Phytosterols—or plant sterols—are popping up everywhere on supermarket shelves. They’re being added to orange juices, margarines, yogurt and even chocolate. This comes as a result of more than 140 studies showing that plant sterols can significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels. Plant sterols occur naturally in a variety of foods such as fruits, vegetables, grain products, vegetable oils, and nuts like pistachios. Although most feeding trials use high doses of more than 2 grams of phytosterols a day, studies have shown beneficial effects of reduced cholesterol absorption at lower levels, similar to the levels found in plant-based diets with pistachios.¹

How do Phytosterols Function?

Due to their similarity in structure to that of cholesterol, it is believed that phytosterols “block” dietary cholesterol absorption in the body. Consuming phytosterols can reduce cholesterol absorption by 30-40%.^{2, 3} According to a recent meta-analysis 2-2.5g of phytosterols daily is associated with 10% reduction in LDL cholesterol levels.⁴

Phytosterols + Nuts

A recent report on the phytosterol composition of nuts and seeds reported that among tree nuts, pistachios offer the richest source of phytosterols. The phytosterol content of nuts (mg/100 g) is: pistachios, 280; almonds, 187; Brazil nuts, 95; cashews, 138; hazelnuts, 120; macadamias, 198; pecans, 150; pine nuts, 198; walnuts, 113. ^5,6

FDA-Approved

Plant sterols are part of a FDA approved health claim which states:

“Foods containing at least 0.65 gram per serving of vegetable oil sterol esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 1.3 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

The National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines also include plant sterols recommending two to three grams of plant sterols daily to help lower LDL cholesterol levels. Pistachios are a great nut choice to help you meet these quantities of plant sterols.

References

1. Ostlund, RE Jr., Racette, SB, & Stenson, WF (2002). Effects of trace components of dietary fat on cholesterol metabolism: phytosterols, oxysterols, and squalene. Nutr Rev, 60(11), 349-359. 2006 Food Research, Inc. 14.↑
2. Poteau EB, Monnard IE, Piguet-Weisch C, Groux MJ, Sagalowicz L, Berger A. Non-esterfied plant sterols solubilized in low fat milks inhibit cholesterol absorption-a stable isotope double-blind crossover study. Eur J Nutr 2003 June, 42(3):154-64.↑
3. Normen L, Dutta P, Lia A, Andersson H. Soy sterol esters and beta-sitostanol ester as inhibitors of cholesterol absorption in human small bowel. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 April;71(4)908-13.↑
4. Katan MB, Grund SM, Jones P, Law M, Miettinen T, Paoletti R. Efficacy and safety of plant stanols and sterols in the management of blood cholesterol levels. Mayo Clin Proc 2003 August; 78(8)965-78.↑
5. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. (2007). USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18. Beltsville, MD: USDA Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory.↑
6. Phillips KM, Ruggio DM, Ashraf-Khorassani M. Phytosterol composition of nuts and seeds commonly consumed in the United States. J Agric Food Chem. 2005; 53:9436-9445.↑