Plant Sterols or Plant Sterol Esters: Count Correctly!

Here at Kardea, we use natural plant sterol esters that combine the free plant sterol found in soy bean with a safflower oil. Sterol esters are considerably more expensive than the plant sterols, but much of the research in regard to the efficacy of sterols to consistently lower total and LDL cholesterol without adversely lowering HDL (good) cholesterol was based on the sterol ester.

The FDA first approved the sterol heart health claim only for the plant sterol ester. In this claim, the FDA defines that individuals should consume 1.3 grams/day of plant sterol esters to have a meaningful effect on heart health. To make this claim, food manufacturers are required to incorporate at least .65 grams of plant sterol esters into each serving as listed on the nutritional statement. Generally, sterol esters contain about 60% free sterols.

Since then, the FDA has allowed the claims for the free plant sterol. Under this claim, the FDA targets .8 grams of plant sterols per day with each serving containing .4 grams.

Looking beyond the FDA health claims, the National Cholesterol Education Program of the NIH, along with the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, recommends daily consumption of 2 grams/day of plant sterols.

For those of us utilizing a natural and nutritional approach for cholesterol management, we must make certain that we are counting our sterol intake correctly. Kardea seeks to make this as clear as possible. We provide you with the numbers for the free sterol content in our products. For example, our bars contain 1 gram of plant sterols, and we utilize a significantly greater amount of plant sterol esters to reach this level. So, you need two bars per day to reach the NCEP recommendation.

Alternatively, a bar and two tablespoons of our sterol-fortified olive oil will achieve the same results. For recipes using Kardea olive oil with other heart healthy foods, visit www.kardeagourmet.com.

Other products might fit into your lifestyle. If you are a chip snacker, you might try the natural products at Corazonas Foods. One serving contains .4 grams of the sterols. For products containing non-natural ingredients, try Proactiv Supershots and their margerine-like spreads. Lots of other products are available.

There also are plant sterol supplements on the market. Different brands deliver different levels of sterols. Count correctly!