Plant Sterols

One of the speakers at the TEAM MonaVie Winter Leadership convention was Dr. Alexander Schauss. Among his reputation as a writer and scientist is his discovery of the acai berry which he has researched for more than 15 years. He is also the Senior Director, Natural and Medicinal Products Research, AIBMR Life Sciences, Inc.

At the convention Dr. Schauss explained that:
“The acai fruit grows biannually in only three species of palm trees. This fruit is remarkably rich in a very large range of macronutrients, micronutrients, and trace elements. It has a broad range of essential amino acids, carbohydrates, fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals. So rich in nutrients is the acai fruit that it is possible someone could survive on it alone for quite a period of time without showing signs of malnutrition.”

He also talked about the freeze-drying processing of the freshly harvested acai berry. This process is more expensive but it conserves the nutrients and especially keeps the antioxidants stable.

After the freeze-dried acai powder is reconstituted with the juices of the other 18 fruits (there is no water added), it creates the very thick juice with the "sludge on top." The sludge is from the omega 3 fatty acid content of the berry and has similar value like olive oil.

Through all his technical explanations, Dr. Schauss showed his pride and confidence in the MonaVie products.

In his recent research he focused on the plant sterols in Acai. As you can see in the video, plant sterols are naturally found in some plants and fruits and act in the body as a neutralizer for cholesterol.

Plant Sterols Defined
Plant sterols, sometimes called Phytosterol, are naturally found in some vegetable oils, nuts, grain products, fruits and vegetables. Natural plant sterols occur in many foods, but at low levels, so it would be very challenging to get enough plant sterols for effective cholesterol reduction through whole foods alone. It would take about 100 pounds of fruits, vegetables or nuts to get 2 grams of natural plant sterols. Because of this, plant sterols have been added to common foods like vegetable oil spreads (margarine), mayonnaise, dairy-based drinks, orange juice and snack bars. Foods containing at least 0.4 grams per serving of plant sterols eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 0.8 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Plant Sterols Defined
Plant sterols, sometimes called phytosterols, are naturally found in some vegetable oils, nuts, grain products, fruits and vegetables. Natural plant sterols occur in many foods, but at low levels, so it would be very challenging to get enough plant sterols for effective cholesterol reduction through whole foods alone. It would take about 100 pounds of fruits, vegetables or nuts to get 2 grams of natural plant sterols. Because of this, plant sterols have been added to common foods like vegetable oil spreads (margarine), mayonnaise, dairy-based drinks, orange juice and snack bars. Foods containing at least 0.4 grams per serving of plant sterols eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 0.8 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Plant sterols in some foods:

Avocados, 1 small 0.13 grams

Corn Oil, 1 tablespoon 0.13 grams

Sunflower Seeds, 1/4 cup 0.19 grams

Oat Bar with plant sterols, 1 bar 0.4 grams

Orange Juice with plant sterols 1.0 gram

Vegetable oil spread with plant sterols, 1 tablespoon 1.0 gram

"A daily serving of MonaVie Pulse gives you 0.8 grams per day of plant sterols, delivering the benefits you need to potentially impact the health of your heart," says Vice President of Product Management, Jeff Graham.

FDA authorizes new coronary heart disease health claim for plant sterols and plant stanol ester.

Did you know consuming 4 grams of trans fat per day will significantly increase your risk of cardiovascular disease? One serving of French fries has 5 grams of trans fat. (Health-coach training) So, instead of your fries next lunch have a glass of MonaVie Pulse. To learn more about the MonaVie drinks or the business behind this amazing fruit, please visit:

http://www.the-team.biz/mv991215