In continuing my search for ways to lower my high cholesterol naturally, I came upon the term phytosterols or plant sterols. Phytosterols occur naturally in plants (go figure) and have cholesterol lowering qualities.
According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, "numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that daily consumption of foods enriched with at least 0.8 g of plant sterols or stanols lowers serum LDL cholesterol. This is great news as it looks like adding phytosterols to your diet has the possibility of lowering LDL cholesterol 15 percent!
Naturally occurring phytosterols are found in peas and beans, nuts and seeds, and fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains.
I have compiled a list of foods I've found that have added plant sterols in them:
- spreads: Benecol and Take Control
- beverages: Minute Maid Heart Wise and Rice Dream Heartwise
- snacks: such as Nature Valley Healthy Heart Chewy Granola Bars
I haven't had much luck here locally finding the beverages and snacks. I did get the spread and have used it on my veggies and rolls. As with everything, you need to keep total calories consumed in mind. But it's a start.
Related posts:
if you are looking for a great tasting bar with 1g of plant sterols (the NIH recommends 2g per day for cholesterol management) coupled with cholesterol-lowering fibers (oats and psyllium), try the Kardea Gourmet Nutrition bars. Free samples can be obtained by emailing a mailing address to customerservice@kardeanutrition.com Kardea – Heart Healthy & Inspired.