Positive Health Online

Abstract

CHEN and COLLEAGUES,  Food Components and Health Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, MD, USA studied the interrelationship of diet and plant sterols (PS) on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and carotenoids in mildly hypercholesterolemic men and postmenopausal women in a randomized, crossover, double-blind trials.

Background

The authors studied the interrelationship of diet and plant sterols (PS) on plasma lipids, lipoproteins and carotenoids. Mildly hypercholesterolemic men (n = 13) and postmenopausal women (n = 9) underwent four randomized, crossover, double-blind, controlled feeding periods of 23 days each.

Methodology

The design consisted of two levels of PS (0 and 3.3 g/day) and two background diets having fat content either typical of the American diet (total and saturated fat at 33.5 and 13.2% of energy, respectively), or a Step 1 type of diet (total and saturated fat at 26.4 and 7.7% of energy, respectively).

Results

Plasma total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, Apo A1 and Apo B were 4.3, 5.3, 4.5, 2.8 and 2.5% lower, respectively (P

Conclusion

The PS effect in lowering plasma TC and LDL cholesterol was independent of and additive to the effect due to dietary fat reduction. Responses of plasma carotenoids to PS intake were consistent with the literature.

References

Chen SC, Judd JT, Kramer M, Meijer GW, Clevidence BA and Baer DJ. Phytosterol intake and dietary fat reduction are independent and additive in their ability to reduce plasma LDL cholesterol. Lipids.  44(3): 273-81, Mar 2009.