Compositions and processes for water-dispersible phytosterols and phytostanols

• Main Author: FINLEY JOHN WESTCOTT,MCPHERSON ANDREW,TOPINKA JOHN B.,GAONKAR ANILKUMAR GANAPATI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.02.2006
• Subjects: FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES

Plant and plant sterol esters have been shown to be cholesterol-reducing agents in human serum. In the present invention, plant sterols and plant stanols are incorporated into compositions which are dispersible in water by complexing the hydrophobic lipids with water-soluble carbohydrates. The resulting plant sterol-carbohydrate complexes are in an aqueous or powder form which can be readily incorporated with food products in an amount effective to reduce serum cholesterol levels in a human consuming such food product, without adversely modifying the organoleptic properties of the food product.