Response of Serum Lipids and Lipoproteins of Man to Beta-Sitosterol and Safflower Oil

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Abstract
Previous studies in man have indicated that administration of either plant sterols or unsaturated dietary fats causes decreases in certain serum lipids. This report presents the results of a long-term 7-phase study of the comparative effects of the single and combined administration of plant sterols (β-sitosterol) and a highly unsaturated vegetable oil (safflower oil) in 15 ambulatory subjects. The serum lipid changes observed indicate that both agents act on the same low-density lipoprotein fraction, that the changes produced by β-sitosterol and by safflower oil are similar in magnitude, but that the combination has a 55 per cent greater effect than either agent alone, that the mechanisms of action of these 2 agents probably differ, and that the action of the safflower oil is probably not due to the amount of sitosterol it contains.