The heart of a serious health problem
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a serious problem for people around the world. Having an elevated blood cholesterol level has been linked to an increased risk for heart disease. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 102 million Americans have borderline high or high cholesterol levels, and therefore have a greater chance of developing heart disease. The AHA indicates that a 10% decrease in blood cholesterol levels can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 30%. 1
Finding the food-cholesterol connection
A major area of research on heart disease has looked at how diet can affect heart health. Research has found that the buildup of excess cholesterol in artery walls, a condition called atherosclerosis can lead to the progression of heart and blood vessel diseases. Fortunately, studies have shown that what people eat can influence the amount of cholesterol in the blood. As the first line of defense against high blood cholesterol levels, doctors and dietitians often recommend making changes in the diet, such as reducing the amount of saturated fat eaten and increasing soluble fiber intake.
Help your body maintain healthy cholesterol levels
Another way people can help lower their blood cholesterol levels is by increasing their consumption of phytosterols, compounds naturally found in many plant foods. Phytosterols, which include plant sterols and plant stanols, are available in small quantities in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, cereals, legumes and vegetable oils.
Phytosterols have been studied for more than 50 years and it's well documented that a significant decrease in LDL-cholesterol can be achieved by consuming 1-3 grams of plant sterols each day. 2,3 Since the amount of plant sterols and stanols people can get from eating a mixed diet is very small, some commonly eaten foods have been enhanced with added plant sterols or plant stanols to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. As a result of the large body of research of phytosterols, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of a health claim on foods containing plant sterols or stanols in 2000, and the AHA recommends the inclusion of plant sterol-containing foods in the diet as one strategy an individual can use to help achieve and support healthy cholesterol levels 4.
Lowering cholesterol the natural way
Plant sterols and stanols have been shown to function in two ways to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels:
• Interfere with the body's absorption of dietary cholesterol during digestion 5
• Promote the elimination of available cholesterol from the gut 6
Want to learn more?
Click here to read the In Depth coverage of "The Science Behind Phytosterols – Natural Plant Extracts." A Glossary is provided to clarify scientific terminology. Just click on an underlined word and a definition will appear in a pop-up window.
References for studies mentioned on this page
1 American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2006 Update. Circulation 2006;113(6):e85-e151. Available at: http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/short/113/6/e85 Accessed November 21, 2006.
2 Pollock OJ. Reduction of blood cholesterol in men. Circ 1953;7(5)702-6.
3 Patch CS, Tapsell LC, Williams PG. Plant sterol/stanol prescription is an effective treatment strategy for managing hypercholesterolemia in outpatient clinical practice. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(1):46-52.
4 Fletcher B, Berra K, Ades P, Braun LT, Burke LE, Durstine JL, Fair JM, Fletcher GF, Goff D, Hayman LL, Hiatt WR, Miller NH, Krauss R, Kris-Etherton P, Stone N, Wilterdink J, Winston M. Managing blood lipids: a collaborative approach. Circulation. 2005; 112: 3184–3209.
5 Nguyen TT. The cholesterol-lowering action of plant stanol esters. J Nutr. 1999;129(12):2109-12.
6 Ostlund RE Jr. Phytosterols and cholesterol metabolism. Curr Opin Lipidol. 2004;15(1):37-41.
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