Independent and interactive effects of plant sterols and fish oiln-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on the plasma lipid profile of mildly hyperlipidaemic Indian adults

Abstract

The present study was designed to evaluate the independent and interactive effects of a once-a-day yoghurt drink providing 2 g plant sterols/d and capsules providing 2 g fish oil n-3 long-chain (LC) PUFA/d on plasma lipids, apolipoproteins and LDL particle size. Following a 2-week run-in period, 200 mildly hypercholesterolaemic Indian adults aged 35-55 years were randomised into one of four groups of a 2 £ 2 factorial, double-blind controlled trial. The 4-week treatments consisted of (1) control yoghurt drink and control capsules, (2) control yoghurt drink and fish oil capsules, (3) plant sterol-enriched yoghurt drink and control capsules, or (4) plant sterol-enriched yoghurt drink and fish oil capsules. Blood was drawn before and after the 4-week intervention. Changes in health status, lifestyle and dietary habits, and daily compliance were recorded. The main effects of plant sterols were a 4·5 % reduction in LDL-cholesterol and a 15 % reduction in TAG without a significant change in HDL-cholesterol. Overall, fish oil n-3 LC-PUFA did not significantly affect cholesterol concentrations but reduced TAG by 15 % and increased HDL-cholesterol by 5·4 %. The combination significantly lowered TAG by 15 % v. control. No significant interaction between plant sterols and n-3 LC-PUFA was observed on plasma cholesterol concentrations. In conclusion, once-a-day intake of 2 g plant sterols/d in a yoghurt drink, 2 g fish oil n-3 LC-PUFA/d in capsules, and their combination had beneficial effects on the lipid profile of mildly hypercholesterolaemic Indian adults. The potent hypotriacylglycerolaemic effect of plant sterols observed in the present study and this population warrants additional investigation.

The effect of plant sterols and different low doses of omega‐3 fatty acids from fish oil on lipoprotein subclasses

“…3. We confirm previous results showing that the reduction in LDL-Chol by PS consumption was not accompanied by a shift in LDL particle distribution [6,12,13], which may largely be ascribed to the lack of changes in total TG [4] and in TG in all LP particles. Considering that TGs are exchanged for cholesterol between TG-rich particles and HDL through cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) activity, the unaltered TG concentrations are also in line with the unaltered Chol concentrations in the HDL particles found in this and other studies [27,28].…”

“…The effects of dietary n-3 PUFAs on LDL particles are less consistent. While some studies have shown a favorable shift in LDL particle distribution from small to large LDL particles [18,19], other studies have either found no effects on LDL-Chol [6,17] or an increase in LDL-Chol without concomitant changes in LDL particle size distribution [20].…”

Dietary sources of omega 3 fatty acids: public health risks and benefits

“…Khandelwal et al (32) 338 adult men 30-y follow-up survey of the Dutch and Finnish cohorts of the Seven Countries Study…”

Cholesterol Lowering Effect of Plant Stanol Ester Yoghurt Drinks with Added Camelina Oil

“…Thereby, addition of camelina oil improves the overall fatty acid composition of the diet, and it has been shown to lower cholesterol in a comparable manner to rapeseed oil [ 34 ]. Long chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) lower serum triglycerides, also when consumed together with plant sterols [ 11 , 35 , 36 ]. The combination of plant sterols and EPA and DHA has also been suggested to enhance the cholesterol lowering effect of plant sterols [ 35 ].…”