Plant sterols consumed in low‐fat yogurt as a snack lower cholesterol

Plant sterols (PS) consumed as a snack may not have the same cholesterol‐lowering potential as when consumed with a meal due to poorer solubilization. It was hypothesized that consumption of single‐dose low‐fat yogurt rich in PS (1.6 g/d) with a meal, vs. as an afternoon snack within a low‐fat diet, will lead to favourable changes in blood lipids without negatively affecting fat‐soluble vitamins and carotenoids. Twenty‐six hyperlipidemic males and females completed the randomized trial of three phases including: control, evening PS dose consumed with a meal, or afternoon PS dose as a snack. Endpoint total cholesterol (TC) (5.30±0.18 mmol/L, −10.41%) levels after the PS snack phase were decreased (p=0.04) compared to the control phase (5.53±0.18 mmol/L, −3.41%). However, endpoints for TC (5.37±0.15 mmol/L, −6.74%) for evening PS dose with a meal decreased non‐significantly compared to control phase. Low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol tended to be different (p=0.06) at the end of the treatment phases (3.51±0.13 (−0.87%), 3.43±0.12 (−5.02%), and 3.33±0.14 mmol/L (−9.56%); control, evening and snack, respectively). In addition, no decreases in fat‐soluble vitamins or carotenoids were detected after adjusting for TC. Results indicate that a single dose low‐fat PS yogurt as snack lowers cholesterol and is safe when consumed as part of a healthy low‐fat diet in hyperlipidemic subjects. Funding by Danone Research.