Plant Fats Reduce Cholesterol
New research published last October in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that patients with high cholesterol who are take high-dose statin drugs may reduce the damage to their hearts by supplementing their diets with foods rich in plant sterols.
high cholesterol — hypercholesterolaemia -causes cardiovascular disease. Heart disease causes 50 percent of deaths in Europe, and costs the EU $202 billion each year.
The new research confirms previous studies by claiming that patients with high cholesterol can reduce their cholesterol levels by 8 to 17 percent by consuming 1.5 to 3 grams of plant sterols or stanols every day, which translates to a reduction in the risk of heart disease.
Researchers from the University Medical Centre Utrecht and the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands studied 20 hypercholesterolaemic patients who took the daily maximum dose of statin drugs — atorvastatin or simvastatin, 80 mg.
The study split the participants into two groups: the first received 3 grams of plant stanol-enriched margarine per day (Johnson & Johnson brand Benecol) for six weeks, and the second group received stanol-free margarine each day for six weeks. Both margarines contained 62 percent fat.
At the end of the trial, the group given stanol-enriched margarine had a 9.9 percent reduction in plasma cholesterol and a 15.6 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol. Their levels of apolipoprotein B (ApoB) — responsible for transporting cholesterol to tissues — dropped by 10.8 percent.
Conversely, the control group only experienced a 7.7 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol levels. Total cholesterol remained the same, and ApoB levels fell by 6.8 percent.
“Intensive dietary intervention with addition of plant stanols results in clinically relevant reduction of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in patients optimally treated with statins, compared with similar patients on statins receiving only standard care,” the researchers wrote.
Mike Adams, author of “Grocery Warning,” says this research should indicate to patients that plant stanols and sterols can actually replace statin drugs.
“Statin drugs are dangerous chemicals that can produce extremely harmful — even fatal — side effects,” Adams said. “Replacing them with plant-based medicines under the care of a naturopathic physician can greatly improve the health of patients while greatly reducing the cost of their treatment.”
Source: Newtarget.com
Some of these cholesterol lowering drugs have negative side effects such as memory loss, muscle fatigue, CoQ10 deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, sex hormone depletion and adrenal depletion.
This research confirms what naturalists have been telling the health industry for a decade. It is not eating fat that increases cholesterol. Eating animal fat increases cholesterol. In fact, switching from animal fat to plant fat can actually lower cholesterol.
Plant fats from avocados, almonds, pecans, peanuts, chia seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, and so on. If it’s from the plant world, the fat is good for you – in moderation. The trick is to eat ‘raw’ fats, not cooked fats.
One serving of raw almonds a day can reduce the risk of heart attacks or stroke by 53 percent, according to the research quoted by Mike Adams. And raw nuts and seeds offer plenty of calcium, to replace dairy products. Chia seeds and almonds are both good sources of calcium.
The medical community is working toward finding healthy methods of lowering cholesterol but self-empowerment and personal responsibility is still the defining factor in survival rates.
Ethan Miller
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/plant-fats-reduce-cholesterol-114300.html
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Comments
How effective are plant sterol esters in reducing cholesterol?
I’ve seen nutritional supplements that have plant sterol esters (I think I’m getting the terms right here), like soybean oil, that claim to help reduce cholest. But, you have to take a lot of it (preferrably before a meal) and I’m wondering how much this stuff really helps. (I know that a low-fat and high-fiber diet and excersise are far more important, but I’m wondering if there are other things I can do to help the bad cholesterol down). I’m suspicious of these supplements — they’re expensive and you have to take them a lot.
Any advice?
R
If I were in your situation, I’d opt for Red Yeast Rice. This is a far superior product and, like the plant sterols, it’s natural.
References :
I worked in a supplement store.
The general answer is that plant sterols alone can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol by as much as 15% without affecting HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Whether this is enough to achieve the target LDL levels for each of us depends on a range of factors. And the general wisdom is that plant sterols are more effective when taken in fortified foods as opposed to supplements.
Plants produce plant sterols. Animals produce cholesterol. Structurally similar, both bind to sites in our intestines where the cholesterol produced in our livers and consumed in our foods are absorbed into our blood.
Yet, our bodies have evolved the ability to distinguish between these types of sterols. On average, we absorb about 55% of cholesterol and less than 1% of the plant sterols. Plant sterols work to lower cholesterol by filling the "absorption gateways," thus blocking the cholesterol from entering the blood stream. Blocked cholesterol is execreted along with most of the plant sterols.
In nature, small quantities of plant sterols can be found in a range of foods, particularly vegetable oils (sources of plant sterols). The average plant sterol intake in the U.S. is about 250 milligrams. Vegetarians consume in a range of 400 to 750 milligrams. Plant sterol intake in traditional diets has been estimated to be about 1g (1000mg). Medical studies have concluded that 2-3g (2000-3000mg) effectively lower cholesterol. Fortified foods are typically required to obtain these levels.
The effectiveness of plant sterols will vary from person-to-person. Many people absorb cholesterol more effectively than others. For these individuals, the impact of plant sterols may be more significant.
Overall, plant sterols are an important component of a nutritional system designed to promote healthier cholesterol and blood lipid levels. Achieving maximum benefits from natural cholesterol management may require other nutrients—including the soluble fibers found in oats, beans, fruit and psyllium, certain types of niacin, Omega-3s, monounsaturated fats in place of saturated fats—-all in the context of balanced nutrition, calorie-mindfulness and physcial activity.
A recent study, published in Food & Nutrition Research (January 2009), found that while sterols uniformly worked to lower LDL cholesterol, their power is affected by a number of factors. The study assessed 59 randomized clinical trials published from 1992 to 2006. Maximum results were found where patients:
Consumed 2.5 grams of sterols or stanol per day. The FDA allows a health claim for products containing as little as .4 grams of plant sterols or .65 grams of plant sterol esters. As such, individuals will often need to take multiple servings of plant sterol products to attain the optimum daily intake. Consumption beyond 2.5 grams did not lead to further reductions ( Foods with Plant Sterols).
Took plant sterols over the course of the day. Multiple servings were generally found to be more effective than a single serving.
Not surprising, sterols lowered LDL cholesterol by more among individuals with high or very high cholesterol levels, but sterols also proved effective among individuals with optimal to borderline-high LDL cholesterol. The authors also sought to assess the power of sterols across different types of foods. While they generally found that foods with some fat content (greater than 3 grams per serving) and low-fat milks and yogurts may be somewhat better, the evaluation does not appear to control for other elements of diet, lifestyle and medications. More research in the role of plant sterols coupled with a broader approach to therapeutic nutrition for cholesterol management is merited.
References :
http://www.kardeanutrition.com and the National Institutes of Health National Cholesterol Education Program.
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