Product Review: Phytosterols Supplements
Posted: Thursday, August 27, 2009
by Joel Hirschhorn
http://www.delusionaldemocracy.com
You may not be familiar with phytosterols. But they are a proven and widely available supplement that reduces bad cholesterol levels. Sure, like many other vitamins and supplements they are available in foods, but that does not mean that most people will eat enough of the right foods to get what is needed to achieve the healthy result. For example, good sources of phytosterols include grain legumes such as sesame, chickpeas, lentils and peas; cereal grains such as wheat, corn, millet, rye and barley; vegetable oils including corn, peanut and olive; and nuts such as pecans, pine, pistachios, peanuts, cashews and almonds.
The recommended dose of phytosterols for lowering blood cholesterol level is 2 grams per day; higher levels result in little further reduction in blood cholesterol levels. A dose of 2 g per day has been reported to reduce low density lipoprotein cholesterol by 10 percent. Numerous clinical trails in controlled settings have reported that daily consumption of 1.5 to 3 grams of phytosterols from foods can reduce total cholesterol levels (good high and bad low density) by 8 to 17 percent, representing a significant reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease. But research has found that consumption of 1.8 g per day of plant sterols distributed over the day yields optimal cholesterol-reducing effect rather than one large dose. Natural dietary intake, however, is just a fraction of this, typically varying from about 167 to 437 mg per day.
Though cholesterol control and prevention of heart disease are the prime reasons for using phytosterols, there is mounting evidence suggests that phytosterols possess anti-cancer effects against cancer of the lung, stomach, ovary and estrogen-dependent human breast cancer. Phytosterols inhibit the production of carcinogens, cancer-cell growth, invasion and metastasis, and promote apoptosis (death) of cancerous cells. Phytosterols consumption may also increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes and thereby reduce oxidative stress.
In one study reported in 1998 there were 463 subjects with newly diagnosed primary lung cancer and 465 hospitalized controls in to determine the effect of phytosterols intake on lung carcinogenesis within 3 years. Phytosterols consumption was associated with reduced risk of the cancer by approximately 50%, after correcting for factors including tobacco smoking, vegetables, fruits and antioxidant substances, known to be confounders.
Another study reported in 2000 investigated the effects of plant sterol intake on gastric-cancer prevalence in 120 patients confirmed to have stomach cancer, and 360 controls. Results showed an inverse relationship between total phytosterols intake and stomach cancer.
Overall, there are considerable research results that strongly support an anticarcinogenic action of phytosterols and support their dietary inclusion as an important strategy in prevention and treatment of cancer.
For men, Beta-Sitosterol is widely recognized as a most effective natural remedy for prostate problems. It is an inhibitor in the production of Dihydrotestosterone (or DHT), the hormone which stimulates prostate growth. Beta-sitosterol is in common foods but only in very small amounts. Beta-sitosterol is completely safe and has absolutely no side effects. Beta-sitosterol is currently used as a prescription drug in to reduce nighttime urination, frequency, urgency, dribbling and painful urination. It has a 20-plus years history of effectiveness and safe use and virtually all supplements sold for treatment of prostate problems contain phytosterols, often in the form of saw palmetto. In fact, saw palmetto is the most studied of herbal substances used for enlarged prostate and has the most evidence to support its use. In recent studies, saw palmetto had a similar effectiveness as the prescription drug finasteride (or Proscar). Note that it can take 4 to 6 weeks to see beneficial effects. Like phytosterols in general, saw palmetto has minimal unexpected side effects so there are generally no real restrictions on the duration of its use.
Importantly, research on mice found that phytosterols reduces prostate tumor growth by over 40 percent and cut the occurrence of cancer spread to other parts of the body, like lymph nodes and lungs, by almost 50 percent.
A widely used commercially available form of phytosterols is CholestOff by Nature Made and I have used it for several years. A serving of two caplets provides 900 mg of phytosterols, which means that taking four per day can provide an optimal amount for cholesterol management. However, virtually every manufacturer of vitamins and supplements offers phytosterols.
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