Reduction in Cholesterol Absorption Is Enhanced by Stearate-Enriched Plant Sterol Esters in Hamsters

Consumption of plant sterol esters reduces plasma LDL cholesterol concentration by inhibiting intestinal cholesterol absorption. Commercially available plant sterol esters are prepared by esterifying free sterols to fatty acids from edible plant oils such as canola, soybean, and sunflower. To determine the influence of the fatty acid moiety on cholesterol metabolism, plant sterol esters were made with fatty acids from soybean oil (SO), beef tallow (BT), or purified stearic acid (SA) and fed to male hamsters for 4 wk. A control group fed no plant sterol esters was also included. Hamsters fed BT and SA had significantly lower cholesterol absorption and decreased concentrations of plasma non-HDL cholesterol and liver esterified cholesterol, and significantly greater fecal sterol excretion than SO and control hamsters. Cholesterol absorption was lowest in hamsters fed SA (7.5%), whereas it was 72.9% in control hamsters. Cholesterol absorption was correlated with fecal sterol excretion (r = –0.72, P \u3c 0.001), liver cholesterol concentration (r = 0.88, P \u3c 0.001), and plasma non-HDL cholesterol concentration (r = 0.85, P \u3c 0.001). A multiple regression model that included each sterol ester type vs. cholesterol absorption indicated that intake of steryl stearate was the only dietary component that contributed significantly to the model (R2 = –0.75, P \u3c 0.001). Therefore, our results demonstrate that BT and SA are more effective than SO in reducing cholesterol absorption, liver cholesterol, and plasma non-HDL cholesterol concentration, suggesting that cardioprotective benefits can be achieved by consuming stearate-enriched plant sterol esters

Consuming functional foods enriched with plant sterol or stanol esters for 85 weeks does not affect neurocognitive functioning or mood in statin-treated hypercholesterolemic individuals.

Recent animal and human studies have shown that plant sterols and stanols, which are used as functional food ingredients to lower increased LDL cholesterol concentrations, pass the blood-brain barrier. Whether this affects neurocognitive functioning and mental well-being in humans has, to our knowledge, never been investigated. The aim of the present study was therefore to examine the effects of long-term plant sterol or stanol consumption on neurocognitive functioning and mood in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled dietary intervention trial. To this end, hypercholesterolemic individuals, aged 43-69 y, receiving stable statin treatment were randomly assigned to an 85-wk supplementation with margarines enriched with plant sterol esters (2.5 g/d), plant stanol esters (2.5 g/d), or placebo. At baseline and at the end of the intervention period, all participants underwent a cognitive assessment. In addition, subjective cognitive functioning and mood were assessed by means of questionnaires (Cognitive Failure Questionnaire and depression subscale of the Symptom Checklist 90, respectively). Long-term supplementation with plant sterol or stanol esters did not affect cognitive performance (memory, simple information processing speed, complex information processing speed, Letter-Digit Substitution test performance), subjective cognitive functioning, or mood. In conclusion, the present results indicate that long-term use of plant sterols or stanols at recommended intakes of 2.5 g/d does not affect neurocognitive functioning or mood in hypercholesterolemic individuals receiving statin treatment

Effects on the human serum lipoprotein profile of beta-glucan, soy protein and isoflavones, plant sterols and stanols, garlic and tocotrienols

Department of Human Biology and. Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. [email protected] The effects of beta-glucan, soy protein, isoflavones, plant sterols and stanols, garlic and tocotrienols on serum lipoproteins have been of great interest the last decade. From a critical review of the literature, it appeared that recent studies found positive as well as no effects of beta-glucan from oats on serum LDL cholesterol concentrations. These conflicting results may suggest that the cholesterol-lowering activity of products rich in oat beta-glucan depends on factors, such as its viscosity in the gastrointestinal tract, the food matrix and/or food processing. The effects of beta-glucan from barley or yeast on the lipoprotein profile are promising, but more human trials are needed to further substantiate these effects. It is still not clear whether the claimed hypocholesterolemic effects of soy can be attributed solely to the isoflavones. Several studies found no changes in serum LDL cholesterol concentrations after consumption of isolated soy isoflavones (without soy protein), indicating that a combination of soy protein and isoflavones may be needed for eliciting a cholesterol-lowering effect of soy. Therefore, the exact (combination of) active ingredients in soy products need to be identified. The daily consumption of 2-3 g of plant sterols or stanols reduces LDL cholesterol concentrations by 9-14%. It has been demonstrated that functional foods enriched with plant sterols and stanols are effective in various population groups, and in combination with cholesterol-lowering diets or drugs. Whether garlic or garlic preparations can be used as a lipid-lowering agent is still uncertain. It is important to characterize the active components in garlic and their bioavailability after ingestion. It is not very likely that tocotrienols from palm oil or rice bran oil have favorable effects on the human serum lipoprotein profile. Publication Types: Review Review, Academi