Latest Research: Plant-Derived Phytosterols Shown to Improve Age-Related Metabolic Disorder

Highlights

• A review of 14 gold standard studies shows that phytosterol supplementation modestly reduces blood glucose levels by approximately 2%.
• Phytosterol supplementation also lowers blood pressure by about 3% to 5%.
• Importantly, phytosterol supplementation reduces a type of fat found in the bloodstream, triglycerides, by 19% to 24%.

Phytosterols are compounds derived from plants, found in high concentrations in foods such as nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. They have a molecular structure similar to cholesterol, and intriguingly, supplementing with about 2 grams per day of phytosterols is associated with an 8% to 10% reduction in harmful LDL cholesterol. However, the effects of phytosterols on multiple factors related to metabolic syndrome, which affects nearly 50% of people over 60, have received scant attention. These factors include things like blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood fat profiles.

Now, as published in Diabetology and Metabolic Syndrome, Amirkhosravi and colleagues from Kerman University of Medical Sciences in Iran share a review of randomized clinical trials, gold standard studies in assessing causation, showing that phytosterol supplementation improves parameters of metabolic syndrome. Accordingly, their review showed that phytosterol supplementation modestly reduced blood glucose by approximately 2% and blood pressure by about 3% to 5%. Moreover, the studies analyzed showed that phytosterol supplementation significantly reduced blood triglycerides by 19% to 24%. These findings provide evidence that phytosterols collectively improve multiple facets of metabolic syndrome.

Some Background on Metabolic Syndrome

The high prevalence of metabolic syndrome is concerning because having this condition increases the risk of several age-related ailments, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Symptoms of metabolic syndrome include obesity, high blood pressure, high blood glucose, low beneficial HDL cholesterol, and high triglycerides. To counter metabolic syndrome, doctors typically recommend a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and weight loss, often bolstered with medications to manage blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.

Phytosterols Improve Multiple Aspects of Metabolic Syndrome

Several studies have examined the effects of phytosterol supplementation on single aspects of metabolic syndrome. However, to date, no comprehensive review of studies has been performed assessing phytosterols’ collective effects on multiple facets of metabolic syndrome. For this reason, Amirkhosravi and colleagues reviewed some 4,687 studies on how phytosterols affect aspects of metabolic syndrome. The researchers pared these studies down to 14 informative randomized clinical trials, based on their assessed lack of potential bias.

Phytosterols Modestly Reduce Blood Glucose

To break down the effects of phytosterol supplementation on fasting blood glucose, a key facet of metabolic syndrome, the researchers assessed reported blood glucose before and after the phytosterol intervention in six of the 14 studies. In three of these six studies, a significant reduction in blood glucose was observed, and overall, a combined analysis of the studies showed that phytosterols modestly reduce fasting blood glucose by approximately 2%. This result shows that phytosterol supplementation modestly lowers blood glucose.

Phytosterols Modestly Lower Blood Pressure

To assess phytosterols’ effects on another facet of metabolic syndrome, the researchers identified eight studies examining how phytosterol supplementation affects blood pressure. In seven of these eight studies, phytosterol supplementation significantly lowered a key measure of blood pressure, systolic blood pressure (pressure in the arteries when the heart pumps blood). Combining the blood pressure readings across the eight studies showed that phytosterol supplementation reduced blood pressure by about 3% to 5%. This finding shows that phytosterol supplementation may work to modestly counteract yet another aspect of metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure.

Phytosterols Significantly Lower Blood Triglycerides

To evaluate another important aspect of metabolic syndrome, blood triglyceride levels, the researchers turned to 14 of the studies, all reporting phytosterols’ effects on triglyceride levels. Among these studies, seven reported that phytosterols significantly lower triglycerides. When the results from all 14 of the studies were pooled together, the researchers uncovered that phytosterol supplementation lowers blood triglycerides by 19% to 24%. This finding lends support to the notion that phytosterol supplementation significantly counteracts an important facet of metabolic syndrome, high triglyceride levels.

Supplementing with about 2 g of Phytosterols Daily

The average serving of phytosterol-rich foods contains approximately 150 to 250 mg of phytosterols. Moreover, research suggests that supplementing wth 2 grams or more per day for a duration of eight weeks or longer has the greatest effects on aspects of metabolic syndrome, like high triglycerides.

As such, the most efficient way to ensure getting sufficient quantities of phytosterols to counteract aspects of metabolic syndrome may be to supplement with phytosterols in tablet form, as opposed to getting them from dietary sources. Accordingly, a month’s supply of phytosterol supplements is available for about $40. Moreover, the specific amount of phytosterols contained in supplements varies, so it is essential to read the product label to determine the exact amount of phytosterols per serving.

Metabolic syndrome is reversible through adhering to sustained lifestyle changes, with steps like losing weight, eating more plant-based foods, and maintaining an exercise routine. In addition to these lifestyle changes, supplementing with phytosterols may serve as a way to prevent or reverse metabolic syndrome.

Further human studies, assessing key facets of metabolic syndrome, like blood glucose, blood pressure, triglycerides, and waist circumference, are necessary to confirm that phytosterol supplementation has effects in collectively alleviating multiple aspects of metabolic syndrome. The cumulative review of studies from Amirkhosravi and colleagues, however, suggests that phytosterol supplementation may indeed work against multiple aspects of this prevalent condition. If phytosterol supplementation fights metabolic syndrome, it may also alleviate age-related conditions that metabolic syndrome increases the risk for, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.