title: Natural Dietary Phytosterols.
abstract: Most clinical phytosterol studies are performed by adding purified supplements to smaller phytosterol amounts present in the natural diet. However, natural dietary phytosterols themselves may also have important effects on cholesterol metabolism. Epidemiological work using food frequency questionnaires to estimate dietary intake suggest that extremes of normal consumption may be associated with 3-14% changes in LDL cholesterol. Standardized food databases do not have enough phytosterol values to allow calculation of phytosterol intake for individuals outside of specialized studies. Natural diets contain phytosterol amounts ranging from less than 60 mg/2000 kcal to over 500 mg/2000 kcal. Physiological studies in which whole body cholesterol metabolism is investigated show large effects of natural dietary phytosterols on cholesterol absorption efficiency, cholesterol biosynthesis and cholesterol excretion which exceed the magnitude of changes in LDL cholesterol. The dual effects of natural phytosterols on both LDL-C and whole body cholesterol metabolism need to be considered in relating them to potential protection from coronary heart disease risk.
authors.affiliation: Washington University School of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipid Research, Department of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Susan B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Racette
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Richard E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ostlund
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004032:Diet; D005504:Food Analysis; D006801:Humans; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D010840:Phytosterols