Plant Sterol Margarines Have Positive Impact On Blood Lipids

Researchers in Brazil investigating the biochemical effects of daily consumption of margarines and butter found plant sterol margarine significantly reduced apolipoproteins (Apos), which are proteins that bind to oil-soluble substances such as fat and cholesterol to form lipoproteins. They also reduced the ability of HDL (“good cholesterol”) to accept fats. The randomized study involved 53 men and women with metabolic syndrome, a precursor of diabetes. Participants were fed butter, no-trans-fat margarine or plant sterol margarine (all of equal caloric value) in addition to their usual diets for five weeks. “No significant effects were noted on the concentrations of inflammatory and endothelial dysfunction markers among the groups," the researchers noted.