LDL cholesterol and plant sterols

A paper came out in Science this week showing that the LDL cholesterol receptor is a major player in determining LDL cholesterol levels in the body: Read the abstract here.  Inhibition of this receptor in the intestine by plant sterols dramatically lowers cholesterol, but an excess of plant sterols in the blood can inhibit LDL uptake into the  liver, raising LDL blood levels.  Therefore, a diet high in vegetables should be central to any LDL-lowering diet, but supplementing with phytonutrient concentrates (powders, liquids) could hypothetically increase cardiovascular disease risk relative to raw plant consumption (salad and cooked vegetables).

Comments

[Sports Nutrition India]

I've being researching about Nutrition & Health Diet and reading your blog, I found your post very helpful :) . I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog!

[Jason]

Thanks for the heads up on this. I understand that it can be hard to get the right stuff to treat high blood pressure and stuff. Thanks again!