Cholesterol reduction by different plant stanol mixtures and with variablefat intake

Our aim was to investigate (1) whether different campestanol/sitostanol mix tures in margarine differ in reducing serum cholesterol, and (2) whether si tostanol ester in butter decreases serum cholesterol and alters cholesterol absorption and metabolism. Twenty-three postmenopausal women replaced 25 g dietary fat with (1) sitostanol ester-rich (campestanol to sitostanol rati o 1:11) and (2) campestanol ester-rich (campestanol to sitostanol ratio 1:2 ) rapeseed oil margarine, (3) butter, and (4) sitostanol ester-rich (campes tanol to sitostanol ratio 1:13) butter. The respective scheduled stanol int ake was 3.18, 3.16, and 2.43 g/d. The 6-week margarine periods and, after a n 8-week washout, 5-week butter periods were double-blind and in random ord er. Serum cholesterol precursor sterols (indicators of cholesterol synthesi s) and plant sterols (indicators of cholesterol absorption) were quantified with gas-liquid chromatography (GLC). Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) choles terol was reduced by 8% and 10% with the sitostanol and campestanol ester-r ich margarines versus baseline (P < .05 for both) and high-density lipoprot ein (HDL) cholesterol was increased by 6% and 5% (P < .05), so the LDL/HDL, cholesterol ratio was reduced by 15% (P < .05 for both). Sitostanol ester- rich butter decreased LDL cholesterol 12% and the LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio 11% (P < .05 for both) versus the butter period. The serum proportions of plant sterols and cholestanol were similarly reduced and those of cholester ol precursor sterols were similarly increased during all periods (P < .05 f or all). Serum proportions of sitostanol and campestanol were slightly incr eased, indicating that their absorption related to their dietary intake, Du ring all stanol interventions, serum vitamin D and retinol concentrations a nd alpha-tocopherol to cholesterol ratios were unchanged, whereas those of alpha- and beta-carotenes were significantly reduced. We conclude that vary ing the campestanol to sitostanol ratio from 1:13 to 1:2 in margarine and i n butter similarly decreased cholesterol absorption, LDL cholesterol, and t he LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio such that the serum lipids became less atherog enic. Copyright (C) 1999 by W.B. Saunders Company.