These days I have noticed a small letter in small format that appears in the television commercials of Danacol, not recommending its intake for pregnant women, breastfeeding women or children under five years old In addition, it is for people with high cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolemia) if recommended by the doctor who treats them. I have wondered why these restrictions, when the products have been advertised as the cholesterol panacea.
Danacol de Danone, like Benecol de Kaiku, are functional foods that include sterols and plant sterols that contribute to lower cholesterol. By having sterols (vegetable cholesterol), they compete with animal cholesterol and it is not absorbed so much, which would reduce blood cholesterol levels.
That this effect is not recommended for pregnant women or children makes sense and it is because animal cholesterol is an essential component in these situations for the construction of growth hormones and fundamental tissues.
However, on the website of Danacol and Benecol products I have only been able to find brief references to this "contraindication" or no recommendation for pregnant women and children.
In Danacol We have a brief reference in an article by Dr. B. Romero Ferrer, Specialist in Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery at the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital in Badalona. The article is entitled "The problem of hypercholesterolemia: can we do more for our patients?"
In the case of children, Danacol is not recommended because vitamins A, D and E would be absorbed to a lesser extent. With regard to pregnant women, the non-recommendation is based on the fact that there are no studies regarding the effects of vegetable cholesterols in this group. This is what we read in the article:
The only potentially problematic case is that of fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D and E, that would become less absorbed, which could be counterproductive in children. There are no data regarding the consumption of plant sterols during pregnancy and lactation, so it would be wise to advise against them.
Elsewhere on the Danacol website we are told that "In the absence of sufficient data, the use of Danacol® in children and pregnant or nursing women is not recommended as a precaution."
In Benecol, for its part, in the section of frequent doubts we can read:
Can anyone consume Benecol from Kaiku? Kaiku Benecol is a product that anyone can take, regardless of their cholesterol levels. However, Benecol de Kaiku It may not be nutritionally adequate for people with special dietary needs (pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children under 5 years old).
Benecol has in its composition vegetable stanols (made from plant sterols), and unlike what we read in Danacol, here we are told that
Several investigations on the influence of vegetable stanol in vitamin absorption conclude that although vegetable stanol reduces cholesterol absorption, it does not prevent the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
So the warning made by Danacol about the reduction of absorption of vitamins disappears in Benecol.
However, in both products it seems that these issues are not talked about clearly nor is it given the necessary importance. In addition, these are only recommended products when you have a high level of cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia, and not to take freely, as a daily amount that should not be exceeded and a specific diet are also recommended.
The Ministry of Health urged at the end of 2007 that the companies of certain functional foods such as those mentioned above warn that their products are not recommended in certain physiological situations such as pregnancy, growth or diseases. However, as we see, it is still done in the fine print.
In short, let's keep in mind that Danacol and Benecol are not recommended for pregnant women, or breastfeeding, or for children. And remember that the basis for keeping cholesterol at bay is a healthy and balanced diet with regular physical activity.
Official Site | Danacol
More information | Vitónica, Direct to the palate
In Babies and more | Children with high cholesterol, Low cholesterol during pregnancy predisposes to premature delivery, A low cholesterol diet during pregnancy improves the baby's blood circulation
