Cholesterol is a type of fat that travels in your blood in a complex with protein called a lipoprotein. Your body needs cholesterol for many important functions, including maintenance of cell membranes, production of some hormones and many biochemical reactions. However, when your cholesterol level is too high, it raises your risk of coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke. Beta sitosterol is a natural compound from plants that may help lower your cholesterol and improve your health. Discuss it with your doctor to decide if it might help you; don't stop taking other cholesterol lowering medicines without consulting your physician first, and don't combine the medicine and supplement without talking to him.
High Cholesterol
Two main types of lipoprotein travel in your blood, low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, and high-density lipoprotein, or HDL. LDL is considered bad cholesterol because, when its levels are too high, excess cholesterol builds up on arterial walls as fatty deposits called plaque. Plaque can narrow arteries and interfere with blood flow, a dangerous situation for your heart and major organs. HDL is good cholesterol because, when its level is high enough, it removes excess cholesterol from your blood by carrying it to the liver, where it is removed. Lowering your LDL level while keeping your HDL high is a good strategy to improve your cardiovascular health and reduce your risk of serious disease.
Beta Sitosterol
Beta sitosterol is a type of natural compound called a phytosterol, a fatty chemical that comes from plants. Beta sitosterol is the most common of these sterols, and is chemically similar to some fatty compounds that are part of your cell membranes. It is present in many plant-derived foods, but especially in peanuts, rice bran, and oil made from corn, wheat germ, flaxseed and soybeans. It is also added to certain margarines, yogurts and spreads during processing. Beta sitosterol has properties that make it able to lower your LDL levels to a significant degree, according to clinical research findings.
Evidence
Beta sitosterol works in your intestines to reduce your absorption of cholesterol from food. In addition, although it is chemically similar to cholesterol, only a small amount of beta sitosterol actually reaches your blood after you consume it. A number of clinical trials have examined the potential benefits of sitosterol in lowering cholesterol. In a review of 14 trials with plant sterols, including beta sitosterol, published in the "Western Journal of Medicine" in 2000, the authors concluded that adding these compounds to the diet results in a significant reduction in LDL levels in human subjects. They also concluded that the benefit of the sterols was highest for adults over 50 and slightly less in younger people.
Recommendations and Precautions
You may increase your intake of beta sitosterol by choosing foods naturally high in the compound or foods to which it has been added as a fortifying agent. Beta sitosterol supplements are also available from health food stores. These supplements and fortified foods are generally considered safe. However, they may reduce absorption of some fat-soluble vitamins such as beta carotene and vitamin E. Talk to your doctor or a dietitian before deciding to add beta sitosterol to your regimen.
References
- National Cholesterol Education Program: High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know
- Drugs.com: Beta Sitosterol
- "Nutrition and Cancer"; Peanuts as a Source of Beta-Sitosterol, a Sterol with Anticancer Properties; A. Awad, et al.; 2000
- DietaryFiberFood: List of Foods (with High Phytosterol) That Help Lower Serum Cholesterol
- "Western Journal of Medicine"; Plant Sterol and Stanol Margarines and Health; M. Law; July 2000
- U. S. Department of Agriculture: New USDA Study Shows Plant Sterols Lower Cholesterol
