Dietary Supplement Comprising Three Key Nutrients Could Prevent Heart Disease

British scientists collaborating with a nutritional supplement maker have determined that a combination of omega-3 fatty acids from marine fish oil, cocoa extract flavonols, and phytosterols (plant sterols and stanols) in one supplement may help ward off heart disease. The researchers, using several cell-based experimental models, found that the three ingredients helped inhibit key processes that contribute to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is the major cause of heart disease, responsible for around a third of all deaths worldwide. The study was partially funded by Cultech Ltd.