US food manufacturer Kashi has introduced an all-natural nutrient-enhanced cereal designed specifically for heart health. Called Heart to Heart, the high fibre cereal is also enhanced with B-vitamins, antioxidants, grape seed extract and green tea extract.
Jeff Johnson, director of nutrition at Kashi, said: "Heart disease is a multi-factorial condition. We created Heart to Heart cereal to address heart disease from many different aspects, beyond just cholesterol reduction."
Johnson said that studies had shown that in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, soluble fibre from whole grain oat foods such as Heart to Heart may reduce the risk of heart disease by helping to lower cholesterol levels.
The company claims that one serving of Heart to Heart cereal provides five grams of dietary fibre, including one gram of soluble fibre from oats, 100 per cent of the recommended daily intake of folic acid and vitamins B6, B12 and E, as well as 50 per cent of the allowance for vitamin C.
The company said that the bioflavoids in the grape seed and green tea extracts act as antioxidants, while the polyphenols and bioflavoids are also thought to protect against cholesterol build-up on vessel walls, thus supporting heart health.