Plant Compounds Promote Cardiovascular Health

Phytosterols (plant sterols) are a naturally occurring plant compound, and previous studies have suggested these phytochemicals may exert cholesterol-lowering effects.  T.E. Sialvera, from Agricultural University of Athens (Greece), and colleagues enrolled 108 people with metabolic syndrome, ages 30 to 65 years with average BMIs of 29 kg/m2. Subjects consumed yogurt-based beverages, either with or without added sterols, daily for a two-month period. The daily sterol dose was 4 grams, and participants continued to eat their normal diet.  The team found that the subjects who consumed the sterol-enriched beverage demonstrated a 20% reduction in LDL cholesterol, 16% drop in total cholesterol, and a 19% decline in triglyceride levels, as compared to those in the control group.  As well, participants in the sterol group experienced a significant decrease in levels of apolipoprotein B (Apo B) of 7%, compared with no change in the controls. As the main apolipoprotein of LDL cholesterol, ApoB is responsible for the transport of cholesterol to tissues; in high concentrations it has been linked to plaque formation in the blood vessels. The researchers conclude that: “Phytosterol supplementation improves risk factors of coronary artery disease even if the diet is a westernized type.”