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Foods Rich in Essential Fatty Acids & Phytosterols

May 14, 2011 | By Natalie Stein

Alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid are the essential fats you need to get from your diet in order to stay healthy. Phytosterols include sterols and stanols, which are compounds in plants with a chemical structure similar to cholesterol. Phytosterols may lower your cholesterol levels because they block your body from absorbing cholesterol from food, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Some foods provide essential fatty acids and phytosterols, and many foods have one these heart-healthy nutrients.

Oils

Unsaturated oils, such as corn, soybean and safflower, provide 6 g to 10 g linoleic acid and about 100 mg phytosterols per tablespoon. Canola oil has alpha-linolenic acid. Linoleic acid is an omega-six polyunsaturated fatty acid and it may lower your cholesterol levels when you use it instead of saturated fats, such as from butter, palm oil or coconut oil. The recommended daily allowance for adults is 12 g to 17 g, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Seeds

Seeds provide linoleic acid and phytosterols. Dried sesame seeds have 64 mg total phytosterols and 2 g linoleic acid per tbsp., or 8 g serving, and dried sunflower seeds have 534 mg phytosterols and 23 g linoleic acid per 100 g serving. Phytosterols are naturally in many plant-based foods, and they may reduce your risk for heart disease because they lower levels of total and bad LDL cholesterol in your blood, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Nuts

Almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pine nuts, and pistachio nuts provide about 30 to 60 mg phytosterols per oz., along with 5 to 9 g linoleic acid. English walnuts and black walnuts not only have linoleic acid and phytosterols, but they also have alpha-linolenic acid, which is an omega-three fatty acid that may lower your risk for cardiac death. Other possible heart-healthy nutrients in nuts include dietary fiber, which lowers cholesterol, and vitamin E, an antioxidant, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center.

Other Foods

Peanuts are legumes, and they have phytosterols and linoleic acid. Some functional foods, such as margarines, are fortified with added sterols or stanols, according to the Mayo Clinic, and they may also be rich in linoleic acid. Although they are not high in fat, wheat bran, rye bread and Brussels sprouts are rich sources of phytosterols, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Ground flax seed provides 1.6 g alpha-linolenic acid per tablespoon, but does not have phytosterols.

References

Article reviewed by GlennK Last updated on: May 14, 2011

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