Effects of a Stanol-Enriched Yogurt on Plasma Cholesterol Levels

Plant stanols have been recommended in combination with individualized dietary interventions to reduce plasma cholesterol concentrations. Even though yogurt is consumed in high quantities in Turkey, it is unclear whether yogurts with plant stanols will reduce high cholesterol levels in a Turkish population. We designed this study to settle this issue. We investigated the effect of plant stanols in yogurt, combined with the traditional Mediterranean diet (TMD), in subjects with high lipid levels. 100 patients were included: 50 in the intervention group and 50 in the control group. Neither the subjects nor the control group were taking any medication for cholesterol. The intervention group received 100 mls of stanol-enriched yogurt, while the control group received the same amount of yogurt without plant stanols. All subjects maintained TMD. Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels decreased significantly in the stanol group (12.9%, 14.9%, respectively). In the control group, a slight decrease in LDL cholesterol (3.3%) was observed. The changes in total and LDL cholesterol between the two groups were significantly different (p=0.01). Intensive dietary intervention with the addition of plant stanols results in a clinically relevant reduction of total and LDL cholesterol in patients with high lipid levels.