Dietary plant stanol ester mixtures - Effects on safety parameters and erythrocyte membrane fatty acid composition in non-hypercholesterolaemic subjects

Aim Plant stanols and sterols lower serum total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations. Further data were required on other effe cts of plant stanol ester consumption. Methods and Results We examined the effects of low erucic acid rapeseed (LE AR) oil-based margarines and shortenings enriched with two different plant stanol ester mixtures on changes in the fatty acid composition of erythrocy te neutral phospholipids. Compared with prestudy values, proportions of a-l inolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid! linoleic acid a nd oleic acid increased mainly at the expense of the proportion of saturate d fatty acids. These effects were not dependent on the presence of plant st anols in the margarines or shortenings. In two studies with three different plant stanol ester mixtures (intake of 2.5-4.0g . day(-1) plant stanols), no adverse effects were found on liver or kidney function, C-reactive prote in concentrations and haematological parameters. Furthermore, there was no evidence that any physical inconvenience, as reported in questionnaires, wa s related to intake of plant stanol esters. Conclusion Short-term consumption of plant stanol esters does not cause any adverse effects. However, careful monitoring of adverse effects is still w arranted with long-term stanol ester consumption.