Lower Cholesterol
with Plant Sterols and Stanols

Plant sterols and stanols are components of plant membranes that are analogous to animal cholesterol and carry out similar cellular functions in plants.

Sterols can be absorbed by the body in small quantities from many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, beans, vegetable oils, and others. Stanols are found in even smaller quantities from many of the same sources.

Plant sterols and stanols can only be obtained through dietary sources – i.e. your body does not produce them. They are able to reduce blood cholesterol levels - a proven health effect that has been studied for a half century.

Cholesterol is naturally produced in the human body by the liver. It produces about 1,000 milligrams per day – enough for the bodily functions like building and maintaining cell membranes, its primary task.

Additionally, the body can take in an additional 500 milligrams via diet. It is this cholesterol that creates high blood cholesterol in some people. Not everyone is affected adversely so it depends on genetics to some extent, although diets high in cholesterol are also typically high in saturated fats, hence not too healthy – especially when it comes to burning fat. Some people actually have high cholesterol even though they don’t take in any from dietary sources, but this is rare.

Not all cholesterol is equal: Blood cholesterol is primarily made up of two kinds of cholesterol. LDL - low-density lipoprotein - is “bad” cholesterol because it can form plaque deposits in the walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. This, in turn, leading to heart attacks and stroke.

HDL - high-density lipoprotein - is considered “good” cholesterol because it helps remove “bad” cholesterol from arteries and prevent blockage.

Having high cholesterol is asymptomatic – not noticeable - in most persons, but anyone can suffer from it including children and healthy active adults. So don’t think just because you’re healthy and skinny that you don’t have high cholesterol. All persons should have their cholesterol levels checked every 5 years to make sure they aren’t suffering from elevated levels.

The breakdown of the types of cholesterol and percentages of each is also important – having high levels of HDL, for example, is not bad, but having high levels of LDL could mean future health problems.

For those suffering from high levels of blood cholesterol, there are various treatment options that start with a healthy diet low in saturated fats and regular exercise. It’s also recommended to lower alcohol intake and quit smoking.

If dietary and lifestyle changes don’t work, medication may be indicated by your doctor.

Back to the plant sterols and stanols – these two act as buffers against LDL and have shown to be clinically effective. Their action is similar to HDL in the human body.

People who know this often use margarine containing these additives to reduce their cholesterol levels and it seems to work. Plant sterols and stanols are also available in a pill form.

What does that mean to your fat burning program? Should you be using these additives?

The answer is only if you really need to. Long term studies on the adverse effects of sterols and stanols are absent or inconclusive, but it makes sense to try to lower your cholesterol levels naturally via a proper diet and proper exercise, not by using food additives.

Most people with high cholesterol – the only ones who should even consider using these additives – can control it by reducing overall intake of saturated fats and exercising 30 minutes per day most days of the week.

Neither the AHA – American Heart Association – or the American Cancer Society recommends them except via natural sources like fruits and vegetables, so don’t consider using them as a “preventative” measure against heart disease.

Note that very low levels of cholesterol have also been indicated in higher incidence of some forms of cancer, so don’t try to reduce your cholesterol unless you need to.

For those who do choose to use margarines with plant sterols and stanols, they need to remember that they are still getting a large dose of calories – it’s not a license to slather them heavily over everything. The recommended intake is 2 grams per day with more not leading to lower blood cholesterol levels. That’s about 60 to 90 calories, by the way.

These spreads are also three times as expensive as regular margarines and they can’t be for used for cooking since high heat can break down the sterol and stanol molecules, obviating the benefits.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to get enough sterols and stanols by eating fruits and vegetables – at least enough to provoke therapeutic benefits, that is. You’d simply have to eat too many since they contain only tiny amounts.

On the good side, the tiny amounts you do get from fruits and vegetables are of the highest quality and are probably better absorbed by the body being natural rather than manufactured additives.

In conclusion, you should definitely get your cholesterol levels checked even if you are otherwise healthy and try to avoid saturated fats as much as possible even if you don’t have high blood cholesterol since they contain hundreds of nasty calories per serving.

But as for supplementing your diet or buying products enriched with plant sterols and stanols, you’d be better off following your doctor’s advice and getting together a good fat burning program first. Then you can be fit, healthy and have low blood cholesterol – without the potential risks of using a dietary additive.

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