Plant sterols/stanols and LDL

[Perpetual Student]

What do the medical/dietary professionals here think about taking plant sterols and stanols (supplements) on a regular basis to lower HDL?
LINK
My understanding is the the current guidelines regarding LDL (<100 mg/dL) will soon be revised to <70 mg/dL, which would seem to make lowering LDL more imperative than was thought before. Would not taking these suppliments be safer than prescribed statins, given the adverse effects of statins?
LINK

 

[casebro]

PS, is it too late to edit your HDL to read LDL?

HDL (H is for Happy) is the cholesterol you want to raise.

 

[Perpetual Student]

PS, is it too late to edit your HDL to read LDL?

HDL (H is for Happy) is the cholesterol you want to raise.

Ah yes, thanks. I Think it is too late. You see I said LDL in the title and in the second question, which was my intention.

So, for the record my intention was to ask:

What do the medical/dietary professionals here think about taking plant sterols and stanols (supplements) on a regular basis to lower LDL?

 

[xjx388]

There's some question as to whether or not they contribute to atherosclerosis. They do reduce overall cholesterol, though. Overall? Meh.

 

[Perpetual Student]

There's some question as to whether or not they contribute to atherosclerosis. They do reduce overall cholesterol, though. Overall? Meh.

Are you saying they contribute to atherosclerosis? If so, that would seem to be in stark contradiction with this LINK from the AHA.

 

[Uncayimmy]

If you go to PubMed, the studies are right there showing the clear benefits. I'm not sure they have studied supplements specifically, though. I recall seeing them put it in spreads. There's a lot more evidence for it than there is for turmeric.

 

[casebro]

I'm trying cocoa powder, dried cranberries and black walnuts melted together in semi-sweet chocolate chips. Reminiscent of 'Chunky' blocks. You need the bitter cocoa, it has the most flavanols. One day I did feel supercharged, felt almost like jogging, while walking my dog. I'm usually dragging by that point of the day.

The flavanols are supposed to be good for blood pressure as well as mitochindria, both of which I have chronic probs with. But I don't know of any studies in humans, only rodents. So call me a rat, I'm trying it. Besides, it's the most delicious treatment I ever had, not counting the time I talked the nurse in to doing an erectile dysfunction test on me.

 

[xjx388]

The atherosclerosis debate is about supplementation; i.e. more than from the diet. Getting them from their natural sources is absolutely beneficial.

 

[John Jones]

I'm trying cocoa powder, dried cranberries and black walnuts melted together in semi-sweet chocolate chips. Reminiscent of 'Chunky' blocks. You need the bitter cocoa, it has the most flavanols. One day I did feel supercharged, felt almost like jogging, while walking my dog. I'm usually dragging by that point of the day.

The flavanols are supposed to be good for blood pressure as well as mitochindria, both of which I have chronic probs with. But I don't know of any studies in humans, only rodents. So call me a rat, I'm trying it. Besides, it's the most delicious treatment I ever had, not counting the time I talked the nurse in to doing an erectile dysfunction test on me.

Recipe, please?

 

[Perpetual Student]

The atherosclerosis debate is about supplementation; i.e. more than from the diet. Getting them from their natural sources is absolutely beneficial.

Do you have a source for that?

 

[Perpetual Student]

There's a lot more evidence for it than there is for turmeric.

WOW! The evidence must be indeed quite strong!

 

[xjx388]

Do you have a source for that?

Well, let me get home and I'll see if I can find the journal I read it in. Here's a quick link just as a quickie to get the gist.

 

[Uncayimmy]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19664384
A number of studies have raised the possibility of circulating plant sterols being a risk factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Evidence in support of this hypothesis comes mainly from observations in sitosterolemic patients, who hyperabsorb plant sterols and suffer premature atherosclerosis. Accordingly, the atherogenicity of plant sterols of dietary origin is currently under debate, in view of the widespread use of cholesterol-lowering functional foods enriched with these compounds. Although some reports have suggested the vascular perils of small increases in plasma plant sterol concentrations, other prospective and large population-based studies have indicated otherwise. Further, the potential risk of plant sterol-enriched foods may be counterbalanced by the notable reduction in plasma cholesterol. This review summarizes the current evidence on the possible impact of plant sterols as a risk factor for atherosclerosis.

