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Cholesterol-lowering effects of plant sterol esters differ in milk, yoghurt, bread and cereal

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 58, pages 503–509 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To measure the relative effects of each of four phytosterol ester-enriched low-fat foods (bread, breakfast cereal, milk and yoghurt) on serum lipids, plasma phytosterols and carotenoids.

Design: Three research centres undertook a randomised, incomplete crossover, single-blind study consisting of four treatment periods of 3 weeks each, one of which was a control period. Each sterol-enriched test food provided 1.6 g/day of phytosterols as sterol esters.

Setting: General Community.

Subjects: In all 58, free-living men and women with mean age (s.d.) 54 (8) y, moderately elevated plasma total cholesterol 6.2 (0.7) mmol/l and body mass index 26.2 (3.0) kg/m2.

Main outcome measures: Serum lipids, plasma phytosterols and carotenoids.

Results: Serum total and LDL cholesterol levels were significantly lowered by consumption of phytosterol-enriched foods: milk (8.7 and 15.9%) and yoghurt (5.6 and 8.6%). Serum LDL cholesterol levels fell significantly by 6.5% with bread and 5.4% with cereal. They were both significantly less efficacious than sterol-enriched milk (P<0.001). Plasma sitosterol increased by 17–23% and campesterol by 48–52% with phytosterol-enriched milk and bread. Lipid-adjusted β-carotene was lowered by 5–10% by sterols in bread and milk, respectively.

Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate that cholesterol-lowering effects of plant sterol esters may differ according to the food matrix. Plant sterols in low-fat milk was almost three times more effective than in bread and cereal. Despite phytosterol-enriched cereal products resulting in lower serum cholesterol reductions compared to sterol-enriched milk, the detection of similar changes in plasma phytosterols demonstrated that such products still delivered and released phytosterols to the gut.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to the nursing staff and clinical trial coordinators at each of the three clinical centres. Bread and breakfast cereal were supplied by Goodman Fielder Pty Ltd, (Australia) milk and yoghurt were supplied by Dairy Farmers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Health Sciences and Nutrition, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    P M Clifton & M Noakes

  2. Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    D Sullivan & N Erichsen

  3. Goodman Fielder Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    D Ross & G Annison

  4. Baker Medical Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    A Fassoulakis, M Cehun & P Nestel

Authors
  1. P M Clifton
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  2. M Noakes
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  3. D Sullivan
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  4. N Erichsen
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  5. D Ross
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  6. G Annison
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  7. A Fassoulakis
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  8. M Cehun
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  9. P Nestel
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Correspondence to P M Clifton.

Additional information

This study was partially supported with grants from Goodman Fielder Pty Ltd and Cargill Health and Food Technologies.

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Clifton, P., Noakes, M., Sullivan, D. et al. Cholesterol-lowering effects of plant sterol esters differ in milk, yoghurt, bread and cereal. Eur J Clin Nutr 58, 503–509 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601837

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601837

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