plant sterol-enriched milk tea

The plant sterol intervention studied by The George Institute is a functional food product formulated as a milk tea powder enriched with phytosterols. Tested in the China Plant Sterol Trial, this intervention was designed to reduce blood cholesterol levels in Chinese adults with hypercholesterolemia. Plant sterols are naturally occurring compounds that are structurally similar to cholesterol; they work by competing with cholesterol for incorporation into micelles within the intestinal lumen, thereby inhibiting the absorption of both dietary and biliary cholesterol. The study, funded by Unilever Foods (China), demonstrated that daily consumption of 1.5 g to 2.3 g of these sterols significantly lowered total and LDL-cholesterol levels. This intervention was specifically tailored to the dietary habits of the Chinese population to improve compliance and efficacy in a real-world setting.

Other names

plant sterolsphytosterolsChina Plant Sterol Trial intervention