Effects of plant stanol esters supplied in low-fat yoghurt on serum lipids and lipoproteins, non-cholesterol sterols and fat soluble antioxidant concentrations

• Published in: Atherosclerosis Vol. 160; no. 1; pp. 205 - 213
• Main Authors: Mensink, Ronald P, Ebbing, Spike, Lindhout, Martijn, Plat, Jogchum, van Heugten, Marjolien M.A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ireland Ltd 2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antioxidants - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Body Weight - physiology; Campestanol; Carotenoids; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - analogs & derivatives; Cholesterol - metabolism; Cholesterol - pharmacology; Diet, Fat-Restricted; Disorders of blood lipids. Hyperlipoproteinemia; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Intestinal Mucosa - metabolism; Lipids - blood; Lipoproteins; Lipoproteins - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Netherlands; Phytosterols - blood; Plant stanols; Plants - chemistry; Sitostanol; Sitosterols - metabolism; Sitosterols - pharmacology; Solubility - drug effects; Stigmasterol - metabolism; Stigmasterol - pharmacology; Tocopherols; Yoghurt; Yogurt; Yoghurt; Lipoproteins; Carotenoids; Sitostanol; Campestanol; Plant stanols; Tocopherols; Cholesterol; Human; Metabolic diseases; Lipids; Hyperlipoproteinemia; Supplemented diet; Yogurt; Lipoprotein; Antioxidant; Sitosterol; Hypercholesterolemia; Diet therapy; Campesterol; Follow up study; Phytosterol; Dyslipemia; Carotenoid
• ISSN: 0021-9150; 1879-1484
• DOI: 10.1016/S0021-9150(01)00562-7

Oil-based products enriched with plant stanol esters can lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations by 10–14%. Effectiveness of low-fat products, however, has never been evaluated, although such products fit into a healthy diet. We therefore examined the effects of plant stanol esters emulsified into low-fat yoghurt (0.7% fat) on fasting concentrations of plasma lipids and lipid-soluble antioxidants, which may also change by plant stanol consumption. Sixty non-hypercholesterolemic subjects first consumed daily three cups (3×150 ml) of placebo yoghurt for 3 weeks. For the next 4 weeks, 30 subjects continued with the placebo yoghurt, while the other 30 subjects received three cups of experimental yoghurt. Each cup provided 1 g of plant stanols (0.71 g sitostanol plus 0.29 g campestanol) as its fatty acid ester. LDL cholesterol (mean±S.D.) increased by 0.06±0.21 mmol/l in the placebo group, but decreased by −0.34±0.30 mmol/l in the experimental group. The difference in changes between the two groups of 0.40 mmol or 13.7% was highly significant ( P<0.001; 95% confidence interval for the difference, −0.26–−0.53 mmol/l). Effects were already maximal after 1 week. HDL cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations did not change. Total tocopherol levels increased by 1.43 μmol/mmol LDL cholesterol (14.0%, P=0.015). β-carotene levels, however, decreased by −0.02 μmol/mmol LDL cholesterol (−14.4%, P=0.038). Decreases in absolute β-carotene concentrations were found in all apoB-containing lipoproteins. LDL-cholesterol standardised phytofluene levels decreased by 21.4±25.7% ( P<0.001), while other plasma carotenoid (lutein/zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene and α-carotene) levels did not change significantly. We conclude that low-fat yoghurt enriched with plant stanol esters lowers within 1 week LDL cholesterol to the same extent as oil-based products. LDL-cholesterol standardised concentrations of tocopherol increased. The observed decrease in β-carotene levels, as found in many other studies, appears not to be limited to the LDL fraction.