Effects on serum lipids, lipoproteins and fat soluble antioxidant concentrations of consumption frequency of margarines and shortenings enriched withplant stanol esters

Objective: To examine in humans the effects on serum lipids, lipoproteins a nd fat-soluble antioxidants of a daily consumption of 2.5 g plant stanols, consumed either once per day at lunch or divided over the three meals. Design: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design. Subjects: Thirty-nine healthy normocholesterolemic or mildly hypercholester olemic subjects participated. Interventions: Each subject consumed in random order; no plant stanols; 2.5 g plant stanols at lunch; and 2.5 g plant stanols divided over the three m eals (0.42g at breakfast, 0.84g at lunch and 1.25 g at dinner, which is pro portional to dietary cholesterol intake). Each period lasted 4 weeks. Plant stanols were esterified with fatty acids from low erucic rapeseed oil (LEA R) and incorporated into margarines or shortenings. Results: Consumption of 2.5g plant stanols at lunch results in a similar lo w-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol-lowering efficacy compared to consu mption of 2.5 g plant stanols divided over the three meals (-0.29 mmol/l co mpared with the control period (P < 0.001; 95% CI, -0.19 to -0.39 mmol/l) f or the once per day diet and -0.31 mmol/l (P < 0.001; 95% CI, -0.20 to -0.4 1mmol/l) for the three times per day period). High-density Lipoprotein (HDL ) cholesterol and triacylglycerol concentrations did not change. After stan dardization for LDL cholesterol, the sum of the most lipophylic hydrocarbon carotenoids (ie alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lycopene) in particular was slightly, though not significantly, lowered by -0.017 +/- 0.018 mu mol/ mmol LDL cholesterol (P = 0.307) after the once per day period and by -0.03 2 +/- 0.016 mu mol/mmol LDL cholesterol (P = 0.049) after the three times p er day period. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that for lowering LDL cholesterol concent rations it is not necessary to consume products rich in plant stanol ester at each meal or simultaneously with dietary cholesterol.