What makes these margarines different is that they contain plant sterols. According to Cholesterol Specialist Dr. William Connor, when plant sterols are eaten, they block the absorption of cholesterol. The cholesterol stays in the digestive tract and does not get absorbed in the blood stream. About 20 studies have been published showing that blood cholesterol levels are lowered by plant sterols. These margarines also lower blood cholesterol when someone is following a low cholesterol diet because they can bind some of the cholesterol our bodies make and excrete in bile acids.
Gemfibrozil belongs to a class of drugs called fibrates.
Actually, gemfibrozil has been on the market for several years and is used by many physicians to reduce serum TG levels. A recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine reports that gemfibrozil increases HDL-cholesterol by 6 percent as compared to placebo. The research team found that gemfibrozil reduced coronary heart disease death by 22 percent. This study is consistent with other studies looking at the relationship between HDL cholesterol and heart disease risk. Other studies have shown that for every 1 percent increase in HDL, Heart disease risk goes down by 3 percent.