Effect of the Consumption of a Fermented Dairy Product Enriched With Plant Sterols

Cholesterol Lowering Effects of a Drinkable Low Fat Dairy Product Enriched With Plant Sterols

The purpose of this study is to investigate the cholesterol lowering effect of a drinkable low fat fermented milk enriched with plant sterols after 3 weeks of daily consumption in midly hypercholesterolemic people.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male/female subject, aged from 18 to 75,with BMI between 18,5 and 30 kg/m², with LDL-cholesterol blood level between 130 mg/dL to 190 mg/dL without statin therapy.
• Subject accepting to follow the dietary recommendations advisable for hypercholesterolemic subject.
• Subject used to consume dairy products.
• For female subjects: effective contraceptive methods used.
• Subject having given written consent to take part in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subject with blood triglycerides levels above 350 mg/dL.
• Subject having experienced any cardiovascular event in the last 6 months.
• Subject having sitosterolemia.
• Subject taking any hypocholesterolemic treatment drugs.
• Intake of blood lipid-regulating supplementation of blood lipid-regulating dietary supplements or functional food during the last 2 weeks before study start.
• Diabetic subject (type I and type II).
• Subject smoking strictly more than 10 cigarettes / day.
• Subject with heavy alcohol intake (> 40 g / day for men ; > 30 g / day for women).
• Subject presenting known allergy or hypersensitivity to milk proteins.Subject with known soy allergy.
• Subject refusing to stop the consumption of plant sterols-enriched products if any during the study (other than the studied product).
• Subject receiving systemic treatment or topical treatment likely to interfere with evaluation of the study parameters.
• Subject receiving a transplant and under immunosuppressor treatment.
• Subject currently involved in a clinical trial or in an exclusion period following participation in another clinical trial.
• Subject in a situation which in the investigator's opinion could interfere with optimal participation in the present study or could constitute a special risk for the subject.
• Subject with any kind of disease likely to interfere with the evaluation of efficiency or safety of the product.
• For female subject: pregnancy, breast feeding or intention to be pregnant during the study.
• For female subject: subject likely to change her contraceptive method during the study.