Cholesterol-lowering efficacy of a sitostanol-containing phytosterol mixture with a prudent diet in hyperlipidemic men.
BACKGROUND
Dietary plant sterols (phytosterols) have been shown to lower plasma lipid concentrations in animals and humans. However, the effect of phytosterol intake from tall oil on cholesterol and phytosterol metabolism has not been assessed in subjects fed precisely controlled diets.


OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to examine the effects of sitostanol-containing phytosterols on plasma lipid and phytosterol concentrations and de novo cholesterol synthesis rate in the context of a controlled diet.


METHODS
Thirty-two hypercholesterolemic men were fed either a diet of prepared foods alone or a diet containing 1.7 g phytosterols/d for 30 d in a parallel study design.


RESULTS
No overall effects of diet on total cholesterol concentrations were observed, although concentrations were lower with the phytosterol-enriched than with the control diet on day 30 (P < 0.05). LDL-cholesterol concentrations on day 30 had decreased by 8.9% (P < 0.01) and 24.4% (P < 0.001) with the control and phytosterol-enriched diets, respectively. HDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations did not change significantly. Moreover, changes in circulating campesterol and beta-sitosterol concentrations were not significantly different between phytosterol-fed and control subjects. In addition, there were no significant differences in fractional (0.091 +/- 0.028 and 0.091 +/- 0.026 pool/d, respectively) or absolute (0.61 +/- 0.24 and 0.65 +/- 0.23 g/d, respectively) synthesis rates of cholesterol observed between control and phytosterol-fed subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Addition of blended phytosterols to a prudent North American diet improved plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations by mechanisms that did not result in significant changes in endogenous cholesterol synthesis in hypercholesterolemic men.
Jones
P J
PJ
School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal. Jonesp@agradm.lan.mcgill.ca
Ntanios
F Y
FY
Raeini-Sarjaz
M
M
Vanstone
C A
CA
D000328:Adult; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D010840:Phytosterols; D012855:Sitosterols; D014280:Triglycerides; C021273:campesterol; D002784:Cholesterol; C021255:stigmastanol