Table of Contents
What is the difference between stanols and sterols?
Definition. Plant stanols refer to a heterogeneous group of chemical compounds known to reduce the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood while plant sterols refer to the cholesterol-like substances that occur naturally at low levels in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and cereals.
What foods are high in stanols?
Foods with Plant Stanols: Rice bran, wheat germ, oat bran, bran, whole wheat, brown rice, legumes, dried peas, dried beans, lentils, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds.
What happens if you eat too many plant sterols?
Plant sterols/stanols are generally safe for most healthy people. Side effects include diarrhea or fat in the stool. In people with sitosterolemia, high plant sterol levels have been associated with increased risk of premature atherosclerosis.
Is olive oil a sterol?
The main sterols found in olive oil were β-sitosterol, Δ(5) -avenasterol, campesterol and stigmasterol, most of them showing high variability.
What are examples of sterols?
Sterols vary with the origin of the fat and are affected by food processing. Cholesterol is the main animal sterol, while β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, brassicasterol, avenasterol, and stigmastenol are major plant sterols present in vegetable oils at much higher levels than cholesterol is in animal fats.
Where do you get plant sterols and stanols?
Plant stanols and sterols, also known as phytosterols, are cholesterol-like compounds that are found naturally in a range of plant-based foods including vegetable oils, grain products such as breads and cereals, seeds, nuts, legumes, and fruits and vegetables.
What is the difference between plant stanols and sterols?
The main difference between plant stanols and sterols is that plant stanols are the saturated or reduced sterols similar to cholesterol but, with a methyl or ethyl group attached to the molecule whereas plant sterols are steroids with an alcohol group attached to the molecule.
How much plant stanols and sterols do I Need?
How much plant stanols and sterols do I need? Most diets provide a small amount of plant stanols and sterols (around 300mg per day); vegetarian diets contain about twice this amount. It is not essential to take plant stanols or sterols to help manage your cholesterol.
What is the difference between stanol and cholestanol?
A sterol is a steroid with an alcohol group attached to it. Stanols are saturated or reduced sterols that are similar to cholesterol, but have a methyl or an ethyl group attached to them. This difference minimizes stanol absorption in the intestines. Cholestanol is a stanol.
How do stanols and sterols work to lower cholesterol?
Sterols and stanols have a similar molecular structure to cholesterol. That’s how these plant compounds get in the way when your digestive systemtries to absorb cholesterol. So instead of going into your bloodstream where it can clog arteries, the cholesterol leaves your body as waste. This lowers your cholesterol level.