Cholesterol Busters?

Two new margarines that promise to lower your cholesterol are arriving in grocery stores this month.

Your supermarket dairy counter, traditionally the home of fat-laden, artery-clogging delicacies like sour cream and butter, may already offer these products.

Marketing claims of the new margarines, Benecol and Take Control, say studies showed that using 1-2 tablespoons a day of either product can lower your cholesterol anywhere from 7 to 14 percent.

NUTRITION FACTS:

It is important to know that these products are not low-fat or no-calorie foods. If you add them to your diet like a medicine, you will be adding calories and fats. So you might want to only use them to substitute for fats already in your diet.

Benecol works for most cooking and baking, but Take Control says right on the label is not meant to be used for baking or frying, because water is the No. 1 ingredient and it breaks down.

These health benefits, however, don't come cheap. While you can pick up a pound of margarine for around $2, a 10-ounce tub of Take Control would cost more like $4, and Benecol could be even pricier.

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