Are There Extra Health Benefits?
- Although Phytosterols are used for performance enhancement by strength and endurance athletes they are none the less largely derived from plant cell membranes are well-documented in helping to reduce blood cholesterol levels, particularly the ‘bad’ cholesterols. Because phytosterols have similar chemical structures to our own naturally produced cholesterols, they compete to absorb cholesterol in the digestive system helping to lower blood cholesterol levels. Studies propose that phytosterols can help in the removal of cholesterol during the excretory process.
- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has even approved a health claim on phytosterols, which states: “Foods containing at least 0.65 gram per serving of vegetable oil plant sterol esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 1.3 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”