Functional foods have no boundaries these days as household names such as Kroger are jumping on the bandwagon.

Starting today, Kroger will be selling a new, cholesterol reducing, fat-free milk. The new milk contains CoroWise plant sterols, an all-natural ingredient sourced from plants and found naturally in foods such as vegetables, seeds and nuts. According to a recent press release the milk will be priced competitively with normal milk. How does it work? Well, plant sterols look a lot like cholesterol from our bodies perspective. So when we digest a meal, the plant sterols compete with cholesterol, which means we ultimately absorb less of it.

Changes can be detected in as soon as two to three weeks after incorporation into one’s daily diet -- Clinical studies have demonstrated that plant sterols can reduce cholesterol levels up to 15 percent. This new milk, in combination with cholesterol reducing yogurt, should give consumers a few options in functional dairy products. Yippee!

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