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A study published in the October issue of the Journal of Nutrition has determined that specially made cookies containing a combination of psyllium (Plantago ovata) seed husks and plant sterols can help lower cholesterol.1 The plant sterols (phytochemicals that can inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine) used in these cookies are derived from a mixture of soy, rapeseed (aka canola), and other vegetable oils, with fatty acids obtained from vegetable oil.
For this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 33 healthy adults were given either 2 treatment cookies (Right DirectionTM Chocolate Chip Cookies, RD Foods, Kenilworth, NJ, delivering 7.68 g/d psyllium and 2.6 g/d plant sterols) or 2 placebo cookies (made from ingredients of the Right Directions Cookies with the addition of wheat bran and minus psyllium, oats, and plant sterols) each day for 4 weeks. After a 3-week washout period, participants were “crossed over” (i.e., those who had previously received the treatment cookies were given the placebo cookies and vice versa) for another 4 weeks. Participants were asked to maintain their usual diets and activities while completing the trial. Their weight, height, and blood pressure were recorded at the beginning and end of each treatment period.
Body weight did not change during either period, but the treatment cookies did lower plasma total cholesterol by around 7% and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by 10% in the study’s participants. According to the trial’s investigators, the 10% reduction in LDL cholesterol may indicate an additive effect of psyllium and plant sterols, as the medical literature had previously suggested that the 2 ingredients individually contribute to a 4-7% decrease in LDL cholesterol when consumed together. Moreover, the decrease in cholesterol was in the smallest lipoproteins, which are most likely to raise risk of heart disease, and was associated with a shift of LDL particles toward a less atherogenic (accumulation of lipid containing plaques on the wall of an artery) pattern.2 The treatment cookies further improved participants’ plasma glucose concentrations and did not affect HDL (“good”) cholesterol concentrations.1
More information about Right Direction Chocolate Chip Cookies, including a full list of ingredients, nutrition facts, and ordering information, can be accessed at: http://www.rightdirectioncookies.net.
-Courtney Cavaliere
References
1. Shrestha S, Volek JS, Udani J, Wood RJ, Greene CM, Aggarwal D, Contois JH, Kavoussi B, Luz Fernandez M. A combination therapy including psyllium and plant sterols lowers LDL cholesterol by modifying lipoprotein metabolism in hypercholesterolemic individuals. Journal of Nutrition. 2006;136:2492-2497.
2. New study finds chocolate chip cookies lower cholesterol [press release]. Kenilworth, NJ: RD Foods; October 4, 2006.
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