Dietary cholesterol, β-sitosterol, and stigmasterol

Abstract

Cholesterol and fat are implicated as dietary factors enhancing the risk for colon carcinogenesis. Plant sterols such as beta-sitosterol when added to diets of experimental animals treated with colon carcinogens reduce tumor yields and counteract the proliferative changes associated with carcinogenesis. The question of whether the diet of human populations at low risk for colon cancer is mirrored in their sterol composition is addressed in this study. Four study groups consisting of 18 Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) pure vegetarians, 50 SDA lacto-ovo vegetarians, 50 SDA nonvegetarians, and 50 general population nonvegetarians were selected from the greater Los Angeles basin, and 3-day composite diets were analyzed for their sterol composition. The most significant index of dietary sterol status is the ratio, beta-sitosterol + stigmasterol/cholesterol (plant sterol/cholesterol ratio). The values for the four groups ranged from 0.49 to 16.0 (general population nonvegetarians = 0.49; SDA-nonvegetarians = 0.98; SDA lacto-ovo vegetarians = 3.26; SDA pure vegetarians = 16.0). The data also show that the absolute amounts of cholesterol consumed as a factor by itself might not be as significant as its relationship to total plant sterols in the diet.

The effects of phytosterols present in natural food matrices on cholesterol metabolism and LDL-cholesterol: a controlled feeding trial

“…Our results suggest that phytosterols are bioactive in their natural food matrices and in amounts (around 500 mg/day) that can be readily achieved in the diet without supplementation (Nair et al 1984, Ostlund 2002, Racette et al 2009). We could not attribute the cholesterol metabolic differences to differences in macronutrients, cholesterol, fat quality, vitamins or minerals.…”

Diversity of Sterol Composition in Tunisian Pistacia lentiscus Seed Oil

“…The health benefits of β ‐sitosterol have recently been reported in several studies which refer mainly to cholesterol levels being reduced due to the inhibition of absorption in the intestinal tract. Several studies have shown that consuming β ‐sitosterol inhibits the development of chemically induced cancers, such as colon, prostate and breast cancers . Furthermore, phytosterols, especially β ‐sitosterol, exhibit significant anti‐inflammatory effects .…”

Plant Sterols as Anticancer Nutrients: Evidence for Their Role in Breast Cancer

“…Similarly, case-control work by De Stefani [41] assessing the effects of PS on stomach cancer risk showed an odds ratio of 0.33 (95% CI 0.17–0.65) among those with the highest PS intake. Populations such as Seventh Day Adventists, who have a lower cancer risk that that of the general population, have likewise been found to have greater intakes of PS [42]. While limited, epidemiological data suggests a correlation between plant sterol intake and a reduction in cancer risk.…”