Bloggers Taste Test Kardea Nutrition Bars

Yep, we are a mission-driven start-up with a love and a passion for what we do. But those expensive focus groups and market studies are beyond our means.

In lieu of the big company research budgets, we are spending lots of resource sampling our products and then listening to what people are saying.

Mark at Hangry Pants
September 22. 2008
Unlike some other bars I have eaten in this category, eating one gave me the feeling that Kardea bars are made with love ...

Vicky at Frenchy Addict
September 23. 2008
Yes, I love the Kardea bar "almost" as much as I love my beloved Larabar. Check your health food markets to see if they're available in your neck of the woods. I encourage you to try them, they're moist and chewy. ...

Caoline at Eat, Pray, Run
September 22. 2008
Try This Bar!! So, y’all know that I am a devout Larabar lover. But I just have to introduce to you this bar that I had the opportunity to try this weekend. This Kardea Nutrition Bar was sent to me last week from founder Rob Leighton. I had one of these babies pre-workout on Friday, and I have got to tell you — it is YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY! I went in with the intention of eating just half, but ended up gobbling the whole thing down!

Abby at Eat, Drink and Be Aware
September 18, 2008 Lemon Ginger- We loved the lemon ginger! The texture is a little more hearty than Larabars and the taste combination is out of the world good! Does anyone ever buy those Carr's English Ginger Lemon Creme Cookies at the store? ...
Banana Nut- first words out of Emmet's mouth was Wow! "I like the taste and texture- tastes like Banana Bread"- we all like the texture of these bars. They look like caramel and are moist and chewy but have a little nibble to them as well.Cranberry Almond- extremely fresh tasting. I can't seem to put my finger on it but this bar reminds me of something.... something good. The one thing that I come back to is the flavorings-- they all taste really fresh and are not overpowering.

Heather at Hangry Pants
September 19, 2008
Delicious! I love lemon flavor…the best way I can describe it is “gentle… I was pleasantly surprised when I bit into it and it had some chew, but was still soft. I looked more closely at the ingredients and realized it must be the rolled oats I am loving in there…

Juilet at Daily Eats
September 22, 2008Well, in the case of Kardea Nutrition, food not only tastes good, but it’s also very good for you. Kardea’s snack bars deliver 50% more heart healthy soluble fiber than found in oatmeal, and each provides 1 gram of cholesterol lowering ...

Tina at Carrots 'N' Cake
August 29, 2008The Chai Spice Kardea Bar had an amazing chai aroma, which hit me as soon as I opened the package. The flavor of the bar was equally wonderful-- nice and strong. My only (small) gripe about these bars was the consistency, which reminded ...

Rose at On a Lobster Placemat
September 21, 2008I am certainly going to add Kardea bars to my shopping list. They feel like a good alternative to Larabars and Clif Bars, which I eat on a regular basis. It would probably be good to have something with a little less fat and calories ...

Sammie at Running with a Recipe
September 6, 2008 I had a Lemon Ginger Kardea bar - these bars are really becoming a favorite of mine. This was the 3rd flavor that I have tried and I love them all. The flavor was delicious …

As our sampling budget allows, we will send out more products for review. Interested. Email us at customerservice@kardeanutrition.com.

Cholesterol Education Month A Good Time to Consider Statin Alternatives

September is National Cholesterol Education Month.

The stakes are high. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death and morbidity in the U.S. Cholesterol management is a leading focus for disease prevention. Sales of related medications now exceed $30 billion in annual sales.

With a passion for natural health, we know well that therapeutic nutrition---based on balanced diets incorporating good fats, viscous soluble fiber, plant sterols and selected other nutrients---can achieve significant improvements in blood lipid profiles. We can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides. We can raise HDL (good) cholesterol. We can reduce the inflammation that trigger arterial plaque development.

The science is more than solid. It is endorsed by the National Institutes of Health, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. The FDA endorses health claims associated with these nutritents. Overall, therapeutic nutrition can deliver results comparable to many cholesterol-lowering medications.

Yet, the new Lipitor ad campaign eclipses any public education promoting the natural alternatives.

We certainly are not opposed to the medical solution, but as a matter of public policy, our society would be far better served by an extensive therapeutic nutrition campaign than by the Pharma consumer campaigns.

Perhaps we should insist on equal time---for every dollar Big Pharma spends to promote a cholesterol-lowering medication, it should be required to spend an equivalent amount on a separate therapeutic nutrition campaign. In the meantime, raising consumer awareness remains an important function of the natural and health food retailers, and the nutritional health professionals.

Kardea Nutrition--hearty health and inspired---enabling natural cholesterol management.

