| Review [The mechanisms of blood LDL-cholesterol lowering by phytosterols--a review] 2007
Włodarek D. · Katedra Dietetyki, Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego w Warszawie, 02-776 Warszawa. · Rocz Panstw Zakl Hig. · Pubmed #17711090 No free full text.
Abstract: Daily cholesterol consumption in western countries reaches as much as 400 mg. According to the health recommendations the daily intake should not exceed 300 mg and in the case of people with cardiovascular disease it should be less than 200 mg. For 50 years it is known that phytosterols can decrease the level of cholesterol in blood. One of the mechanisms is based on the fact that phytosterols stop absorption of cholesterol in digestive tract, which results in the decrease of the concentration of cholesterol in blood. The second mechanism is based on the fact that cholesterol is pumped back out of enterocytes into the lumen of small intestine by ABC transporter and phytosterols increase this process. The above merftioned mechanisms are different than the way statins can lower cholesterol level and they are commonly used as hipocholesterolemic medicine. Because different mechanisms are implemented both statins and fitosterols can be used in therapy of hipercholeserolemia. The people taking statins who still have increased level of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in blood can include phytosterols in their diet what can lead to the decrease of its level.
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