Juice with Added Plant Sterols Helps Lower Cholesterol

Plant sterols found in some fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are thought to block the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine. When cholesterol is not absorbed, it is eliminated from the body. This can help reduce the blood level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, a harmful form of cholesterol.

Scientists have known for some time that plant sterols added to fat-based products can reduce low-density lipoprotein, or "bad LDL cholesterol" levels. But no one knew whether they would also provide this benefit when added to a low-fat liquid like orange juice.

Studies conducted by scientists at the University of California Davis Medical Center found that participants with normal to borderline high total cholesterol who drank two 8-fluid-ounce servings of orange juice containing 1.0 gram of plant sterols per ounce serving daily with meals for eight weeks significantly lowered their LDL cholesterol.

About Plant Sterols & Heart Disease
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), foods containing at least 0.4 grams per serving of plant sterols, consumed twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 0.8 grams as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Plant Sterol-Fortified Orange Juice Effectively Lowers Cholesterol Level in Mildly Hypercholesterolemic Healthy Individuals. Devaraj S, Jialal I, and Vega-Lopez S. Arterio. Throm. Vasc. Bio. 2004;24:25e-28.

For information about research exploring a potential relationship between plant sterols and CRP (C-reactive protein), click here.