Yawn.

 

[Uncayimmy]

Well, let me get home and I'll see if I can find the journal I read it in. Here's a quick link just as a quickie to get the gist.

On this board it works best if when you present something as fact that you cite the source at the same time, preferably by quoting the relevant passage and providing a link. If it's merely something you recall, then just say as much.

 

[casebro]

Recipe, please?

About equal amounts of nuts and cranberries, an amount of anydamn chocolate roughly equal to the total of nuts and berries, add bitter cocoa powder to taste/thicken. Melt it all together in a double boiler, spread on wax paper to cool, cut before real hard into 'candy bars'. Or make individual 'cookies' on the paper.

Or use a fudge recipe? But being diabetic, less sugar is better for me.

"Dutched" cocoa, or "alkali processed" has much less of the flavanols, hence the bitter cocoa powder. If it doesn't say dutch or 'prcessed w/". it is the good stuff. I do like bitter chocolate anyhow, but the berries seem to moderate the bitterness. Everybody loves them.

I don't know where 'plant sterols and stanols ' overlap with 'flavanols'. But I figure I've eaten enough meat and potatoes that I could possibly put more of the good stuff to use.

 

[Perpetual Student]

Well, let me get home and I'll see if I can find the journal I read it in. Here's a quick link just as a quickie to get the gist.

I have no expertise in this area, which is why I am asking these questions here. Nevertheless, my interpretation of the link you provided is that it seems that only people who hyper-absorb plant sterols have a problem with atherosclerosis. I would be interested to learn if there is a more generalized risk for people with ordinary absorption. Perhaps your search at home will shed some light on this question.
My LDL levels seem to be slightly too high (HDL levels are good); consequently a physician has suggested that I might consider taking prescribed statins. I am researching this matter to determine if plant sterols/stanols (supplements) mighty be a better approach.

 

[xjx388]

Here's one:
Food supplementation with PSE impairs endothelial function, aggravates ischemic brain injury, effects atherogenesis in mice, and leads to increased tissue sterol concentrations in humans.

The place I heard this from was not a journal, but a Cardiologist friend. He mentioned that fish oil was beneficial and plant sterols were, but he'd rather recommend the former because of the unknowns with sterols and atherosclerosis.

What are your concerns with statins? Have you considered fish oil?

 

[casebro]

Here's one:
Food supplementation with PSE impairs endothelial function, aggravates ischemic brain injury, effects atherogenesis in mice, and leads to increased tissue sterol concentrations in humans.

Throw out most of that 'study', it was done on mice. Special breed of mice, with a lipid irregularity. Fed a diet with 2% PSE, a huge amount. Equal to maybe 10 grams /day for adult humans?

And, the human part, "Patients eating PSE-supplemented margarine (n = 10) showed increased plasma concentrations and 5-fold higher sterol concentrations in aortic valve tissue."

And it doesn't say that the "5-fold higher sterol concentrations in aortic valve tissue." was a bad thing.

 

[Perpetual Student]

Here's one:
Food supplementation with PSE impairs endothelial function, aggravates ischemic brain injury, effects atherogenesis in mice, and leads to increased tissue sterol concentrations in humans.

The place I heard this from was not a journal, but a Cardiologist friend. He mentioned that fish oil was beneficial and plant sterols were, but he'd rather recommend the former because of the unknowns with sterols and atherosclerosis.

What are your concerns with statins? Have you considered fish oil?

Thanks. My concerns were the adverse effects discussed in the link in my OP.
Any thoughts about this (LINK)?

 

[Perpetual Student]

Throw out most of that 'study', it was done on mice. Special breed of mice, with a lipid irregularity. Fed a diet with 2% PSE, a huge amount. Equal to maybe 10 grams /day for adult humans?

And, the human part, "Patients eating PSE-supplemented margarine (n = 10) showed increased plasma concentrations and 5-fold higher sterol concentrations in aortic valve tissue."

And it doesn't say that the "5-fold higher sterol concentrations in aortic valve tissue." was a bad thing.

Good points. I would also like to know the consequences of "5-fold higher sterol concentrations in aortic valve tissue."