“Blood cholesterol levels remained stable over a period of five years in users of phytosterol and -stanol enriched margarines whereas it increased in non-users,” wrote lead author Marion Wolfs.
“Although this effect seems to be modest, it can still reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and thereby result in health benefits in the general population.”
Numerous clinical trials in controlled settings have reported that daily consumption of 1.5 to 3 grams of phytosterols/-stanols can reduce total cholesterol levels by eight to 17 per cent, representing a significant reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, but whether such benefits are repeated by everyday people in everyday life is not known, said the Dutch researchers.
The new study, published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology (Vol. 44, pp. 1682-1688), used data from the Dutch Doetinchem cohort study. Over 4500 subjects were examined initially between 1994 and1998 and then again five years later (1999 to 2003). Seventy-two people were found to be regular enriched margarine users.
Only 26 per cent of the users achieved the 10 per cent reductions in total blood cholesterol concentrations that are “claimed by the producers of the phytosterol/-stanol enriched margarines,” reported Wolfs.
The overall net effect in this free-living population, said Wolfs, is less than most clinical trials, and is a stabilization of cholesterol levels, rather than the slight increase observed naturally with age.
Even though the effects are modest this can still translate into cardiovascular disease risk reduction, said the researchers.
“To our knowledge, this study is the first to present achieved effects of customary phytosterol and -stanol enriched margarine use. As such this confirms to the extensive database on efficacy of these in controlled clinical trials,” concluded Wolfs.
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