Among the best known are the phytosterols. Often margarine and milk products
Your cholesterol-lowering effects are well accepted in the rule.
However, serious concerns exist when science.
What are phytosterols?
Phytosterols, or plant sterols, are a family of molecules related to cholesterol [1] .
Be in the membranes of plant cells, in which they play an important role, such as cholesterol in humans found.
The most common phytosterols in foods are campesterol, sitosterol and stigmasterol. It is also available as stanols molecules that are similar.
This graph shows the difference between cholesterol and campesterol [2] .
Although we have developed to operate two types of sterols in the system, the human body much prefer cholesterol ( 1 ).
Man has two enzymes called sterolins to sterols, which can enter the body through the intestinal regulate. Only pass small amounts of phytosterols, while almost 55% of the cholesterol (always goes through 2 ).
[3]
Conclusion: Phytosterols are plant equivalent of cholesterol in animals. Have a similar molecular structure but metabolized differently.
Vegetable oils and margarines are rich in phytosterols
Many vegetables healthy foods contain significant amounts of phytosterols.
Over the centuries, have been in the human diet as part of nuts, seeds, fruits [4] , vegetables and legumes [5] .
It has been suggested that Paleolithic [6] hunter-gatherers who ate a diet rich in plant consume large amounts of phytosterols ( 3 ).
Compared to modern diet, which is not quite right.
Vegetable oils [7] are actually very high in phytosterols. Since these oils are added for all types of processed foods, is the total intake of phytosterols probably more than ever before ( 4 ).
Grains also contain small amounts of phytosterols and are an important source for people who have a lot of grains (eat 5 ).
Then phytosterols add some processed foods, including margarine [8] , which are then marked as "cholesterol-lowering" and to prevent heart disease.
Conclusion: The amount of phytosterols in the diet is greater than ever, especially on the high consumption of vegetable oils.
Phytosterols can reduce total cholesterol and LDL, but it is important?
It is well documented that phytosterols can lower cholesterol levels.
2-3 grams of phytosterols per day for 3-4 weeks, can reduce LDL cholesterol by approximately 10% ( 6 , 7 )
They are particularly effective in people who have high cholesterol if you take statins to lower cholesterol or lower ( 6 , 8 )
It is assumed that work in the competition for the same enzymes as cholesterol in the intestine, the cholesterol absorption (effectively prevented 1 ).
However, it is important to recognize that cholesterol only a risk factor for heart disease.
Just because it improves a risk factor for a disease that does not guarantee that prevents real disease.
Conclusion: The phytosterols can reduce LDL cholesterol by 10%, thereby to reduce the cholesterol absorption in the intestine. However, cholesterol is a risk factor, not a real disease.
Paradoxically, phytosterols increase the risk of heart attack
Many people assume that phytosterols can prevent heart attacks, because they reduce cholesterol.
Sorry, no studies showing that phytosterols actually reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, or death.
In fact, many studies show that, paradoxically, may increase the risk.
Many observational studies in humans have high consumption of phytosterols to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (peg 9 , 10 , 11 ).
In addition, survival study who were with phytosterols in the blood, the most commonly another heart attack (for patients with heart disease in the Scandinavian Simvastatin 12 ).
In another study of men with heart disease, the subset of men with an increased risk for heart attack were three times more likely in the blood when they (had high levels of phytosterols 13 ).
There are also studies in rats and mice, showing that phytosterols increase the buildup of plaque in the arteries, which reduce to strokes and the life ( 14 , 15 ).
Although many health authorities such as the American Heart Association recommend to improve phytosterols to heart health, contradict others.
For example, the drug of the German Commission, the Food Standards Agency France (handles) and the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) all recommend against the use of phytosterols in the prevention of heart disease ( 1 , 16 ).
There is also a genetic disease, (very) rarely mentioned phytosterolaemia or sitosterolaemia [9] , where the people of absorbing large amounts of phytosterols in the blood.
These people have massively increased risk of heart disease and liver problems.
Conclusion: Although phytosterols leading to reduced cholesterol levels, numerous studies in animals and humans show that increase the risk of heart attacks.
Phytosterols may protect against cancer
There is also evidence that phytosterols can reduce the risk of cancer.
Human studies have shown that people who consume the most amount of phytosterols lower risk of stomach, lung, breast and ovarian cancer ( 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ).
There are animal studies suggesting that phytosterols may have anti-cancer properties contribute to the growth and spread of tumors (reduction 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ).
However, the only human studies support this observation in nature. Such studies can not provide information, but no evidence.
Plant foods are healthy, but you phytosterols are a mess
Over the centuries, phytosterols have a part of the human diet as part of vegetables, fruits and other plant foods.
But the modern diet [10] now contains unusually high amounts, mainly due to the consumption of refined vegetable oils and fortified foods.
A high intake of phytosterols claimed to be heart healthy, but evidence suggests that they are more likely to prevent heart disease and not cause.
Good food phytosterols whole plant foods is good, it is best to avoid phytosterols fortified foods and dietary supplements like the plague.
Credentials
- ^ cholesterol (authoritynutrition.com)
- ^ campesterol (en.wikipedia.org)
- ^ sterolins (en.wikipedia.org)
- ^ fruits (authoritynutrition.com)
- ^ legumes (authoritynutrition.com)
- ^ Paleolithic (authoritynutrition.com)
- ^ Vegetable oils (authoritynutrition.com)
- ^ margarines (authoritynutrition.com)
- ^ sitosterolemia (en.wikipedia.org)
- ^ modern diet (authoritynutrition.com)
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