HOUSTON, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Minute Maid today reminded consumers that
 Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise is the only orange juice clinically proven to
 help reduce cholesterol. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently settled a
 complaint against another major orange juice company that the FTC said misled
 consumers by making claims not substantiated by reliable scientific evidence.
     "A clinical study showed Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise orange juice with
 CoroWise(TM) plant sterols was effective in decreasing total blood and LDL
 cholesterol," said Dr. Rhona Applebaum, vice president, scientific and
 regulatory affairs for The Coca-Cola Company. "For most consumers, being able
 to enjoy orange juice that has the added benefits of naturally sourced plant
 sterols is a simple step toward healthier cholesterol levels."
     A major risk factor for coronary heart disease is elevated LDL
 cholesterol.  Foods that contain at least 0.4 grams per serving of plant
 sterols, consumed 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.  An 8 fluid-ounce serving of Minute Maid Premium
 Heart Wise contains 1.0 gram of plant sterols.
 
     About Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise
     In a clinical study conducted at the University of California at Davis
 Medical Center, participants significantly lowered their LDL cholesterol by
 drinking two 8-fl.-oz. servings of Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise orange juice
 daily with meals for eight weeks. Benefits of Heart Wise were demonstrated in
 men and women with normal to "borderline high" total cholesterol levels.
     Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise orange juice contains plant sterols,
 naturally sourced plant extracts that have been clinically proven to help
 lower total and LDL cholesterol.  Plant sterols inhibit the absorption of
 cholesterol.
     "Lowering LDL cholesterol through changes to diet is a well-accepted means
 of helping reduce the likelihood of heart disease," said Dr. Sridevi Devaraj,
 associate professor of pathology and investigator in the Laboratory for
 Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Research at UC Davis Medical Center who led the
 study. "Adding plant sterols to orange juice is an easy and effective way to
 boost a diet's LDL-fighting power in individuals with mildly elevated
 cholesterol levels."
 
     The Facts on Cholesterol
     According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 105 million
 American adults have been classified as having total blood cholesterol at
 borderline high or higher levels (200 mg/dL or above), and forty-two million
 adults have "high" levels of total cholesterol (240 mg/dL or above).
 
     About Minute Maid
     Minute Maid is a brand of The Coca-Cola Company, the world's largest
 beverage company. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world's most
 valuable brand, the Company markets four of the world's top five soft drink
 brands, including diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite, and a wide range of other
 beverages, including diet and light soft drinks, waters, juices and juice
 drinks, teas, coffees and sports drinks.   Through the world's largest
 distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company's
 beverages at a rate exceeding 1 billion servings each day.
 
     "Minute Maid" and "Heart Wise" are trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.
     For more information, visit http://www.minutemaid.com .
 
 

SOURCE  The Coca-Cola Company

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