EC Nutrition

Phytosterols (PS) are triterpenes with a very similar chemical structure to cholesterol, which stabilize phospholipid bilayers in plant cell membranes [1]. PS can be occurred in saturated form (which is called phytostanols) or in unsaturated form. Human cannot synthesize them, therefore, the PS are available orally from vegetables, plant oils, plant extracts, or plant origin supplements such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, grain products, fruits and vegetables [2]. The intake of naturally occurring PS from the general diet is about 200 - 400 mg/d [3], and the daily intake of phytostanols is about 30 - 50 mg/day [4].