Normocholesterolemic Clinical Trial
Official title:
The Effects of Plant Sterol and Stanol Esters on Serum Oxyphytosterol Concentrations in Healthy Human Subjects
Plant sterols and stanols (also called phytosterols and phytostanols) are structurally
related to cholesterol, but absorbed to a much lesser extent. Due to this structural
similarity, plant sterols and stanols inhibit intestinal cholesterol absorption and lower
serum LDL cholesterol concentrations by about 10% at daily intakes of 2.5 g. Plant sterol-
and stanol-enriched food products are therefore widely available on the market to lower the
risk for coronary heart disease. Plant sterols can undergo oxidation, which results in the
formation of oxyphytosterols. Animal studies have now suggested that oxyphytosterols are
atherogenic. Although oxyphytosterols have been identified in human serum samples, the effect
of an increased intake of plant sterols on serum oxyphytosterol concentrations in humans is
not known. On the other hand, plant stanols cannot be oxidized and lower not only cholesterol
absorption, but also plant sterol absorption.
The major objective of the present study is to examine the effects of dietary plant sterols
and stanols on fasting serum concentrations of oxyphytosterols. The minor objective is to
investigate the effects of these products on postprandial serum oxyphytosterol
concentrations.
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