EFFICACY OF PLANT STANOLS/STEROLS IN ENSURING HEART HEALTH

Abstract

In all civilized countries the first cause of mortality and morbidity is a cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular diseases are a group of degenerative diseases of heart and blood circulatory system including heart disease, peripheral artery disease and stroke. To reduce LDL-cholesterol level two significant areas of functional foods development are based on the one hand on plant sterols and stanol esters use and respectivel,y on the other hand on soy proteins use. More recent studies have shown plant sterols’ and stanols’ (hydrogenated derivatives of sterols) capacity to reduce LDL-cholesterol under certain conditions. Recent technological advances have provided plant sterols and respectively stanols extractions and esterification opportunity and then their solubilization in matrix of fatty food has become possible so easily by their incorporation in food at effective levels. Dobrogea Group with Raisio Finland introduced on the Romanian market the first bread with added plant stanols esters showing that after 14 days only of regular consumption of this product the level of serum cholesterol decreased.