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Plant Sterols in Beans

Early human diets, high in plant foods, probably supplied more than 1 g of plant sterols per day; estimates of current intake are only 15 to 45 percent of that amount. Science is just beginning to discover the ramifications of this dietary change. Eating more beans is one way of reversing that trend and adding more plant sterols to your diet.

  1. Identification

    • Good sources of plant sterols include unrefined vegetable oils, beans, whole grains and nuts. Highest sources are wheat germ, sesame oil, corn oil and canola oil, because phytosterols are soluble in oil. In recent years, food manufacturers have begun enriching foods with phytosterols and phytostanols for their cholesterol-lowering effect. The variety includes margarines, mayonnaises, salad dressings, yogurt, milk, soy milk, orange juice and snack bars.

    Beans

    • Beans are a subset of the legume family, plants that produce pods. The average phytosterol content of beans is about 125 mg per 100 g, or about one-quarter pound, of beans. This concentration is five times higher than the amount in fruits or vegetables, but less than half that of oils. However, when compared serving for serving, beans are about equal to oils.

    Soybeans

    • Soybeans are similar to other beans in their plant sterol content. However, soybeans contain more oil, so the sterols are extracted and concentrated in soybean oil, making it equivalent to olive oil or peanut oil.

    Health Benefits

    • Numerous studies have substantiated that plant sterols lower blood cholesterol. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the World Health Organization now recommends 2 to 3 g of phytosterols or stanols per day, in divided doses, to lower blood cholesterol. Epidemiological studies of plant sterols preventing cancer in humans is less conclusive.

    Mechanism

    • Phytosterols combine with carbohydrate residues in the intestine to form saponins, a soap in the chemical sense of the word. These saponins then combine with bile acids and cholesterol released from the liver for digestion. The saponin complex, being very poorly absorbed by the intestine, must be eliminated, taking with it the cholesterol and thus lowering blood cholesterol levels.

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