How small amounts of certain foods can reduce cholesterol

Plant sterols occur naturally in a host of foods—primarily soybean oil, nuts, seeds, legumes and some fruits and vegetables. Because plant sterols are chemically similar to cholesterol, the human body tends to absorb them and pass cholesterol out of the body as waste. The net result is that consuming foods rich in plant sterols can reduce the body’s blood cholesterol levels. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows food companies to declare the heart benefits of plant sterols on product packaging.

What are plant sterols? - Plant sterols are compounds found naturally in everyday foods like vegetables oils, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. They have a chemical structure similar to cholesterol. U.S. diets containing these foods provide 140–400 milligrams of plant sterols per day.

How effective are plant sterols at lowering LDL cholesterol? - Numerous studies have concluded that consuming at least 2 g of plant sterols a day is associated with an average 10% reduction in LDL cholesterol.

How do plant sterols lower cholesterol? - Because plant sterols have a similar chemical structure to cholesterol, they block the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine.

Upside of Eating Fat

Yes, you can eat fat.

New research has turned this nutritional nemesis into a must-eat. Think you have to go low fat? Not anymore!

For decades, fat got a bad reputation because scientists assumed, based on the misinterpretation of a couple of large studies, that eating foods containing fat would lead directly to obesity and heart disease. That fatty foods were made out to be our dietary vice, responsible for raising our cholesterol levels, clogging our arteries, and getting us fat. That gets to us thinking that the fat we consume wind up as the fat that we see on our butt and things.

Experts are getting off the “fat is evil” bandwagon – and we should, too – saying that the low-fat diet has backfired. According to Frank Hu, MD, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health “America’s obesity epidemic skyrocketed even while our fat intake went down.”

The Upside of Eating Fat 

Fat is an essential nutrient, just like carbohydrates and protein. Our body requires fat for the following key functions:

• absorbing the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
• fat is an important energy source
• fat is vital for keeping our skin and hair healthy and smooth 

Research is revealing that eating the right fats can actually lower our risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, and improve our cholesterol level. Isn’t that surprising!