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Application of Phytosterols in feed: promote growth, reduce cholesterol, antioxidant......

Phytosterols are known as the "key to life" by scientists, and are strongly recommended by world

Heart Organization, American Heart Association, British Heart Foundation, German Society of 

Nutrition Medicine and Food Therapy, Australian Heart Society and other world authorities; It is 

recognized and used in food in 47 countries around the world.

1.What are phytosterols

Phytosterols are naturally occurring compounds with a structure similar to cholesterol in plants 

and are widely found in vegetable oils, nuts and plant seeds.

In appearance, phytosterols and cholesterol are much like long-lost twin brothers. Phytosterol

flows into the plant kingdom and cholesterol flows into the animal kingdom.

Phytosterols tend to have more horns (red) or double bonds (blue) than cholesterol.

Because the structure of plant sterols and cholesterol is very similar, so in the metabolic process 

will form a competitive relationship, but plant sterols hydrophobicity is better, so in the competition

is always more advantageous, occupy the metabolic system first, and the cholesterol is crowded out.

For example, for cholesterol to be absorbed, it must use a carrier, a micromicelle, and then pass

through a transporter on the small intestine wall to enter the small intestinal villi epithelial cells. 

However, plant sterols are more likely to grab the micromicelles, and cholesterol cannot be absorbed 

without the help of carriers, and eventually can only be excreted as is.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that although plant sterols will be competitive with cholesterol 

absorption, but basically do not participate in the next step of metabolism, its absorption rate in the 

human gastrointestinal tract is very low, less than 5% (cholesterol absorption rate of up to 40%), the 

absorbed sterols are converted into bile acid discharge, the remaining unabsorbed plant sterols will 

also be excreted with feces.

The main food source of phytosterols

Plant sterols are contained in all kinds of plant foods, among which plant sterols are relatively high 

in vegetable oil, beans and cereals, and relatively low in vegetables and fruits.

2.How to obtain phytosterols?

Our body can not synthesize phytosterols, only from food intake. Unfortunately, the absorption rate

of plant sterols in the diet is very low, only about 5%, while the absorption rate of cholesterol is more

than 40%. The amount of plant sterols we consume through food every day is simply not enough to

achieve an effective dose.

Therefore, to increase the intake of plant sterols through functional foods rich in plant sterols is the 

best choice to quickly supplement plant sterols.

Many countries are actively developing phytosterols as dietary supplements, or as functional ingredients 

added to vegetable cream, milk, yogurt, spread, salad dressings and other foods.