A moderate intake of phytosterols from habitual diet affects cholesterol metabolism

• Autores: T. Sanclemente, Iva Marques Lopes, Marta Fajó Pascual, Montserrat Cofán Pujol, E. Jarauta Simón, Emilio Ros Rahola, José Puzo Foncillas, Ángel Luis García Otín
• Localización: Journal of physiology and biochemistry, ISSN-e 1877-8755, ISSN 1138-7548, Vol. 65, Nº. 4, 2009, págs. 397-404
• Idioma: inglés
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• Dialnet Métricas: 1 Cita
• Resumen

  • Cholesterol metabolism homeostasis is the result of a balance between synthesis, degradation and intestinal absorption. It is well established that intestinal cholesterol absorption efficiency can be modified by the intake of phytosterol-enriched food and, therfore, have a serum cholesterol-lowering effect. Recent epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that presence of phytosterols at normal diet levels could also be effective on lowering total and LDL serum cholesterol since they affect whole-body cholesterol metabolism aven at those moderate doses. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of the levels od the natrally-occurring phytosterols in the diet on cholesterol metabolism parameters. In order to do that a group of 99 healthy volunteers was studied for their dietary habits and surrogate markers of cholesterol synthesis and absorption. The main daily dietary intake of phytosterols, measured by a food semiquantitative frequency questionnaire, was found to be 494 mg being ß-sitosterol the major contributor to it. Subjects were classified into tertiles according to their total phytosterol intake and comparisons were done between subgroups. No statistical differences were observed for surrogate markers of intestinal cholesterol absorption, but a significant increase in the cholesterol synthesis surrogate marker lathosterol-to-cholesterol ratio associated to highest dietary phytosterolintake was observed. Regardless of this, only a non significant trend toward a less atherogenic lipid profile was observed in the upper tertile. In conclusion, the i take of moderate amounts of phytosterols naturally present in habitual diet may affect cholesterol metabolism and specially the rate of cholesterol synthesis as estimated by the surrogate marker lathosterol-to-cholesterol ratio in serum.