ADVISORY/Portfolio --Cholesterol-Lowering-- Diet Interview Opportunity.

News/Assignment Editors & Health/Lifestyle Writers

ADVISORY...

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

    WHAT: A study published tomorrow in the Journal of the American
        Medical Association suggests that consuming a diet rich in
        certain foods can lower cholesterol as effectively as starting
        doses of statins or cholesterol-lowering drug therapy. Known
        as the Portfolio Diet, this dietary program uses soy protein,
        viscous fiber, almonds and plant sterols to lower LDL (bad)
        cholesterol. According to the results of the study, the
        participants using cholesterol-lowering drugs while also
        consuming a low-fat diet experienced a 31 percent drop in LDL
        cholesterol, whereas participants following the Portfolio Diet
        decreased their LDL cholesterol by 29 percent (a comparable
        reduction). Those following the Portfolio Diet also lowered
        C-Reactive Protein levels (CRP) - a marker of inflamed
        arteries and a known risk factor for heart disease - as
        effectively as the group taking cholesterol-lowering statins
        and consuming a low-fat diet.

    WHO: Debra Miller, Ph.D., and behavioral health and nutrition
        expert:

        --  Can comment on the methodology and results of the
            Portfolio Diet study.

        --  Can discuss the heart health benefits of soy protein and
            other ingredients of the Portfolio Diet as well as
            reference current heart-health studies.

        --  Can provide tips about easily incorporating the elements
            of the Portfolio Diet into the diet of the average
            American.

        --  Is a soy expert and nutrition scientist for The Solae
            Company - producers of the soy protein used in the
            Portfolio Diet study and the company that spearheaded the
            1999 FDA claim about soy protein consumption and a lowered
            risk of coronary heart disease.

        Education:

        --  Ph.D. in Biobehavioral Health and Nutrition (Pennsylvania
            State University).

        --  Post-doctoral research fellow (Harvard Medical School at
            the Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine).

        --  Former faculty member at Johns Hopkins University School
            of Medicine.

        --  A member of the North American Association for the Study
            of Obesity, the Society for the Study of Ingestive
            Behavior, and the American Dietetic Association.

If you are interested in setting up a third-party interview with Dr. Debra Miller, please contact:

Gabby Nelson
Fleishman-Hillard
612.573.3128
612.850.6784 (cell)
[e-mail]

Lisa Carlson
Fleishman-Hillard
612.573.3140
612.202.2038
[e-mail]