Plant sterols and stanols as dietary factors reducing hypercholesterolemia by inhibiting intestinal cholesterol absorption

Abstract

The review is focussed on the mechanisms of action, lipid-lowering activity, structural characteristics, and safety of plant sterins and stanols. Phytosterins and phytostanols inhibit intestinal cholesterol (CH) absorption, therefore decreasing plasma CH levels. The emphasis is put on prospective epidemiological studies of representative samples, which demonstrated that plasma concentrations of phytosterins and phytostanols in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are substantially lower than in CHD-free participants. A two-fold increase in serum sytosterin concentration was associated with a reduction in relative risk of CHD by 22 %. Plant sterin and sterol esters could be regarded as effective and safe dietary ingredients decreasing blood levels of CH — one of the major cardiovascular disease risk factors.