Plant Sterol-Enriched Dairy Products Lower Cholesterol

Plant Sterol-Enriched Dairy Products Lower Cholesterol

HELSINKI, FinlandPlant sterols added to dairy products reducecholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic subjects, according to a studypublished in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Jan. 11, 2006 [ePub ahead of print]).

In the parallel, double blind study, 164 mildly to moderatelyhypercholesterolemic subjects were randomly divided into a plant sterol groupand a control group. The subjects consumed yogurt and low-fat cheese with orwithout plant sterols (2 g/d) for six weeks after a three week run-in period. During the treatment period, the sterol group experienced a 6.5-percent and10.4-percent reduction in serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-densitylipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), respectively, and a 16.1-percent increase in thehigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) to LDL ratio. The researchersconcluded dairy products enriched with a plant sterol mixture reduced serumcholesterol in hypercholesterolaemic subjects without adverse effects.