Forbes Medi-Tech Receives US Patent For its Pitch Extraction Technology

"This patent in the US validates the many years of research and development by the dedicated team of scientists and engineers behind the development of our plant sterol-based technologies" said Laura Wessman, Senior Vice President Operations of Forbes, a division of Pharmachem Laboratories Inc..

4 Jan 2013 --- Forbes Medi-Tech Corporation (Forbes), a world leader in plant sterol technologies for healthy cholesterol management, including the manufacture of the proprietary ingredient REDUCOL, has received a Patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its innovative technology to efficiently extract plant sterols and stanols from tall oil pitch. The patent, #8338564 , is entitled, "Method for the preparation of phytosterols from tall oil pitch."

"This patent in the US validates the many years of research and development by the dedicated team of scientists and engineers behind the development of our plant sterol-based technologies" said Laura Wessman, Senior Vice President Operations of Forbes, a division of Pharmachem Laboratories Inc.. "This patent further strengthens our ability to broadly protect our proprietary technology as we develop Heart Healthy functional food and dietary supplement applications."

REDUCOL is derived from coniferous trees - a natural, renewable and non-genetically modified resource. REDUCOL works by blocking the absorption of some of the cholesterol from the intestine and into the body, without any significant gastrointestinal side effects. REDUCOL is the only clinically tested, non-GMO, proprietary plant sterol and stanol blend, available to incorporate into your brands. It is Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) by the FDA and is safe to use; therefore, REDUCOLTM can be used as a functional food ingredient and in dietary supplements.

"In our research, overall findings indicate a 15.5% LDL-cholesterol reduction compared to the control group," Wessman explains. "Low-fat diet alone accounted for 8.9% LDL-cholesterol reduction, hence a 'prudent' Western diet plus phytosterols brought about a decrease in total LDL cholesterol of 24.4% from baseline measurements."