The Quaker Oats Company and Biosafe Medical Technologies have formed an initiative which aims to give the public greater access to information about how to reduce cholesterol levels.
The web-based initiative is part of Quaker's ongoing Smart Heart Challenge which is meant to encourage consumers to eat Quaker Oatmeal as a way of reducing levels of blood cholesterol, a known risk factor for heart disease.
Under the terms of the partnership, Quaker will sponsor reduced cost cholesterol testing for everyone who visits the Heart Health or the Smart Heart Challenge sections of their Web site. Visitors to the site can order special blood collection kits from Biosafe directly over the Internet for both before and after Smart Heart Challenge cholesterol testing. Biosafe is a world leader in micro-sample blood testing and its special blood collection kits will be sent directly to participants who then simply collect the blood sample and return it to the company's laboratory for analysis. Results are then sent directly back to the participant.
The entire process is quick, easy, and virtually painless, yet produces an actual quantitative laboratory report for total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and Triglycerides, said Quaker.
"Since over 40 scientific studies have proven that eating oatmeal as part of a healthy diet can reduce cholesterol, Quaker is encouraging all participants to take advantage of this offer so they may see the benefit for themselves," said Dr Cathy Kapica, Quaker's director of nutrition education.
Details about Quaker Oatmeal and the Smart Heart Challenge can be found at http://www.quakeroatmeal.com .