Can plant sterols help drop our cholesterol numbers?

Another article about plant sterols to help us control our cholesterol.  Read on:


There is a new product in our grocery aisles that can help us fight against our elevated cholesterol values. We need all the help we can get since it's estimated that almost 50 per cent of Canadian adults have elevated LDL-cholesterol and heart disease is our number one killer.

LDL cholesterol is the damaging form of cholesterol that can quickly and silently lead to blockages and stiffening of our arteries.

When you look further, it is estimated that 90 per cent of Canadian adults have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease whether it is elevated cholesterol, blood pressure, abdominal waist circumference, smoking, alcohol to stressful lifestyle and physical inactivity. All you need is some bad luck and one risk factor to land in the cardiac care unit.

Plant sterols work by be impeding the absorption of cholesterol through our bowel. If the cholesterol cannot be absorbed, then it simply gets flushed through the bowel. Our body naturally uses cholesterol to produce hormones, bile acids and cell membranes, so if there is less absorbed then there is physically less to spill over into our arteries.

Plant sterols are naturally found in fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds but we can't seem to get enough naturally to make a significant impact. The typical diet only offers our body approximately 0.2 mg while researchers encourage 10 times that level. There is a significant body of evidence that suggest two to three grams of plant sterols may drop our LDL-cholesterol by six to 15 per cent within three weeks.

Although we would much prefer to get these plant sterols naturally through our diet, we simply can't reach the two-gram mark. To reach that level, you would have to be devouring over 400 tomatoes a day or almost 70 slices of whole grain bread. Food fortification is the only realistic avenue.

The good news is that it appears to have no impact on our HDL-cholesterol (the good one) and doesn't conflict with cholesterol-lowering medication. Sadly it doesn't appear to have any impact on lowering triglyceride levels which are another risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Plant sterols also appear to work better in individuals with significantly elevated LDL-cholesterol values than those with only a moderate elevation.

Timing is also relevant. Since it acts as a blocker in the bowel, it is more effective to spread the two to three grams of plant sterols throughout the day rather than consume them all at once.

While you won't find the quantity of plant sterols listed on the nutrition facts panel, Health Canada has allowed products that have been fortified to carry a statement "one serving provides 'x' per cent of the daily amount of plant sterols, shown to help reduce cholesterol in adults."

Plant sterols fortification has been used in various countries throughout the world but Health Canada was slower to introduce them into the marketplace until there were significant clinical trials to prove that it is a safe product for the entire family and it not going to be problematic for children.

Currently regular and light margarines are available on the marketplace, but in order to meet the two grams of plant sterols, one would need two to four tablespoons of margarine daily. Five teaspoons (25 ml) of Becel pro.activ margarine offers two grams of sterols, while you can expect to see many new products following suit.

Every little bit helps in the fight to keep our arteries and veins clear and flexible.

more from here: http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/balance/article/1293856