Dose-response effects of different plant sterol sources in fat spreads on serum lipids and C-reactive protein and on the kinetic behavior of serum plant sterols.
OBJECTIVE
To test the dose-response effect on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) of plant sterols (PS) from different sources in a low-fat spread.


METHODS
Dose responses of soybean oil (BO), tall oil (TO) and a mix of tall oil and rapeseed oil (TO/RP) as fatty acid esters were tested in a parallel design in free-living subjects recruited from the general community who had elevated cholesterol concentrations. Subjects received either control for 6 weeks or 1.6 g PS per day for 3 weeks, then 3.0 g/day for 3 weeks.


RESULTS
LDL-c was lowered significantly by consumption of 1.6 g/day of PS (-10.4%, range -7.3 to -11.4%). Increasing the dose to 3.0 g/day modestly reduced LDL-c concentrations further to -14.7%. TO, containing 78% sitosterol, produced an increase in serum sitosterol of 6.5 nmol/ml, while BO, containing only 27% campesterol, produced an increase in serum campesterol of 9.5 nmol/ml in 6 weeks. After PS withdrawal, serum sterols declined by 50% within 2 weeks.


CONCLUSIONS
Different PS sources were equally effective in lowering serum LDL-c concentrations. The decrease in absolute concentrations of LDL-c was dependent on the baseline concentrations.
Clifton
P M
PM
CSIRO Human Nutrition, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. peter.clifton@csiro.au
Mano
M
M
Duchateau
G S M J E
GS
van der Knaap
H C M
HC
Trautwein
E A
EA
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008383:Margarine; D008875:Middle Aged; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D010840:Phytosterols; D012855:Sitosterols; D014280:Triglycerides; D008383:Margarine; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol