Examination of encapsulated phytosterol ester supplementation on lipid indices associated with cardiovascular disease

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Vol. 23; no. 9; pp. 625 - 633
• Main Authors: Earnest, Conrad P., Ph.D, Mikus, Catherine R., M.S, Lemieux, Isabelle, Ph.D, Arsenault, Benoit J., M.S, Church, Timothy S., M.D., Ph.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.09.2007; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; adults; Aged; Analysis of Variance; Anticholesteremic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - blood; cholesteremic effect; Cholesterol; Cholesterol - blood; cholesterol metabolism; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; encapsulation; Esters; Family medical history; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Hormone replacement therapy; Humans; hypercholesterolemia; Hypercholesterolemia - drug therapy; Ingestion; Lipid dietary supplement; Lipids; Low density lipoprotein; Male; men; Middle Aged; Phytosterol ester; phytosterols; Phytosterols - therapeutic use; randomized clinical trials; sterol esters; Sterols; Traditional foods; triacylglycerols; Variance analysis; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; women; Womens health; Lipid dietary supplement; Cholesterol; Phytosterol ester; Ester; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Phytosterol; Cardiovascular disease; Lipids; Supplementation
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2007.06.003

Abstract Objective As opposed to traditional food based delivery we examined the efficacy of ingesting encapsulated phytosterol esters on indices of lipid health in hypercholesterolemic adults. Methods We performed a randomized, double-blinded, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, clinical intervention examining 54 men and women (20–70 y of age) with a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level ≥3.33 mmol/L. Participants were not taking cholesterol-lowering medications. Treatment consisted of ingesting 2.6 g of encapsulated phytosterol esters ( n = 25) or a matching placebo ( n = 29) for 12 wk. Results Total cholesterol (TC) levels at baseline (mean ± SD) were 6.29 ± 0.7 mmol/L in the phytosterol group and 6.00 ± 0.7 mmol/L in the placebo group. Baseline LDL-C levels were 4.27 ± 0.7 mmol/L in the treatment group and 4.00 ± 0.8 mmol/L in the placebo group. Analysis of variance and Tukey’s least significant difference post hoc analyses revealed a significant within-group reduction in TC (−0.23 ± 0.4 mmol/L, P < 0.05) and LDL-C (−0.22 ± 0.5 mmol/L, P < 0.05) for the phytosterol treatment group. Mean reductions in TC and LDL-C were greater than placebo ( P < 0.05). Percentages of change from baseline for TC were −3.52% (95% confidence interval −6.44 to −0.40) for phytosterol treatment and 2.64% (95% confidence interval 0.30–5.60) for placebo. Those for LDL-C were −5.00% (95% confidence interval −9.92 to −0.08) for phytosterol and 4.89 (95% confidence interval 0.24–9.5) for placebo. No other significant effects were observed. Conclusion Encapsulated phytosterol ester ingestion appears to positively modulate LDL-C. Given that the reduction in LDL-C was not as extensive as in food-based trials, future investigations should examine potential timing and dose issues relative to encapsulated delivery.