What
many people don’t realize is that choosing the
right cooking oil can also have an important
impact on heart health. When it comes to choosing food, most
people think grains, vegetables and fruit can
help control their cholesterol levels.
In addition to containing polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated fats, which may help lower
cholesterol, cooking oils contain plant sterols,
which can help reduce the body’s absorption
of cholesterol. This, in turn, can lower LDL
cholesterol.
But not all cooking oils are created equal. Corn oil
contains the highest amount of naturally occurring plant sterols
per serving compared to any other cooking oil – four times
as many plant sterols as olive oil and 40 percent more than
canola oil.
What are plant sterols?
Plant sterols, also known as phytosterols, are plant-based
micro-nutrients naturally present in fruits, vegetables, nuts,
seeds, cereals, legumes and vegetable oils.
How do plant sterols work?
Plant sterols are chemically similar to cholesterol and, due
to this nearly identical structure, plant sterols compete with
cholesterol for absorption.
Clinical studies indicate that, when consumed as part of a
diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, plant sterols can help
reduce the body’s absorption of cholesterol, which, in turn,
can lower LDL blood cholesterol.
How many plant sterols do you need?
To get the maximum cholesterol-lowering benefits, experts
recommend consuming between 1,500 – 3,000 mg of plant
sterols per day. Most Americans get approximately 250 mg
of plant sterols per day from the foods they consume.
Cholesterol is keeping us up at night – nearly 60 percent
of Americans worry about it. There may be reason to,
as approximately 79 million Americans suffer from heart
and blood vessel diseases; high cholesterol is one of the major
risk factors leading to heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
