Plant sterols and stanols as cholesterol-lowering ingredients in functional foods.
This article reviews developments related to the use of plant sterols and stanols as cholesterol-lowering ingredients in foods and nutraceuticals preparations. Plant sterols and stanols are extracted from the deodorizer distillates of vegetable oil refining and from tall oil, a by-product of paper pulping industry. Plant sterols/stanols inhibit cholesterol absorption possibly by competitively inhibiting its incorporation into the mixed micelles in the small intestine although other mechanisms can not be excluded. Daily consumption of 1-2 grams of plant sterols or stanols was shown to cause 10-20% reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL cholesterol). Combinations of plant sterols/stanols with certain lipid-lowering ingredients were shown to potentate their cholesterol-lowering effects and, in some cases, add triacylglycerol-lowering effects. In this article, patents based information is also discussed.
Kamal-Eldin
Afaf
A
Department of Food Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. Afaf.Kamal-Eldin@lmv.slu.se
Moazzami
Ali
A
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D055951:Functional Food; D006801:Humans; D008823:Micelles; D010330:Patents as Topic; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000494:pharmacology
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008823:Micelles; D010840:Phytosterols; D012855:Sitosterols; D014280:Triglycerides; C407042:plant stanol ester; D002784:Cholesterol