Effects of margarine enriched with plant sterol esters from rapeseed and tall oils on markers of endothelial function, inflammation and hemostasis

AbstractBackground and aims. The sterol profile of rapeseed oil differs from that of tall oil with higher contents of campesterol and brassicasterol. We previously found that margarines providing 2 g/day of sterols from rapeseed or tall oil resulted in similar reductions in LDL cholesterol of 8–9%. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the consumption of these margarines affected markers of endothelial function, inflammation and hemostasis. Methods. Blood samples were collected from 58 hypercholesterolemic volunteers who completed a double-blinded, randomized, crossover trial. Subjects consumed each of the two sterol margarines and a control non-sterol margarine for 4 weeks separated by one-week washout periods. All the margarines had the same fatty acid composition. Concentrations of vascular cell adhesion molecule-l (VCAM-1), E-selectin, circulating tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (total, tPAI-1; active, PAI-1) were quantified. Results. Rapeseed-ste...