Aug 26 2010 --- Parmalat Canada is excited to announce the launch of Astro BioBest Plant Sterols yogourt to Canadians, the first and only probiotic yogourt available in Canada that offers a healthy and delicious option to consumers managing their cholesterol levels.

Each 100g serving of BioBest Plant Sterols probiotic yogourt is enriched with 50 per cent of the daily amount of plant sterols recommended to help lower your cholesterol. The daily amount of plant sterols shown to help reduce cholesterol in adults is 2g which equates to an individual having to consume 100 pounds of raw vegetables daily or just two servings of BioBest Plant Sterols yogourt.

"Whether it's preventing the onset or finding ways to lower it, managing cholesterol is no easy feat," says Parmalat Canada President & CEO Nash Lakha. "Our goal at Parmalat Canada is to be able to provide consumers with a simple, everyday food that's easily incorporated into their diet with the added bonus of a functional ingredient that specifically lowers cholesterol, which is a significant factor in heart disease."

Health Canada warns that approximately 50 per cent of Canadians aged 20 to 79 have high cholesterol, one of the main risk factors for heart disease, and recently approved the addition of plant sterols to a variety of select foods in May 2010. Plant sterols are found naturally in vegetables, fruits, vegetable oils, legumes, nuts and grains and compete with cholesterol transporters in the body which help block the absorption of cholesterol into the blood stream and reduce build up along the walls of our arteries.

"Clinical studies on sterols, such as those used in our yogourt, have been conducted, proving that sterols significantly lower cholesterol levels," says Parmalat Canada President & CEO Nash Lakha. "It's exciting to have the ability to harness active ingredients found naturally in vegetables and fruits and incorporate them into other foods so that consumers can benefit in ways that weren't possible before."

Eating BioBest Plant Sterols yogourt everyday, combined with a healthy diet and exercise, can help manage cholesterol levels while maintaining regular eating habits. A reduction in cholesterol of approximately 10% may be achievable.

BioBest Plant Sterols yogourt is available in Canada wherever Astro BioBest products are sold, in the popular single serve multipack format in four delicious flavours (strawberry, blueberry, vanilla and raspberry).