Friday 28 January 2011

Stanol or Stenal ester?

The first time many of us heard of plant sterols and plant stanol esters, and their ability to help decrease total and LDL cholesterol levels, was in a margarine commercial. Brands like Benecol and Take Control hit the market by storm a few years ago—and their message came through loud and clear. But here’s the thing: many foods are natural sources of these same phytochemicals. You can find plant sterols and stanol esters in plant foods like these:
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Legumes
  • Rye bread
  • Whole wheat (in the wheat bran and wheat germ)
  • Sunflower and sesame seeds
  • Almonds
  • Cashews
  • Macadamia
  • Peanuts
  • Canola oil
  • Corn oil
  • Olive oil
And here’s a health benefit :  some evidence shows that they can help reduce the risk of certain cancers, including breast and prostate. How ever stenal ester does not pass through the gut and gets absorbed by the blood stream some research suggest that this actually increase the risk of hart disease and until proven otherwise is best avoided.
Stanols start out as stenal but are hydrogenated and become stanols which are not absorbed into the blood stream .

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