To lower cholesterol is an important part of any diet if you have a cholesterol level above normal. A better idea is to never allow cholesterol to be placed in the first place. This requires regular exercise and reduce foods rich in animal fats and oils. as you probably know, high cholesterol for a long period of time can lead to heart disease and atherosclerosis, both potentially fatal diseases. another product that is supposed to help lower cholesterol with plant sterols. This article explains how plant sterols do this and what types of foods are additive in them.
Plant sterols, also known as phytosterols, are naturally occurring in plants. Plants are equivalent to cholesterol in mammals, since they act as a structural component of cell membranes in the body. Many processed foods such as margarines, spreads, yoghurt drinks and supplements contain plant sterols. Foods containing natural plant sterols are things like beans and vegetables, including rice, maize and wheat germ. Many vegetable oils such as olive, soybean and peanuts also have a high amount of plant sterols. And, of course, all fresh vegetables and fruits contain a certain amount of plant sterols. Therefore, it is important to incorporate these foods in your diet if you want lower cholesterol. But how does it lower cholesterol?
It is believed that when consuming about 2.3 grams per day of plant sterols, cholesterol was reduced. It does so in the intestinal tract where it blocks the absorption of cholesterol in the body. Studies have shown that reducing LDL cholesterol in the body. LDL cholesterol is the lipoprotein that carries cholesterol throughout the body and therefore is considered as bad cholesterol.
Addition of plant sterols in margarine and other spreads and salad dressing have, in general, was endorsed by many organizations of dietetics and nutrition. Significantly, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the use of it in the marketing of these types of food products after reviewing the research.