Kardea Celebrates National Cholesterol Education Month

See Special Offer Below

September is National Cholesterol Education Month, a good time to get your blood cholesterol checked and take steps to lower it if it is high. National Cholesterol Education Month is also a good time to learn about lipid profiles and about food and lifestyle choices that help you reach personal cholesterol goals.

High blood cholesterol affects over 65 million Americans. It is a serious condition that increases your risk for heart disease. The higher your cholesterol level, the greater the risk. You can have high cholesterol and not know it. Lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessens your risk for developing heart disease and reduces the chance of having a heart attack or dying of heart disease.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers helpful resources to use during National Cholesterol Education .

In celebration, Kardea is offering online discounts on its wellness bars (20% off ) and fortified oils (40% off), both formulated to enable natural cholesterol management. Free shipping also is available this month for orders over $49.00. Sign-up for our newsletter and receive and an additional celebratory coupon for further discounts.

Cholesterol Management: Beyond Disease Prevention

The guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program define LDL cholesterol below 100mg/dl as optimal for otherwise healthy people. Yet, as a matter of disease prevention, these same guidelines suggest that substantially higher levels of LDL cholesterol may be acceptable. These standards are used as a baseline for determining the appropriateness of cholesterol-lowering medications.


Many doctors also are well aware that the non-optimal LDL standards are only a baseline. These doctors are apt to prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medication to achieve the more optimal level.

Here at Kardea, we look to natural cholesterol management to achieve the more optimal levels. Yes, medications may be needed by some, but a nutritional approach has proven as potent as many pharmaceutical therapies. And we recognize that cholesterol management extends well beyond simply lowering LDLs. Our prior blog posts and the numerous links and articles found on our resources page explore this more comprehensive approach.

The important point: cholesterol management is consistent with good health, not simply disease prevention. Whatever your currents levels ---- even if you believe that your cholesterol is not at risky levels ---- consider the benefits of pursuing a more integrated and comprehensive approach.

Turning 50 with a Focus on Vitality Not Disease Prevention

I turned 50 this past June. I am told that 50 is not old. I am told that 50 is the new 40, or perhaps 35. I am a believer. I do not think like I am old. I remain eager to learn anew.

Yet, I have acquired a gnawing sense that time is bracketed, not limitless. The weekly mailings from the AARP provide the reminder. The challenges faced by my 85 year old parents sharpen the feelings. Neither is ravaged by a particular disease. Time, slowly but with increasing speed, erodes their vitality.

With an eye not only looking to disease prevention, but also towards extending my years of vitality, I approach a health consciousness. Overall, I believe that maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system is a key to extending vitality.

I exercise, but perhaps not with the intensity to optimize my cardiovascular health. The hip pains and lower back aches serve as a bit of an obstacle.

I watch my weight, but it still falls somewhere above the ideal range, although I am not defined as overweight.

I am perhaps most successful with assuring that I eat the right foods---balanced, high in fruits, vegetables, good fats (monounsaturated fats) and good carbs (whole grains and fibers), and enhanced with certain cholesterol-managing nutrients, notably plant sterols, viscous fibers, omega-3s and selected types of niacin. No doubt, my success here lies with the pleasure I derive from food shopping, gourmet cooking and social eating.

Natural Cholesterol Management: Looking Beyond Heart Disease Prevention

The guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program define LDL cholesterol below 100mg/dl as optimal for otherwise healthy people. Yet, as a matter of disease prevention, these same guidelines suggest that substantially higher levels of LDL cholesterol may be acceptable. These standards are used as a baseline for determining the appropriateness of cholesterol-lowering medications.

Many doctors also are well aware that the non-optimal LDL standards are only a baseline. These doctors are apt to prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medication to achieve the more optimal level.

Here at Kardea, we look to natural cholesterol management to achieve the more optimal levels. Yes, medications may be needed by some, but a nutritional approach has proven as potent as many pharmaceutical therapies. And we recognize that cholesterol management extends well beyond simply lowering LDLs. Our prior blog posts and the numerous links and articles found on our resources page explore this more comprehensive approach.

The important point: cholesterol management is consistent with good health, not simply disease prevention. Whatever your currents levels ---- even if you believe that your cholesterol is not at risky levels ---- consider the benefits of pursuing a more integrated and comprehensive approach.

Intermediate Dose Niacin and Natural Cholesterol Management

Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3, is vital for good health. Niacin helps convert food into energy, build red blood cell counts, and synthesize hormones.

For basic good health, a relatively small amount of niacin, about 20mg/day, is needed. Americans typically obtain this level from a balanced, healthy diet. Our bodies also can manufacture niacin.

