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How Phytosterols Lower Cholesterol

Phytosterols are plant-based cholesterol look-alikes in nuts and seeds that help maximize our body’s excretion of excess cholesterol.

August 14, 2012 |
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Supplementary Info

How Phytosterols Lower Cholesterol, 4.7 out of 5 based on 3 ratings

Sources Cited

Schoenheimer R. New contributions in sterol metabolism. Science. 1931 Dec 11;74(1928):579-84.

Timothy PC, Mark A, Andrew WB. Cholesterol-lowering phytosterols: factors affecting their use and efficacy. Nutrition and Dietary Supplements. 2010 July;2:59-72.

Lin X, Racette SB, Lefevre M, Spearie CA, Most M, Ma L, Ostlund RE Jr. The effects of phytosterols present in natural food matrices on cholesterol metabolism and LDL-cholesterol: a controlled feeding trial. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Dec;64(12):1481-7.

Berryman CE, Preston AG, Karmally W, Deckelbaum RJ, Kris-Etherton PM. Effects of almond consumption on the reduction of LDL-cholesterol: a discussion of potential mechanisms and future research directions. Nutr Rev. 2011 Apr;69(4):171-85.

Acknowledgements

Images thanks to Boghog2, Evan-Amos, Kaldari, and theimpulsivebuy.

Transcript

The ability of phytosterols in plant foods to reduce cholesterol levels was first reported more than 80 years ago. The same trash-picker analogy used to explain the effects of fiber on cholesterol can help us understand how phytosterols and phytostanols work. Just like phytoestrogens in plants can have an anti-estrogenic effect by fooling your body into trying to use them instead of your own estrogen--which is a thousand times stronger, phytosterols are plant-based cholesterol look-alikes found predominnetly in nuts and seeds. Here’s what cholesterol looks like, here’s what a phytosterol looks like. Can you see the difference?

When we eat nuts and seeds and phytosterols find their way in our ever flowing waste stream, our trash-picking enterocytes in our gut lining throw them in their bins along with actual cholesterol. Their bins can only hold so much, though, before they have to go empty it into the body before coming back to the banks of our fecal flow.

And so if there’s just cholesterol in the waste stream, that’s what loads up the bin, but if there’s phytosterols too, half the bin may be filled with cholesterol and half with phytosterols, leaving the other half’s worth of cholesterol to flush out to sea.

Meanwhile our body gets these phytosterols absorbed and says what am I supposed to do with these plant molecules and chucks them back down the trash chute, where trash pickers furher down the line may accidentlay pick them back up again and repeat the process, so in the end, or out the end, because we swallowed all these phytosterols into our gut less excess cholesterol gets reabsorbed and it ends up getting dumped. This shows the increased fecal excretion of both dietary and endogenous cholesterol when one eats a phytosterol-rich diet.

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Kerry Skinner.

To help out on the site please email volunteer@nutritionfacts.org

Dr. Michael Greger

Doctor's Note

This is the third video of a five-part series on the cholesterol-lowering effects of nuts and seeds. In Friday's video-of-the-day, Nuts and Bolts of Cholesterol Lowering, I reviewed the data showing nuts decrease cholesterol levels and heart disease mortality. Yesterday's video-of-the-day How Fiber Lowers Cholesterol attempted to explain the fiber mechanism and the final two will wrap up on a more practical note, discussing optimal phytosterol doses andsources. The role played by phytoestrogens can be found in Soy & Breast Cancer Survival and Soy Hormones & Male Fertility. Not all molecular mimics are good, though. Check out Poultry and Paralysis. If you haven't yet, feel free to subscribe to my videos for free by clicking here.

For more context, check out my associated blog posts: Stool Size and Breast Cancer Risk and Optimal Phytosterol Dose and Source.

  • Michael Greger M.D.

