Plant sterols in supplement form may cut cholesterol levels by as much as 5%, says a new study.
Six weeks of supplementation reduced LDL cholesterol levels by 4.9% and
total cholesterol by 2.8% when the supplement was used in combination
with the National Cholesterol Education Programa (NCEP) therapeutic
lifestyle changes (TLC) diet.
Numerous clinical trials in controlled settings have reported that daily
consumption of 1.5 to 3 grams of phytosterols/-stanols from foods can
reduce total cholesterol levels by 8 to 17%, representing a significant
reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, few have
investigated the effects of phytosterols as supplements.
To redress this balance, the researchers recruited 32 men and women,
aged between 21 and 79 with elevated LDL cholesterol levels.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive 1.8 grams daily of free
plant sterols and stanols or placebo for six weeks in combination with
the TLC diet.
Results of the double-blind crossover study indicated that the sterol
group displayed an average 4.9% decrease in LDL levels, an average 3.6%
decrease in non-HDL levels, and a 2.8% decrease in total cholesterol
levels, compared to the control.
On the other hand, no changes were observed for HDL or triglyceride levels, added the researchers.
«Intervention trials have shown that each 1% reduction in LDL-C lowers
the risk of a major cardiovascular event by about 1% over a period of 5
years,» explained the researchers. «However, the cardiovascular benefit
of maintaining low levels of atherogenic lipoprotein cholesterol levels
over decades may be larger than would be predicted on the basis of
results from short-term cholesterol-lowering intervention trials.»
«Each 1% reduction in LDL-C or non-HDL-C may be associated with as much
as a 3% reduction in coronary heart disease) event risk if maintained
over an extended period.»
Category: Productos
Source: Nutraingredients