The most common phytosterols in your diet are campesterol, sitosterol, and stigmasterol. Plant stanols — another compound occurring in your diet — are similar. Although people have evolved to function with both cholesterol and phytosterol in their systems, your body prefers cholesterol 1. In fact, you have two enzymes called sterolins that regulate which sterols can enter your body from the gut. Phytosterols are the plant equivalents of cholesterol in animals.
They have a similar molecular structure but are metabolized differently. Many healthy plant foods — including nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and legumes — contain considerable amounts of phytosterols.
It has been suggested that paleolithic hunter-gatherers, who ate a diet rich in plants, consumed large amounts of phytosterols 3. Vegetable oils are very high in phytosterols. Because these oils are added to many processed foods, the total dietary intake of phytosterols is probably greater than ever before 4. Cereal grains also contain modest amounts of phytosterols and can be a major source for people who eat a lot of grains 5. Vegetable oils and margarines contain high amounts of phytosterols.
Because vegetable oils are added to many processed foods, the concentration of phytosterols in the diet is likely greater than ever before.
Phytosterol is believed to work by competing for the same enzymes as cholesterol in your gut, effectively preventing cholesterol from being absorbed 1. Although high cholesterol levels are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, they are likely not the cause of heart disease. For this reason, it is unclear whether reducing your cholesterol levels has any effect on heart disease risk.
However, this may not improve your heart health. Yet, no studies indicate that phytosterols can lower your risk of heart disease, strokes, or death. Paradoxically, phytosterols may increase your risk.
Numerous human studies link high phytosterol intake with an increased risk of heart disease 9 , 10 , Additionally, among people with heart disease in a large Scandinavian study, those with the most phytosterols were most likely to get another heart attack In another study in men with heart disease, those with the highest risk of heart attack were at three times greater risk if they had high concentrations of phytosterols in the blood An expert weighs in and gives us a few more facts about plant sterol-enriched margarine.
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Legume-rich recipes. Lebanese flavors are some of my favorites. This week's top Food TV picks. SBS On Demand. Watch all of Season 1 as Frank Pinello explores the incredible world of pizza from Chicago's deep dish to the New York 'fold'. Newly added. What does a recipe mean when it calls for neutral oil? Shatter the dessert ceiling with broken glass. Rosemary lamb steak with quick bean stew.
Tomato, spinach and chickpea angel hair soup. In Social. Stay connected with Food Stay connected with Food. Vertical Tabs Newsletter. Exclusive TV sneak peeks, recipes and competitions. Sign up now. During the run-in period, all hypercholesterolemic subjects received rapeseed oil-based control spread. In the beginning of the experimental period subjects were randomly assigned into one of three experimental groups.
The control group continued to use control spread, and the two test groups used spreads with added plant sterols of either 1. The subjects consumed test spreads as a part of their normal diet without any restrictions in lifestyle and diet. Results: Plasma total- and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were significantly reduced by 7.
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