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Phytosterols in nonfat and low-fat beverages have no impact on the LDL size phenotype

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 59, pages 801–804 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To examine the impact of nonfat and low-fat phytosterol-enriched beverages on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) electrophoretic characteristics.

Design:

Double-blind, randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled dietary trial.

Setting:

Diets were prepared and consumed at the Mary Emily Clinical Nutrition Research Unit of McGill University. Analyses were performed at the Institute on Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods of Laval University.

Subjects and intervention:

In total, 15 moderately hypercholesterolemic persons consumed each of three experimental diets that each comprised a different beverage: nonfat placebo (NF control), nonfat with phytosterols (NFPS) or low-fat with phytosterols (LFPS). Participants consumed three beverages daily at meal time for a total of 1.8 g of phytosterols per day. Nondenaturing 2–16% polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoreses were used to characterize LDL size characteristics.

Results:

The NFPS and LFPS beverage induced no significant changes in several features of the LDL size phenotype compared to the control diet.

Conclusion:

The consumption of phytosterol-supplemented nonfat and low-fat beverages is not associated with clinically meaningful changes in the LDL particle size phenotype.

Sponsorship:

This study was supported partly by the Canada Research Chair in Nutrition, Functional Foods and Cardiovascular Health (B Lamarche) and by the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jean-François Mauger for his help in the determination of LDL-particle size analyses and Mahmoud Raeini-Sarjaz for the statistical analyses of the lipid data. We also greatly appreciated the assistance of the staff of the Mary Emily Clinical Nutrition Research Unit.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute on Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Laval University, Québec, Canada

    A Charest, P J H Jones & B Lamarche

  2. School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada

    C Vanstone, M P St-Onge, W Parson & P J H Jones

Authors
  1. A Charest
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  2. C Vanstone
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  3. M P St-Onge
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  4. W Parson
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  5. P J H Jones
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  6. B Lamarche
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to B Lamarche.

Additional information

Guarantor: B Lamarche.

Contributors: AC was responsible for characterization of the LDL by PAGE, for data analysis and redaction of the article under the supervision and in the laboratory of BL. PJH designed and conducted the intervention study at McGill University. CAV and MPSO contributed to the study design and managed the dietary intervention. WP monitored the participants during the study. All contributors approved the manuscript.

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Charest, A., Vanstone, C., St-Onge, M. et al. Phytosterols in nonfat and low-fat beverages have no impact on the LDL size phenotype. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 801–804 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602142

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602142

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