FAQ

• What is the 3 Week Challenge?
  The 3 week challenge is a very simple way to reduce cholesterol absorption and enjoy a healthy balance diet by eating Flora pro-activ.

  • Have your cholesterol measured by your doctor (after fasting)
  • Use 25g of Flora pro-activ every day for 3 weeks (about the amount you would use on 3-4 slices of bread) as part of a healthy lifestyle
  • After 3 weeks, have your cholesterol measured again by your doctor (after fasting).

  For further advice and tips, click here
• Has the 3 Week Challenge been scientifically proven to work?
  Plant sterol spreads are scientifically proven to reduce cholesterol absorption in three weeks^{1
  1}Jones PJ et al. J Lipid Research 2000;41:697-705
• Can anyone take part in the 3 Week Cholesterol Challenge?
  While Flora pro-activ may not be suitable for children under 5, pregnant or lactating women, anyone can do the 3 Week Cholesterol Challenge, however please note that if you are already using Flora pro-activ® or another plant sterol product, further reductions in cholesterol absorption will not be seen. However, keep up the good work to keep your cholesterol absorption down.
• What do I do if I am a current user? Why would I want to keep using Flora pro-activ if I am not going to get any further cholesterol reductions?
  Keep up the good work! On-going use of Flora pro-activ® will help to keep your cholesterol absorption down. Remember that plant sterols will only actively prevent the absorption of cholesterol if consumed on a regular basis i.e. 25 grams of spread a day. When making dietary changes, try to implement them on a long-term basis in order to obtain the maximum benefit.
• Does diet play a role in lowering my cholesterol?
  Yes. You can lower your cholesterol levels by eating a healthy diet. Plant sterol spreads are scientifically proven to lower cholesterol absorption in three weeks. Other dietary changes such as reducing saturated fat and increasing soluble fibre also reduce cholesterol.

  • Balance your diet by incorporating a variety of vegetables, legumes fruits, nuts, wholegrain breads & cereals, fish and low fat dairy products
  • Lower your intake of saturated fats found in full fat dairy products, fatty meats, butter, most deep fried take-aways, cakes, pastries, biscuits and chocolate.
  • Increase intake of unsaturated fats found in vegetable oils, margarine spreads, fish and plain unsalted nuts.
  • Include plant sterol spreads
• How should I get my cholesterol tested?
  You should fast 12 hours before your test and have your test at an accredited pathology laboratory or a general practitioner. Ask for a breakdown of your cholesterol results (Total Cholesterol/ LDL Cholesterol/HDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides). Click here for the explanation of the different terms.
  
  Simply visit your general practitioner to have your cholesterol tested. You must fast for 12 hours before having a detailed blood cholesterol test (only water is allowed), so your general practitioner can measure all different fat components in the blood and give you an accurate risk assessment. By doing this, he/she will also evaluate other risks such as blood pressure etc.
• Are there different factors that affect your cholesterol results?
  Yes. A number of factors can affect your cholesterol results. Cholesterol testing may not always accurately reflect true cholesterol levels due to measurement error or natural biological variation. Other factors, that may affect results are if you are pregnant, have a flu or virus, menopause and also if you are on cholesterol lowering medication.