Abstract
Phytosterols are important micronutrients in human diets. Evidence has shown that phytosterols play an essential role in the reduction of cholesterol in blood and therefore decrease cardiovascular morbidity. In this study, the content and composition of phytosterols in different kinds of vegetable oils were analyzed, and the total phytosterol intake and contribution of foods to intake were estimated based on consumption data. The results showed that the phytosterol contents of rice bran oil, corn oil, and rapeseed oil were higher than those of other vegetable oils and the intake of phytosterol in the Chinese diet was about 392.3 mg/day. The main sources of phytosterols were edible vegetable oils (46.3%), followed by cereals (38.9%), vegetables (9.2%), nuts (2.0%), fruits (1.5%), beans and bean products (1.4%), and tubers (0.8%). Among all vegetable oils, rapeseed oil was the main individual contributor to phytosterol intake (22.9%), especially for the southern residents of China.
Highlights
Phytosterols are plant-derived sterols that have similar physiological functions with cholesterol in vertebrate animals [1,2]
This study used the database containing the contents of phytosterols (β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitostanol, and campestanol) in the plant source foods commonly consumed in China
Because phytosterols exist in many foods and the contents of phytosterols vary with food groups, the variations in food patterns may influence the total intake of phytosterol [20]
Summary
Phytosterols are plant-derived sterols that have similar physiological functions with cholesterol in vertebrate animals [1,2]. ∆5-avenasterol are the main phytosterols in plants [4]. Phytosterols exist in different forms in plants, including free or esterified with fatty acids, steryl glycosides, and acylated glycosides [5]. Phytosterols have attracted increasing interest due to their hypocholesterolemic capacity and potential contribution to a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases [6,7]. Previous studies have indicated that phytosterols could decrease cardiovascular morbidity by reducing cholesterol absorption through different mechanisms, which play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of dementia via the pathway [8,9].
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