A Spread Enriched with Plant Sterol-Esters Lowers Blood Cholesterol and Lipoproteins without Affecting Vitamins A and E in Normal and Hypercholesterolemic Japanese Men and Women

The objective of the study was to investigate whether different initial baseline cholesterol levels modulate the efficacy of a spread enriched with plant sterol-esters (PS) in lowering blood cholesterol in a Japanese population consuming their usual diet. Healthy adults with a mean age of 45 y and mean plasma total cholesterol (TC) level of 6.5 mmol/L were recruited to participate in a double-blind trial comprised of a run-in period of 1 wk, followed by two intervention periods of 3 wks in a 2 × 2 crossover design and a post-trial follow-up of 3 wk. Volunteers consumed two spreads, one enriched with PS (12 g/100 g plant sterols) and a control spread not fortified with PS. Recommended spread intake was 15 g/d. Effects on plasma lipids, lipoproteins, β-carotene and vitamins A and E were assessed. Plasma TC and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations were 5.8 and 9.1% lower, respectively, when subjects consumed the PS spread than when they consumed the control spread (P < 0.001). Subjects were divided into two groups [normal and mildly cholesterolemic (TC