At substantially higher levels—1000-2500mg/day--- a specific type of niacin significantly improves cholesterol levels. Niacin as nicotinic acid can lower LDL cholesterol by up to 25%, raise HDL cholesterol by as much as 35%, and lower triglyceride levels by 20% to 50%.[i] The medical community[ii] generally defines these high dosages as a drug that should be taken under a physician’s care. The primary concerns relate to potential liver complications. A doctor will monitor liver function as part of a routine blood test. As a practical matter, the very real and sometimes intense flushing side-effects associated with nicotinic acid at these levels may make a “buffered” prescription nicotinic acid the only viable option.

Nonetheless, nicotinic acid supplements are approved for sale by the Food and Drug Administration. Further, the intake of niacin at intermediate dosage levels --- 100-1000mg/day---has been shown to significantly improve the levels of both HDLs and triglycerides. Coupled with other elements of natural cholesterol management, intermediate dosage of niacin in the form of supplements may provide a meaningful contribution in long term cardiovascular health.

Cholesterols Management: Beyond LDL Reduction

LDL cholesterol reduction has been the primary focus of the medical and pharmaceutical community. This focus is supported by the significant and extensive research confirming the positive health effects of lowered LDL, including reduced heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases.

Increasingly, medical science recognizes that LDL reduction alone is only part of cholesterol management and cardiovascular health and wellness.

Researchers are assessing the composition of cholesterol and triglycerides in our blood. For instance, the NIHs’ National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) reports that “strong epidemiological evidence links low levels of serum HDL cholesterol to increased CHD (coronary heart disease). High HDL-cholesterol conversely conveys reduced risk.”[iii] The NCEP identifies having HDLs less than 40mg/dl as a risk factor for heart disease. Levels above 60mg/dl are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.

Statins, the leading medication for LDL reduction, have been associated with some HDL increases. Yet, under the NCEP guidelines, statins are typically recommended only when LDL levels are elevated.

Low HDL levels without elevated LDL levels are nonetheless fairly common. Up to 50% of patients not typically candidates for LDL-lowering medications have low levels of HDLs. In patients with premature coronary artery disease, low HDL levels are the most common abnormality in blood lipids.[iv]

A number of recent studies indicate that small increases in HDLs can significantly reduce the incidence of cardiovascular-related death. A 1mg/dl increase in HDL has been associated with a 2%-3% reduction in coronary artery disease.[v] Another extensive study concluded that increasing HDLs by 6% in patients with low HDL cholesterol decreased heart-related deaths and non-fatal heart attacks by 22%.[vi]

Intermediate Daily Dosages of Niacin as Nicotinic Acid

Between the 20mg recommended for basic health and the 100x greater levels used to manage at-risk patients lies a potential role for niacin for promoting cardiovascular health. In one study, patients took 50mg of niacin as nicotinic acid twice per day for 3 months. The patients on the niacin experienced an average 5% increase in HDLs, or an average of 2.1mg/dl.[vii] In another study, 500mg/day of niacin as nicotinic acid raised HDLs by 10% (close to 5mg/dl) and lowered LDLs by 5% and Triglycerides by 5%.[viii] At 1000mg/day, improvements were 15%, 7% and 11% for HDL, LDL and triglycerides respectively.

The medical community has refrained from endorsing the use of nicotinic acid supplements at these dosage levels as part of a more natural, statin-free solution to blood lipid management. The medical community’s reticence flows, in part, from doctors’ distrust of nutritional supplements. Supplements are subject to fewer regulations than pharmaceuticals, but the industry also is not without regulatory requirements, and many high quality and reliable supplement manufacturers and retailers exist.

Another issue surrounding niacin relates to the potential for consumer confusion. There are three types of niacin available---nicotinic acid, niacinamide, inositol hexanicotinate. Only nicotinic acid has been shown to be effective for cholesterol management.

Further, there are three forms of nicotinic acid—immediate release, sustained release and extended release.

Immediate release nicotinic acid often causes a very uncomfortable flushing of the skin accompanied by an intense feeling of heat, tingling and itching---even at relatively low levels of niacin. The flushing can start a few minutes or a few hours after taking niacin. Flushing typically subsides within 30 minutes, often much sooner.

At the intermediate dosage levels, flushing can be managed by gradually increasing the levels of nicotinic acid. You can start by trying 50mg with lunch and dinner. As your body grows accustomed to these levels, you can try raising your niacin intake with these meals. You might also try taking nicotinic acid before bed.

For individuals who cannot overcome the flush or for those looking to move to higher a dosage level, nicotinic acid is sold as a supplement in a sustained release version. The sustained releases version reduces the intensity of flushing, but at higher levels, it has been associated with liver damage.

The third form of nicotinic acid, extended release niacin, is available as a prescription. This form has typically been used at high level and only to treat harmful cholesterol levels that cannot be remedied through nutrition, certain lifestyle changes and statins.

