Description:
Beta Sitosterol 60c by Pharmax are essential components of cell membranes and both animals and plants produce them. Cholesterol is exclusively an animal sterol and the three major plant sterols are campesterol, stigmasterol and especially beta sitosterol. It is now well recognized scientifically that ingestion of plant sterols has a serum cholesterol lowering effect. They do this by reducing the absorption of cholesterol from the gut by competing for the limited space for cholesterol in mixed micelles. This competition for absorption affects both dietary and endogenous cholesterol. In fact, plant sterols are similarly artherogenic to cholesterol but do not manifest an effect because their own absorption is so inefficient (see below). Plant stanols are similar to plant sterols but are saturated, have greater cholesterol lowering effects and are only found in low amounts in food. The optimum intake to elicit maximum cholesterol lowering effect is about 2 grams per day. Undoubtedly, increasing plant sterol intake is the most effective dietary mechanism for rapidly lowering LDL and total cholesterol levels. In a recent analysis of 16 published human trials involving 590 subjects, an average 10% reduction of total cholesterol and 13% reduction in LDL was found, with an average intake of phytosterols of 2 grams per day (Moghadasiar & Frolich, 2000). Additionally, phytosterol intake does not interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins or carotenoids. The Pharmax Beta Sitosterol product is a highly physicallybioavailable form of beta sitosterol, produced by our unique patented emulsification and freeze drying technology.