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Reducing intestinal cholesterol absorption with plant sterol consumption is a well-characterized strategy to lower LDL-C and potentially reduce cardiovascular disease risk. However, over 50 years of clinical research demonstrate that there is significant heterogeneity in the individual LDL-C lowering response to plant sterol therapy. A clear understanding of why plant sterols work effectively in some individuals but not in others will ensure optimal integration of plant sterols in future personalized nutritional lipid-lowering strategies. This review will examine the current knowledge base surrounding the metabolic and genetic determinants of LDL-C lowering in response to plant sterol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent work suggests that plant sterol (PS) consumption may lower triglyceride (TG) concentrations; however, human clinical trial evidence is inconsistent. We associated SNP r5882 in cholesteryl ester transfer protein with changes in TG concentrations following PS consumption (2 g/day for 4 weeks) in a dual-centre, single-blind, randomized, crossover trial. TG concentrations were lowered in homozygotes for the minor G-allele of rs5882 (-0.46 ± 0.13 mmol/L, p = 0.002, n = 10); there was no effect in the A-allele carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to evaluate the effects of whole and fractionated yellow peas on circulating lipids, glucose and insulin levels, energy expenditure, and body composition, as well as to assess their prebiotic actions in Golden Syrian hamsters. Forty-five hamsters consumed a hypercholesterolemic diet for 28 days, then were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: control (CON), whole pea flour (WPF), and fractionated pea flour (hulls only) (FPF). WPF and FPF were incorporated into the diets, replacing 10% of the cornstarch. WPF and FPF feeding produced negligible effects on circulating cholesterol and triglyceride levels. However, both WPF (56.76 ± 9.22 pmol·L-1, p = 0.002) and FPF (89.27 ± 19.82 pmol·L-1, p = 0.032) reduced circulating insulin levels compared with the CON group (131.70 ± 17.70 pmol·L-1). Moreover, FPF decreased (p = 0.03) circulating glucose levels (6.26 ± 0.51 mmol·L-1) compared with CON (8.27 ± 0.81 mmol·L-1). Energy expenditure analysis revealed that hamsters consuming WPF demonstrated a higher (p = 0.036) oxygen consumption (2.00 ± 0.31 mL O2·g-1 lean body mass) vs. the CON group (1.56 ± 0.089 mL O2·g-1 lean body mass). Analysis of caecal digesta showed that WPF produced shifts in the abundance of microbial taxa with the most predominant changes occurring within the phylum Firmicutes. Yellow peas and their constituents should be investigated as future functional food ingredients that help prevent and manage lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]