MINNEAPOLIS - Cargill Health & Food Technologies (H&FT) and CoroWise™ phytosterols supported the second annual Science and Leadership Symposium for Women Heart Patients, a national conference sponsored by the Mayo Clinic Office of Women's Health in association with the national non-profit organization, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.

The Oct. 11-15, 2003 symposium trained women to be healthcare advocates, leaders and educators in their local communities to promote early detection, accurate diagnosis and proper treatment for heart disease. The symposium was held at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Cargill H&FT helped to finance the symposium through an unrestricted educational grant. In addition, the company was on hand to introduce the participants - including physicians and researchers - to its ingredients developed to support women's health.
 
“Our focus during these important five days was to call attention to the growing number of healthy lifestyle options available on store shelves now and in the future,” said Cargill H&FT President Ted Ziemann. “Foods and beverages enriched with health-promoting ingredients appeal to both fitness enthusiasts and busy women who demand convenience and great taste as well as excellent wellness options, he said”

“Cargill H&FT's own women's health platform dovetails nicely with this Leadership Symposium. One of our primary goals is to educate women about heart health, and to further this cause by developing ingredients that support their health such as Cargill H&FT's CoroWise™ phytosterols,” Ziemann noted.  Phytosterols, when part of a diet low in saturated fat & cholesterol, may help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels, according to the Food and Drug Administration-approved health claim.

The women involved in this year's symposium were chosen from many heart disease patients who had submitted in-depth applications and letters of recommendations. The women heard presentations on the science of heart disease, participated in discussions and received advocacy training.

Symposium participants returned to their home communities prepared and encouraged to give media interviews, speak to college students, address medical conferences and attend community health fairs. These outreach efforts will encourage women to: take charge of their heart health, become educated about heart disease and make sure they  receive early detection, accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.

“We want women across the country to know that Cargill understands their health concerns, and that we are developing functional food solutions that address those needs with the taste and availability that fit with their hectic lifestyles,” said Ziemann.

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Cargill Health & Food Technologies, based in Minneapolis, is a leading developer, processor and marketer of science-based, healthy ingredients for food and dietary supplements worldwide. Cargill H&FT is part of Cargill's Food System Design initiative in which Cargill businesses work with customers to produce ingredient solutions for affordable, nutritious, convenient and appetizing consumer products. Cargill H&FT is a business unit of Cargill, Incorporated, an international marketer, processor and distributor of agricultural, food, financial and industrial products and services with 98,000 employees in 61 countries. The company provides distinctive customer solutions in supply chain management, food applications, and health and nutrition.