Effects of low-fat hard cheese enriched with plant stanol esters on serum lipids and apolipoprotein B in mildly hypercholesterolaemic subjects.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the cholesterol-lowering effects of a low-fat cheese enriched with plant stanol esters in mildly hypercholesterolaemic subjects, as part of their normal diet.


METHODS
A randomized double-blind parallel-group study.


METHODS
Valio Ltd, Helsinki.


METHODS
Sixty-seven mildly hypercholesterolaemic volunteers (24 men, 43 women) participated in the study, which all of them completed.


METHODS
The subjects were randomly assigned to the plant stanol ester group or the control group. During the 5-week intervention, the subjects in the stanol group consumed a cheese enriched with 2 g of plant stanols per day, and the subjects in the control group, a control cheese with no plant stanols.


RESULTS
In the stanol ester group, as compared to the control group, both serum total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol decreased significantly, that is, by 5.8% (-0.32 mmol/l, 95% CI -0.50 to -0.15 mmol/l, P < 0.001) and 10.3% (-0.36 mmol/l, 95% CI -0.53 to -0.18 mmol/l, P < 0.001), respectively. There were no significant changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides or apolipoprotein B concentrations between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Cheese enriched with 2 g of plant stanol in the form of fatty acid esters decreases serum total and LDL cholesterol significantly.
Jauhiainen
T
T
Valio Ltd, Helsinki, Finland.
Salo
P
P
Niittynen
L
L
Poussa
T
T
Korpela
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood; D002611:Cheese; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D012855:Sitosterols; D014280:Triglycerides; C407042:plant stanol ester; D002784:Cholesterol