    This is the third video of five-part series on the cholesterol-lowering effects of nuts and seeds. In Friday’s video-of-the-day Nuts and Bolts of Cholesterol Lowering, I reviewed the data showing nuts decrease cholesterol levels and heart disease mortality. Yesterday’s video-of-the-day How Fiber Lowers Cholesterol attempted to explain the fiber mechanism and the final two will wrap up on a more practical note, discussing optimal phytosterol doses and sources. The role played by phytoestrogens can be found in Soy & Breast Cancer Survival and Soy Hormones & Male Fertility. Not all molecular mimics are good, though. Check out Poultry and Paralysis. If you haven’t yet, feel free to subscribe to my videos for free by clicking here.

    • URwhatUeat

      Are phytosterol suplements of any value?

  • Pkzerbe

    I listened to this three times and will keep listening to it hoping I will understand it better.  It’s just the terminology that throws me.  Can you put this in lay language what the impact of eating the nuts and seeds are as to unhealthy cholesterol intake?  Are you saying that nuts and seeds are harmful in this way?  I need more on the nuts, etc. to know how to use them in my diet.  I am trying to eat vegan but still am having difficulty understanding how I can incorporate nuts, etc. in the diet.  I do have a predisposition to high cholesterol and the vegan lifestyle has helped me keep this somewhat at bay but not low enough yet.  Thank you for explaining this to me in as simple terms as possible.

    • Veganrunner

      Message: when you eat a phytosterols rich diet more cholesterol is excreted.

      • Pkzerbe

        Thank you.

    • http://www.facebook.com/teena.simon Teena Tibbetts Simon

      Always remember it’s not just being vegan or eating vegan that lowers your risk of disease or high cholesterol but NOT being a junk food vegan. Whole grains, legumes, vegetables/leafy greens and fruits. If it has more than 2-3 ingredients in it, it’s probably not worth your time. I always seem to hear or read that if your weight is an issue to limit nuts, seeds and avocados until you are at your desired weight then go back to them sparingly??? Anyway I hope you have a fantastic day!

    • Rathatcher

      I think the general recommendation is to eat handful of nuts or seeds a day. The problem is when the vending machine only offers a jumbo, five-serving, highly salted bag. It’s easy to go overboard as with any high-fat food.

      • Valnaples

        I actually prefer a *palmful* of nuts / seeds each day…that way, I know I’m not eating too many of them. (Handful just sound like more to me…and certainly a fist-full is NOT what we want)  

        • Sue Hull

          But, a thimbleful is certainly not enough! :-)

  • Elderberry

    I am a strict vegan who eats seeds and nuts at least twice daily. If I understand correctly, it is the excess cholesterol from food that gets dumped when one consumes enough seeds and nuts (or phytosterols), is that right? Cholesterol is produced by the body itself and there is no need to consume food containing cholesterol, is that right?  

    • SJ M.D.

      No need to eat food containing cholesterol, unless you want to increase your risk of getting a heart attack or stroke.

      Cholesterol is synthesized by the liver, some of it is excreted in the bile. Some of the biliary cholesterol is reabsorbed from the gut. Plantsterols interfere with this absorption, so I guess that it lowers your bloodcholesterol even further by excreting the cholesterol you produce in your liver.

      Get some nuts in your guts………..

      • June Crow

        HI, I met you in Austin, TX during the Veggie Fest last year.  I am a strict vegan (have been for 20 years), not overweight, active…and yet my cholesterol is 266. triglycerides 258, HDL 45, HDL 169 (ration 3/76)  I am also celiac (and I only found out this at age 50, 10 years ago…so I am trying to figure out the cholesterol conundrum.  I know that gluten can cause changes in the liver…so maybe something happened before I went off gluten 10 years ago?  I am strictly off gluten as well).  I am not even sure that these numbers are bad–but I do wonder why so much cholesterol on a vegan diet.  I eat nuts and seeds, do the green smoothie with kale thing, etc.  Any thoughts?
        thanks so much for all that you do!  BTW, my syblings have high cholesterol as well (although they are not vegan), so I am told there may be a genetic component…..thanks.  June

        • Rathatcher

          June, I’ve had a bit of the same issue, hitting a brick wall at 200, after bringing my numbers down from 312 with plants. Are you cutting out vegetable oils? I think Drs. Gregor and McDougall mention that unfilter coffee can raise cholesterol. I’ve heard limiting alcohol and simple sugars will help lower triglycerides.

