Table 2.

Changes in serum noncholesterol sterols and squalene during the intervention.

	Control group		Intervention group		P a	P b
	Baseline	12 months	Baseline	12 months
Cholesterol (mg/dL)	195.9 ± 9.6	193.9 ± 9.3	181.9 ± 5.2	172.5 ± 5.6	0.219	0.413
Cholesterol synthesis markers
Squalene : cholesterol	26.5 ± 2.6	24.7 ± 2.7	23.5 ± 1.2	22.1 ± 1.7	0.860	0.408
Cholestenol : cholesterol	15.2 ± 1.4	16.9 ± 1.9	22.3 ± 2.9c	18.0 ± 2.9d,e	0.025	0.020
Desmosterol : cholesterol(f)	66.3 ± 4.5	63.4 ± 5.2	77.8 ± 5.0	65.6 ± 2.8	0.131	0.161
Lathosterol : cholesterol(f)	179.4 ± 14	175.1 ± 12.7	208.3 ± 13.0	178.9 ± 14.1	0.126	0.069
Cholesterol absorption markers
Campesterol : cholesterol	206.1 ± 27.7	208.2 ± 18.3	227.1 ± 24.2	235.1 ± 30.6	0.656	0.670
Sitosterol : cholesterol	108.1 ± 11.6	107.5 ± 7.7	132.5 ± 16.0	136.6 ± 16.1	0.843	0.842
Cholestanol : cholesterol	131.1 ± 5.8	130.6 ± 6.1	121.0 ± 4.6	135.5 ± 6.7d	0.002	0.004
Cholesterol metabolism markers
Squalene : Cholestanol	0.21 ± 0.03	0.20 ± 0.03	0.20 ± 0.01	0.18 ± 0.02	0.293	0.109
Cholestenol : Cholestanol	0.12 ± 0.01	0.14 ± 0.02	0.20 ± 0.03c	0.14 ± 0.02d,e	0.006	0.006
Desmosterol : Cholestanol	0.54 ± 0.06	0.52 ± 0.06	0.68 ± 0.06	0.52 ± 0.04d	0.016	0.029
Lathosterol : Cholestanol	1.42 ± 0.12	1.42 ± 0.13	1.81 ± 0.15	1.45 ± 0.17d	0.026	0.017

Values shown are means ± SEM.

^aGroup by time interaction analysed with analysis of variance for repeated measurements (GLM). If the baseline differed between groups (P < 0.05), it was taken into account as covariance.

^bGroup by time interaction (gender and BMI as covariance).

^c P < 0.05 denotes a significant difference at the baseline between the groups.

^d P < 0.05 denotes a significant difference from the baseline within the groups.

^e P < 0.05 denotes a significant difference at the 12 months between the groups.

^f P < 0.05 denotes a significant change over time ^(f) P > 0.05 (gender and BMI as covariance).