Plant sterols (phytosterol), referred to as "phytol", is a vegetable fat, animal fat it - cholesterol structure is very similar, but contains an additional ethyl group in the side chain.
Plant sterols are a free state or a combination of fatty acids and sugars, such as the existence of a state of functional ingredients, widely present in the cell membrane of vegetables, fruits and other plants, the main component of β- sitosterol, stigmasterol, rapeseed rapeseed sterol and sterol-1 2, referred to as plant sterols. This is a plant sterol Unsaponifiables (or alkaline substance) vegetable oils and fats, are byproducts of soybean and canola seeds sediment son as raw material extraction of vitamin E during the manufacturing industry, or non-manufacturing rice bran oil from the saponified, was extracted and refined products obtained.
Plant sterols is an active ingredient in the plant, there are many benefits to human health. The study found that plant sterols have lower blood cholesterol, prevention and treatment of prostatic hypertrophy, inhibition of tumor, breast hyperplasia and regulation of immune suppression effects. Domestic and international studies have shown that plant sterols compete with cholesterol in the intestine to reduce cholesterol absorption, effectively reducing blood of patients with hyperlipidemia in the "bad" cholesterol, without affecting blood "good" Cholesterol, high blood lipids in patients with good lipid-lowering effect. Plant sterols are a naturally occurring compound in plants, it can prevent the intestinal absorption of cholesterol. Studies have shown that people who regularly eat vegetable protein than the control group, the mean cholesterol decreased by 12%. It can block the absorption of cholesterol in the food; reducing the reabsorption of cholesterol from the liver itself. After the plant sterols into the body, can be more absorbed by the intestine, thereby reducing cholesterol, inhibit cancer cell differentiation not only stimulate cell death, is also good for the prevention of heart disease.