Do Phytoserols Lower Cholesterol?

You may already realize that there are many ways you can lower your LDL or bad cholesterol levels, so do phytoserols lower cholesterol and exactly what are they? Phytoserols are both sterols and stanols, plant compounds that occur naturally in our green, leafy friends as well as the delicious fruits that abound throughout the world, but are found more commonly as a food additive that has been shown to lower cholesterol.

Phytoserols occur abundantly and naturally in vegetable oils, and nuts. They also occur in fruits and cereal grains, but in smaller amounts. These substances do considerably lower cholesterol by increasing the bulk fiber in your colon and encouraging the liver to make more LDL receptor sites. These receptor sites then absorb LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) so that your blood lipids levels stay healthy. Essentially phytoserols are similar in structure to regular cholesterol. They also disallow the intestines to absorb cholesterol as readily, so it cannot recirculate in the blood, and this causes more good cholesterol to be made, (HDL cholesterol) or the kind that helps to reduce the LDL circulating in the blood.

How do phytoserols lower cholesterol? You can take phytoserols in supplements or you can eat them in a regular diet in order to receive their benefits. You can start to lower LDL cholesterol with as few as 150 mg a day. Just a few fruits and vegetables added to your daily diet will suffice to reach the recommended 150 mg, but it never hurts to add more, as phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables are great for keeping your weight regulated and your blood sugar levels even. These are compounded positive benefits from getting your phytoserols from a natural food source. If you just know that there is no way that you will consume enough carrots, kale, apples, oranges, mangoes, bananas, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, spinach, collard greens, etc. during a regular week, then you should opt for a supplement instead. Do phytoserols lower cholesterol? Absolutely, so add them in large amounts.

As with any other cholesterol lowering regime, it is helpful to add other habits besides just increasing your phytoserol intake. Be sure to exercise daily, eat lean meats (fish and chicken instead of red meats), nuts, and Olive Oil (rich in Omega 3 which has shown to reduce LDL and increase HDL cholesterol), and try to lower your daily stress levels. These additional lifestyle choices will ensure that your cholesterol numbers start to look really good the next time you visit your doctor or ask do phytoserols lower cholesterol.