Nutrition and Health Sciences, Department of
Document Type
Article
Date of this Version
2017
Citation
Prev. Nutr. Food Sci. 2017;22(2):67-80
https://doi.org/10.3746/pnf.2017.22.2.67
Abstract
Cholesterol is a vital component of the human body. It stabilizes cell membranes and is the precursor of bile acids, vitamin D and steroid hormones. However, cholesterol accumulation in the bloodstream (hypercholesterolemia) can cause atherosclerotic plaques within artery walls, leading to heart attacks and strokes. The efficiency of cholesterol absorption in the small intestine is of great interest because human and animal studies have linked cholesterol absorption with plasma concentration of total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Cholesterol absorption is highly regulated and influenced by particular compounds in the food supply. Therefore, it is desirable to learn more about natural food components that inhibit cholesterol absorption so that food ingredients and dietary supplements can be developed for consumers who wish to manage their plasma cholesterol levels by non-pharmacological means. Food components thus far identified as inhibitors of cholesterol absorption include phytosterols, soluble fibers, phospholipids, and stearic acid.
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Comments
Copyright © 2017 by The Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License.