title: [Cost of foods fortified with plant sterols refunded by a health insurance company].
abstract: The Dutch health insurance company VGZ recently decided to refund part of the cost of using spread, yogurt and milk fortified with plant sterols. Plant sterols lower plasma cholesterol concentrations but they do so less effectively than statins. For health insurance companies wishing to improve the health of their clients, it would be more logical to reimburse costs of folic acid supplements for the prevention of neural tube defects, and vitamin-D-enriched products to prevent fractures in elderly people.
authors.affiliation: Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences en Wageningen Universiteit, afd. Humane Voeding, Bomenweg 2, 6703 HD Wageningen.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Katan
mesh_terms: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005527:Food, Fortified / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D009426:Netherlands; D010840:Phytosterols
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D010840:Phytosterols; D002784:Cholesterol