Plant sterol and stanol margarines and health

Plant sterol and stanol margarines and healthA new polyunsaturated margarine with added plant stanols, Benecol, has been introduced in the United States and in several European countries, and a similar margarine (Take Control) with added plant sterols is available in the United States and will be introduced in Europe under the Flora label later this year.These products lower serum concentrations of cholesterol, but they are expensive. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] In the United States, the cost is about $4.00 for a 250-g tub.This article considers quantitatively the health aspects of adding plant sterols and stanols to margarines and other foods.