People on a low fat diet can actively reduce LDL cholesterol levels by consuming plant-sterol enriched spread, according to the result of a new Japanese study presented today that involved 53 men and women. Researchers aimed to establish the different effects of consuming plant sterol-ester-enriched spread or polyunsaturated (PUFA) spread on total blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.
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Conducted by independent researchers at the Waseda Clinic, Tokyo, the study compared the results of two groups of people, who all consumed fat as only 33% of their total energy intake. The first group, who also consumed 15g of Flora pro.active a day over a six week period, saw their LDL cholesterol levels fall by 9.1%, compared to those who consumed the same amounts of a PUFA rich control spread.
Furthermore, clinical trials have shown that the daily consumption of 20-25g of Flora pro-active, which is manufactured by Unilever, over the course of about three weeks, can reduce LDL cholesterol by about 10-15%.
At the Unilever Health Institute, Dr Fady Ntanios commented: “These results are very encouraging – they clearly demonstrate the benefits a plant-sterol enriched spread can bring, in reducing LDL cholesterol.”
Similarly, Dr Andrew Neil, a consultant at the Radcliffe Royal Infirmary, in Oxford, welcomed the findings: “These […] are particularly significant for patients who have a higher than average cholesterol level and are already on a low-fat diet.”
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By GlobalDataTo read more about Flora pro.activ, click here.
