Sitosterol is a plant sterol, or phytosterol, that is found in several foods including nuts, vegetable oils and rice bran. This plant compound reduces cholesterol levels in the body to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. The average Western diet, however, does not contain enough natural sitosterol. Eating more foods that contain this healthy plant nutrient and taking sitosterol supplements can help decrease high cholesterol levels.
Plant Sterols Reduce High Choleserol
High cholesterols levels, particularly low-density lipoprotein or LDL is a major indicator of heart disease and stroke. Excess cholesterol in the blood can accumulate in the arteries of the heart, neck, brain and body causing narrowing and blood clots. Cholesterol can form hard plaque deposits in the inner lumens of the arteries leading to a disease called atherosclerosis, in which these blood vessels become narrowed and hardened. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Sitosterol is white in color and has a waxy texture. It also has a chemical structure that resembles the cholesterol found in the body. This gives this plant compound the ability to prevent absorption of cholesterol from the gastrointestinal tract. In the body, sitosterol mimics and competes for cholesterol absorbing sites.
This results in the body absorbing more siteosterol instead of harmful cholesterol from foods. The ingested cholesterol is then excreted from the body, effectively lowering blood lipids, particularly harmful LDL cholesterol levels.
Sitosterol Containing Foods and Recommended Dosages
Though foods do not provide therapeutic doses of sitosterol to treat high cholesterol, they can provide accumulative benefits that help prevent high cholesterol over time. Foods that contain sitosterol include nuts such as pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts and macadamia nuts, vegetable oils such as corn and canola, dark chocolate, pumpkin and squash seeds, wheat germ, rice bran, soybeans, flax seeds and margarine.
Sitosterol supplements can be used to provide a medicinal dose of this healthy plant compound, however the dosage amount is not yet confirmed. The recommended dosage to reduce high blood cholesterol levels range from 800 mg to 6 grams of sitosterol in two or three divided doses per day.
Other uses of sitosterol have varying doses, for example a daily dose of 60 to 130 mg are recommended for helping to treat an enlarged prostate and 300 mg per day as a health supplement.
Additional benefits of sitosterol include boosting the immune system to decrease inflammation due to stress, injury or illness. It is also recommended in combination with other herbal supplements to help prevent and treat prostate problems such as benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH.
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. See your doctor to have your cholesterol levels checked; some individuals require additional treatment to reduce unhealthy cholesterol.
Sources
- American Heart Association: Why Cholesterol Mattters
- Drugs.com: Sitosterol
Noreen Kassem - Noreen Kassem is a hospital doctor based in London, UK. She has extensive experience in clinical research and an undergraduate honors ...
