Regular use of plant sterol esters in capsules improved blood lipid
levels and may reduce heart disease risk, says a new study said to be
the first to examine the efficacy of sterols in capsules in humans. In
just three weeks after taking the plant sterol esters capsules,
participants saw their LDL cholesterol drop by a significant 4 per cent
which could translate to a 5 to 10 per cent reduction in cardiovascular
risk in the first 5 years, and by 10 per cent over a life time. High
cholesterol levels, hypercholesterolaemia, have a long association with
many diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease, the cause of almost
50 per cent of deaths in Europe, and reported to cost the EU economy an
estimated ?169bn ($202bn) per year. Writing in the journal Lipids in
Health and Disease, lead author Robert Acuff from the East Tennessee
State University reports that supplementation with the plant sterol
esters capsules (1.3 grams of plant sterol esters, equivalent to 0.8
grams of free sterol) led to a reduction in LDL-cholesterol levels by
seven per cent after three weeks of supplementation, and four per cent
after four weeks. The dose used in the study corresponded to the minimum
amount of sterol esters the U.S. FDA requires to satisfy the health
claim allowed on foods and dietary supplements containing these heart
health ingredients. The participants maintained a stable diet pattern
throughout the study, which included an initial four-week placebo phase,
two-week washout, and the final four-week plant sterol esters
intervention phase. This study is the first study that confirmed regular
use of plant sterol ester capsules is an effective strategy in
improving lipid profiles, especially lipoprotein ratios, among
hypercholesterolemic subjects in a free-living setting without dietary
intervention. Further studies are needed to confirm the long term
benefit of plant sterol ester capsules on blood cholesterol in
populations with varying baseline cholesterol levels.
Category: Productos
Source: NutraIngredients