Plant sterols for heart health. . .
One way to improve heart health and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol is to include plant sterols as part of your everyday diet. Plant sterols, also called phytosterols, actively remove cholesterol from the body by blocking cholesterol absorption in the intestine.
Eating 2 grams of plant sterols each day will on average reduce your LDL cholesterol 10%.
Plant sterols occur naturally in foods at low levels, so some foods (such as margarines, mayonnaise, and dairy based drinks) have been fortified. Here are some options you can use to increase your plant sterol intake and promote a healthy heart!
Avocados, 1 small 0.13 grams
Corn Oil, 1 tablespoon 0.13 grams
Sunflower Seeds, 1/4 cup 0.19 grams
Oat Bar with plant sterols, 1 bar 0.4 grams
Orange Juice with plant sterols 1.0 gram
Vegetable oil spread with plant sterols, 1 tablespoon 1.0 gram
Fruit & yogurt flavored minidrink with plant sterols, 3 oz. bottle 2.0 grams
If you like this health tip, subscribe to The Heart of Health to receive bi-weekly heart health and weight loss tips from dietitian Lisa Nelson.
Wow! I had no idea that plant sterols were good for your health. Thanks for sharing the info!
Some other good sources of plant sterols–Gourmet Nutrition Bars with 1g of plant sterols and Extra-Virgin Olive Oil with Add Plant Sterols (500mg per tablespoon). Both are great tasting and can be found at http://www.kardeanutrition.com. Also, lots of other information on natural cholesterol management.