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. "The positive effects of plant sterols have been shown in adults with high cholesterol levels. Plant sterols are an easy and effective way to lower cholesterol and should be used as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle to improve one's heart health."
Danacol® is proud to support the Heart and Stroke FoundationTM in its efforts to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke. For every purchase of a specially marked product, Danacol® will donate $0.10 to the Heart and Stroke FoundationTM, up to a total of $200,000 per year.
First launched in Belgium, France, Spain, the Canary Islands and Italy, Danacol® is now available in Canada in five flavours—blueberry, raspberry-cranberry, red fruits, pineapple and vanilla. Danacol® contains no added sugar and no trans fat or saturated fat. It has only 35 calories per serving. What's more, it's a source of calcium and vitamin B12, as well as being a good source of vitamins A and D. For more information, please visit www.danacol.ca.