Integrating Niacin into Natural Cholesterol Management

Intermediate doses of niacin as nicotinic acid may be meaningful for raising HDL cholesterol for cardiovascular health promotion, since the corresponding 5-10% increase in HDLs can significantly lower the risk of heart attack. The impact at these dosage levels alone may fall short of achieving more optimal cholesterol and triglyceride levels. When coupled with other nutrients, however, these niacin dosages may enable an individual to achieve optimal targets. Substantial LDL reductions can be further achieved through the restricted intakes of saturated and trans fats, higher intakes of monounsaturated fats, and therapeutic levels of plant sterols and selected types of fibers (including soluble fiber from oats, barley, psyllium, beans and certain fruits) .[ix] While Omega-3s have not been proven to lower LDL cholesterol, they lower triglycerides and may positively alter other factors leading to the build-up of arterial plaque. Modest weight loss and increased physical activity can further raise HDLs.

With many Americans suffering from the side-effects of statins and others preferring to minimize a lifetime of prescription drugs, it seems appropriate for the medical community to take a greater interest in the role of intermediate dosages of niacin, particularly as a component of broader therapeutic nutrition efforts.
_________________________
[i] Anne Goldberg, M.D. et al, Multiple-Dose Efficacy and Safety of an Extended-Release Form of Niacin in the Management of Hyperlipidemia. The American Journal of Cardiology, Vol. 85, pp 1100-1105 May 1, 2000.

[ii] Detection, Evaluation & Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults, Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, September 2002. www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3full.pdf

[iii] Ibid ”II Rational for Intervention”.

[iv] Ibid.

[v] DJ Gordon et al., High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Disease: Four Prospective American Studies, Circulation 1989

[vi] HB Robins et al., Gemfibrozil for the Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease in Men with Low Levels of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, The New England Journal of Medicine 1999.

[vii] Jennifer Wink, MD et al., Effect of Very-Low-dose Niacin on High-Density Lipoprotein in Patients Undergoing Long-Term Statin Therapy, American Heart Journal, Volume 143, Number 3, March 2002.

[viii] Goldberg Op Cite, p1102

[ix] Ibid

Statins for Our Kids?

The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending wider cholesterol screening for children. Underpinning these recommendations is the understanding that elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol in kids can lead to an onset of cardiovascular disease earlier in adulthood. It recognizes that the plaque in an adult's arteries may have begun developing very early in life.

The recommendations call for cholesterol screening of children and adolescents, starting as early as the age of 2 and no later than the age of 10, if they come from families with a history of high cholesterol or heart attacks before 55 for men and 65for women.

Screening is also recommended for children when family history is unknown, or if they have other risk factors, like being at or above the 85th percentile for weight, or have diabetes. If the child’s cholesterol level is normal, retesting is suggested in three to five years.

The report also suggests that for a selected group of children, prescribing a statin medication might be appropriate. Drug treatment, according to these recommendations, should be considered for children 8 and older who have very elevated LDLs, or when family history or weight indicate multiple risk factors for developing heart disease.

Not surprisingly, these recommendations raised an outcry.

“When you have a kid whose cholesterol looks like an overweight 65-year-old, what do you do?” asks Dr. David Ludwig, director of the childhood obesity program at Children’s Hospital in Boston and quoted in The New York Times. In developing the recommendations, we "had to balance the risks of treating children with powerful drugs, about which there is limited long-term data, with the risks of not treating children with unprecedented cardiovascular disease risk factors.”

Dr Ludwig also is reflective about these recommendations. Quoted in the Times, he comments “my concern is what this is saying about society when we are so quick to prescribe drugs for these conditions before having systematically attacked the problem from the public health perspective”.

For many, the systematic solution focuses on addressing childhood obesity. No doubt, an extraordinarily important challenge in its own right. Yet, cholesterol management in children go beyond issues associated with obesity. Elevated cholesterol can be found in otherwise fit and thin adults and children alike.

Between weight loss and medication lies therapeutic nutrition as outlined by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) of the National Institutes of Health. Eating a balanced diet that replaces saturated fats and trans fats with monounsaturated fats (e.g. fats in olive oil, nut butters), adds high levels of soluble fiber from oats, beans, high-pectin fruits, and psyllium) and adds plant sterols can significantly improve cholesterol and blood lipid profiles. Other nutrients, including Omega-3s from fish oils, also have been found useful.

The NCEP asserts that therapeutic lifestyle changes with a particular emphasis on what we eat (not simply how much we eat) can deliver results comparable to many cholesterol-lowering medications. For links to the NCEP reports, clinical research and other educational materials advancing natural cholesterol management: Kardea Nutrition http://www.kardeanutrition.com/. For recipes: http://www.kardeagourmet.com/