Plant Stanol Esters Affect Serum Cholesterol Concentrations of Hypercholesterolemic Men and Women in a Dose-dependent Manner

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 130; no. 4; pp. 767 - 776
• Main Authors: Hallikainen, Maarit A., Sarkkinen, Essi S., Uusitupa, Matti I.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.04.2000; American Society for Nutritional Sciences; American Institute of Nutrition
• Subjects: administration & dosage; Adult; Aged; alpha-carotene; alpha-tocopherol; Anticholesteremic Agents; Anticholesteremic Agents - administration & dosage; Anticholesteremic Agents - therapeutic use; apolipoproteins; beta-carotene; bioavailability; Biological and medical sciences; blood; blood lipids; blood serum; Carotenoids; Carotenoids - blood; Child, Preschool; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; diet therapy; dose response; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Esters; Esters - administration & dosage; Esters - therapeutic use; experimental diets; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Flowers & plants; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gamma-tocopherol; gender differences; Health; high density lipoprotein; Humans; hydroxycholecalciferols; hypercholesterolemia; Hypercholesterolemia - blood; Hypercholesterolemia - diet therapy; intestinal absorption; lipid metabolism; Lipids; Lipids - blood; Lipoproteins; Lipoproteins - blood; low density lipoprotein; lycopene; Male; Margarine; men; Middle Aged; Nutrition; Osmolar Concentration; phytosterols; Phytosterols - administration & dosage; Phytosterols - therapeutic use; plant extracts; plant stanol ester; plant sterol; Single-Blind Method; sitostanol; Sitosterols; Sitosterols - administration & dosage; Sitosterols - therapeutic use; therapeutic use; triacylglycerols; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; very low density lipoprotein; vitamin A; Vitamins; Vitamins - blood; women; apo; plant stanol ester; sitostanol; E; cholesterol; humans; plant sterol; Human; Sitosterol; Plant origin; Lipids; Female; Male; Supplemented diet; Cholesterol; Feeding; Antilipemic agent; Dose activity relation; Sterol
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.1093/jn/130.4.767

The effect of plant stanol ester on serum cholesterol is dose-dependent. However, it is not clear what the dose is beyond which no additional benefit can be obtained. Therefore, we determined the dose-response relationship for serum cholesterol with different doses of plant stanol ester in hypercholesterolemic subjects. In a single-blind design each of 22 men or women consumed five different doses of plant stanol [target (actual) intake 0 (0), 0.8 (0.8), 1.6 (1.6), 2.4 (2.3), 3.2 (3.0) g/d] added as plant stanol esters to margarine for 4 wk. The order of dose periods was randomly determined. Serum total cholesterol concentration decreased (calculated in reference to control) by 2.8% (P = 0.384), 6.8% (P < 0.001), 10.3% (P < 0.001) and 11.3% (P < 0.001) by doses from 0.8 to 3.2 g. The respective decreases for LDL cholesterol were 1.7% (P = 0.892), 5.6% (P < 0.05), 9.7% (P < 0.001) and 10.4% (P < 0.001). Although the decreases were numerically greater with 2.4 and 3.2 g doses than with the 1.6 g dose, these differences were not significant (P = 0.054–0.516). Serum plant stanols rose slightly, but significantly with the dose (P < 0.001). Apolipoprotein B concentration was decreased significantly already at the dose of 0.8 g (8.7%, P < 0.001). Apolipoprotein E genotype did not affect the lipid responses. We conclude that significant reduction of serum total and LDL cholesterol concentrations is reached with the 1.6-g stanol dose, and increasing the dose from 2.4 to 3.2 g does not provide clinically important additional effect.