Effects of a new soy/beta-sitosterol supplement on plasma lipids in moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects

Our aim was to test the hypocholesterolemic effect of a low-dose formulation of soy proteins supplemented with isolated b-sitosterol in a ratio of 4:1 in 20 moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects. The study has been divided in three different periods of forty days each: a stabilization diet period, then a treatment period during which all subjects assumed 10 g one time a day of the tested product and, finally, a wash out period. From the end of the stabilization diet period to the end of the soy protein added in b-sitosterol supplementation we observed a 0.45 +/- 0.30 mmol/L, 0.09 +/- 0.31 mmol/L and 0.17 +/- 0.22 mmol/L mean +/- SE decrease in respectively LDL-C, TG and apoB levels, associated with a 0.12 +/- 0.25 and 0.03 +/- 0.51 mg/dL mean increase respectively in HDL-C and apoA plasma concentrations. According to this recommends, low doses of soy protein added in b-sitosterol seems to be a practical and safe alternative for patients seeking modest reductions in LDL-C (< 15%).