FUNCTIONAL FOODS AND WOMEN'S HIGH CHOLESTEROL i Ph.D. thesis - Maja Jovanovic; McMaster University - Sociology FUNCTIONAL FOODS AND THE RISE OF HIGH CHOLESTEROL AS-DISEASE IN WOMEN'S HEALTH By MAJA JOVANOVIC, (BA) Hons., M.A.
[email protected] A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctoral of Sociology McMaster University© Copyright by Maja Jovanovic, September 2013 ii Ph.D. thesis - Maja Jovanovic; McMaster University - Sociology DOCTORATE OF PHILOSOPHY (2013) McMaster University Sociology Hamilton, Ontario Title: Functional Foods and the rise of high cholesterol as-disease in women's health Author: Maja Jovanovic, M.A. (McMaster University). Supervisor: Professor N. McLaughlin NUMBER OF PAGES: xii, 254 iii Ph.D. thesis - Maja Jovanovic; McMaster University - Sociology Abstract Food and the various aspects surrounding what we eat, what we should eat, and concerns about how to remain healthy and ward off disease and illness is escalating while our choices are endless. In this competitive food market a new type has emerged: the functional food. Functional foods are those that have an added health benefit beyond the basic nutritional content and display physiological benefits in reducing chronic diseases. A popular category of functional foods are those that purport to lower one's cholesterol. In particular, high cholesterol is marketed as a "disease" rather than a risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease. Little is known about