Health Benefits of Plant Sterols

If one of our ancestors was alive today and we asked about what he ate in his day, it wouldn't be surprising to learn that most of the ancient men and women survived on plants - fruits, vegetables, nuts and berries. That is a healthy diet that our bodies have evolved on.



With the advent of industrial revolution and technology, humans started to lean more towards tasty food rather than healthy food. We have forgotten about eating natural fruits and vegetables with antioxidants and phytonutrients that have kept us healthy for ages.

Good cholesterol is required for the processing of fat-soluble vitamins. However, the bad cholesterol that comes from the greasy oily fast food and microwave dinners we eat isn't really good for anything (no wonder it's known as bad cholesterol). People gorge themselves on these delicious but empty calories only to get a high level of triglycerides in their blood. This bad cholesterol and triglycerides team up and cause plaque deposits in the veins and arteries. This results in atherosclerosisis and many other problems.


Over time these deposits tend to break up and go to strategic locations in the cardiovascular system. The result? Heart disease, strokes, myocardial infarctions and many other cardiovascular problems. You name it, you got it! Then you have doctors prescribing a variety of statins that come with their own side effects and issues. So, all these modern day foods and medicines really make your body a battlefield of sorts! So, how do you get rid of all these problems?

A regular consumption of these phytosterols according to some studies can help in lowering the risk of heart diseases in the body. A recent study indicated that when a person consumes about two to three grams of plant sterol every day, a reduction of up to 15 percent is seen in the LDL cholesterol levels. Besides reducing the risk of heart related ailments, plant sterols also aid in preventing many kinds of cancers as well.

These sterols are beneficial for diabetics as well and help in reducing their blood sugar levels as well as cholesterol levels. There are many foods that contain these plant sterols like wheat germ, rice, and corn. Oils like peanut, soybean and olive oil are also rich in such sterols. Fresh fruits and vegetables are also rich sources of phytosterols.

Excess cholesterol can not only just kill us but also cause paralysis and strokes as well. Regular consumption of natural plant sterols or even supplements containing these sterols can help in preventing such problems!

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