News Health & Medicine

Fighting cholesterol with saturated fat?

By Janet Raloff

- More than 2 years ago

A saturated fat from beef, linked to a soy-derived compound, makes a promising cholesterol-lowering compound, according to a nutrition scientist at the University of Nebraska.

CHOLESTEROL MEDICINE? The left spoon holds a gooey sterol-ester used in cholesterol-lowering margarine, while the right spoon holds a new cholesterol-lowering powder. B. Hampton/Univ. of Neb.

The soy compound, a sterol ester, is one of two plant-based compounds already used in margarines that prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol (SN: 5/30/98, p.