The Best and Safest Cholesterol Reducer

As I have written before, whereas it is important to keep cholesterol at a healthful ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (4 or under is ideal), all the focus on low-low cholesterol is not necessarily a good thing. You could keep cholesterol in check with the pop of a statin pill and consider the problem solved. Or, you could avoid the risk of side effects from statins, and instead go the natural route -- policosanol... red yeast rice... blueberries... or plant sterols. Plant sterols -- and their cousins, plant stanols -- are compounds that occur naturally in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, legumes, vegetable oils and other plant sources, and are both cheaper and safer than statins.

RESEARCH ABOUNDS

There's a considerable amount of research showing that plant sterols can lower cholesterol quite effectively. Early this year a study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that 2 g of plant sterols taken daily resulted in a 6.5% reduction in total cholesterol. In another study, 1.8 g taken daily, coupled with a fiber called glucomannan (See Daily Health News, December 2, 2004, for more on glucomannan) lowered total cholesterol. A third study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition got similar results. And an article in the British Medical Journal concluded that if 2 g a day of plant sterols (or stanols) were added to the diet, there would be a reduction in the risk of heart disease of about 25%, "larger than the effect that could be expected to be achieved by reducing... intake of saturated fat." The cholesterol-lowering effects of plant sterols have been known for some time. In fact, in September 2000, the FDA authorized a coronary heart disease health claim for plant sterols and plant stanols. According to the "Talk Paper" released by the FDA to the press, this ruling was based on the FDA's conclusion that plant sterols "may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels."

GETTING YOUR STEROLS

Plant sterols can be gotten in the diet by eating -- you guessed it -- lots of plants. Vegetable oils including safflower, soybean and olive also are a good source, but be sure to buy cold-pressed -- organic if possible -- and balance your vegetable oil intake with nut oils and fish oil. Some new margarines (such as Benecol) tout their cholesterol-lowering properties largely due to the addition of plant sterols, but be careful -- Benecol contains artery-clogging trans fats ("partially hydrogenated oil" is the second ingredient listed on the label). The best sources remain fruits and vegetables... however, supplements based on plant sterols also are becoming widely available (for example, CholestaPro, CholestOff and LipidShield).

Some of the top sources of sterols include...

• Rice bran oil   1,190 mg
  Corn oil   968 mg
  Sesame seeds   714 mg
  Safflower oil   444 mg
  Soybean oil   250 mg
  Olive oil     221 mg
  Peanuts     220 mg
  Italian salad dressing 121 mg
  Garbanzo beans   35 mg
  Bananas     16 mg
  Carrots      12 mg
  Tomatoes    7 mg
  *Food source sterol content per 100 g of food source.

By keeping your cholesterol in check with plant sterols you also will reap additional benefits. According to Sonja Pettersen, ND, "Plant foods -- and the compounds they contain -- improve immune function, have anticancer properties and seem to be helpful in a wide variety of health conditions, from eczema to chronic fatigue."

Whole foods win again.

Be well, Carole Jackson, Bottom Line's Daily Health News

Sources:

No More Holdbacks

Lauren H. Zander, founder and principal of Personal Evolution, an international coaching company, www.personal-evolution.com

The Best and Safest Cholesterol Reducer, Sonja Pettersen, ND, in private practice in Arizona.