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Benefits of Phytosterols & Phytostanols

Phytosterols and phytostanols, two similar compounds that occur naturally in plants, effectively lower cholesterol, specifically LDL cholesterol. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, these beneficial compounds can reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), a leading cause of death in the United States. Advancements in food technology make it easy to consume adequate phytosterols on a daily basis. Food manufacturers add these functional ingredients to a variety of everyday foods and beverages.

  1. Lower Cholesterol

    • Despite not knowing the exact mechanism of action, the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration support the evidence and claim that plant sterols lower cholesterol. Sterols block intestinal absorption of cholesterol-raising fats from food and from cholesterol made in the liver. A study from the Laboratory for Atherosclerosis and Metabolic Research at the University of California Davis, published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" (Oct. 2006), found that individuals with high cholesterol reduced total cholesterol by 5 percent, and LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, by 9.4 percent after just eight weeks of drinking a sterol-fortified orange juice beverage daily. Sterols do not effect HDL, or "good", cholesterol.

    Reduce Inflammation

    • Inflammation plays a role in the development of heart disease, specifically stroke and other cardiovascular diseases. C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood reliably measures the degree of inflammation in the body: Elevated CRP translates into a greater risk for cardiovascular disease. Consumption of phytosterols daily for eight weeks can significantly reduce CRP and inflammation according to the U.C. Davis study.

    Fortified Foods

    • Food manufacturing companies first fortified margarine-type spreads with sterols in the year 2000, and the consumer market for these health-promoting foods continues to grow. Manufacturers fortify a variety of products including orange juice, yogurt, cheese, bread and milk. In lesser amounts, stanols and sterols exist naturally in fruits, vegetables, nuts and oils. Although these foods contain vital nutrients for a healthy diet, they do not provide enough sterols to meet the recommended dose to reduce cholesterol. For recommendations on the types and amounts of these foods to include in your diet, see the USDA's nutrition website MyPyramid.gov.

    Expert Insight

    • MayoClinic.com recommends eating at least 2 grams per day of plant sterols or stanols to achieve the beneficial effects on cholesterol. The amount of sterols in two 8-ounce glasses of fortified juice equals the 2-gram recommendation. Another way to reach the daily 2-gram dose includes using an alternative to butter fortified with sterols. This will not only help you reach your daily goal, but will also cut down on your intake of saturated fat.

    Considerations

    • The essential fat-soluble vitamins require fat for proper and complete absorption by the body. The reduced absorption of cholesterol resulting from sterol fortification theoretically may negatively impact the availability of these vitamins. The U.C. Davis study, however, found no adverse effects on absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins: vitamin E, beta- and alpha-carotene, lycopene and lutein. This leads the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health to recommend consuming foods and beverages fortified with stanols as a safe and effective way to lower cholesterol.

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