        • Thea

           June: I don’t have the answer for you, but I have a thought.  It sounds like you are eating very healthy, period.  However, I wonder if you could tweak your diet to still be healthy, but to specifically work on the lowering cholesterol.

          For example, this video talks about using nuts to lower cholesterol.  I don’t have the links off the top of my head, but I remember several other videos on this site that also mention specific foods known for lowering cholesterol.  Maybe you could find those videos and start taking in more foods like the ones listed???  Just a thought.

          FYI: I know of two people in my inner circle with dangerously high cholesterol.  One was able to go from 260 something down to 131 total cholesterol simply by changing his diet.  My other friend, who has a family history of high cholesterol, was able to loose a lot of weight on a vegan diet, but did not lower (much) her cholesterol.   You are clearly not alone.

          I hope some more knowledgeable people answer your question, because I too would like some ideas to share with my friend.

        • Mupdyke1

          Your cholesterol levels can be affected by things other than dietary cholesterol. Saturated fat and carbohydrates can raise your cholesterol levels. Someone made a good point in a previous post about being a junk food vegan…if someone is only doing carbohydrates all day…especially simple carbs and sugar it can absolutely affect your cholesterol levels. Whatever carbohydrates your body doesn’t need for energy or storage in the muscle will turn to fat, and then that fat can turn into cholesterol. You mentioned a genetic factor…there is Apolipoprotein E genotype. That can actually indicate if someone is not as efficient from clearing cholesterol from the body. It can also indicate if someone needs to follow a more low fat diet. There is also testing done to see if someone is a hyperabsorber and/or hypersynthesizer of cholesterol. Advanced testing can always be helpful! 

          • Lincat13

            Lots of great points.  Totally agree.  I think it should also be mentioned that there are some medications that raise cholesterol levels through various mechanisms (one being constipation) and as you alluded to some people are predisposed to the problem. 

    • Toxins

       Indeed, there is no dietary need of saturated fat, cholesterol, monounsaturated fat or trans fat. The only essential fat is omega 3 and omega 6.
      http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/trans-fat-saturated-fat-and-cholesterol-tolerable-upper-intake-of-zero/

  • Elvin

     The question that appears to me to be in need of being posed is this:
    calorie per calorie (not gram per gram), what is better at lowering
    cholesterol? Is it nuts and seeds? Or is it beans, oatmeal and yams
    etc? 

    • WholeFoodChomper

      I believe the key is variety and a diverse plant-based diet.

  • LumLum2500

    My total cholesterol last December was 193.  After being on a vegan diet for a month, it is now 128.  My LDL went from 105 to 64.  I am so grateful to this website for transforming my life.  I just wish I had found it sooner.

  • Thinkabouddit

    Dr. Greger,

    I saw this morning this post at Natural News.com:

    $tatin Nation is the first film to publicly question the Big Pharma narrative on statin drugs. It explores these three shocking facts that are now emerging in the medical literature:

    1) People with high cholesterol tend to live longer

    2) People with heart disease tend to have low levels of cholesterol

    3) Cholesterol-lowering on a population level does not reduce the rate of heart disease

    Huh? But your doctor told you exactly the opposite, right? That’s because your doctor has been brainwashed or bribed by the drug companies that now generate $29 billion dollars a year from selling statin drugs.

    Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040233_Statin_Nation_cholesterol_drugs_movie_trailer.html#ixzz2SjJy7Axt

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