Omega-3 and plant sterols, a perfect combination to lower cholesterol and triglycerides

Omega 3 and plant sterols: remedies against high cholesterol and triglycerides

Taking low doses of Omega three and plant sterols can reduce both cholesterol and triglyceride levels, lowering cardiovascular risk. In patients with high cholesterol concentrations, the simultaneous administration of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and sterols is associated with a reduction in triglyceride concentration of between 9 and 16 percent, and in bad cholesterol of about 13 percent.

This is shown by a study conducted by a team of researchers from the Netherlands in collaboration with Swedish scientists and published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Cholesterol is fought with phytosterols

Plant sterols and stanols are compounds found in plants, and they cannot be synthesized by humans, who therefore take them up exclusively through the diet. The foods with the highest content of these substances are vegetable oils, nuts, cereals and their derivatives. Phytosterols play an important function in cardiovascular health. Clinical data indicate that daily consumption of 1.5 to 3 grams of phytosterols or stanols, taken with food, can reduce total cholesterol levels by between 8 and 17 percent. They probably act in the gastrointestinal tract, where they contribute to the reduction of cholesterol absorption.

DHA, EPA and plant sterols lower blood triglycerides after 4 weekse

The study involved 332 men and women with elevated cholesterol levels. Each was randomly given 2.5 grams per day of sterols and different levels of Omega-3 for 4 weeks: 0.9, 1.3 and 1.8 grams per day of EPA + DHA. A control group, on the other hand, received no Omega-3. The results showed that, for the 314 people who completed the study, triglyceride levels underwent a reduction that ranged, Omega-3 dose-dependent manner, from 9.3 to 16.2 percent compared with the control group. LDL cholesterol levels were also decreased 11.5 to 14.7 percent more than in the group of who had not taken Omega-3.

A solution to improve blood lipid profile

The results provide further evidence that treatment with a combination of fish oil and plant sterols can have an effect on elevated triglycerides and cholesterol, and that the assumption that fish oil may negate the benefits of plant sterols is unfounded. The importance of these data appears even greater when one considers that about 40 percent of adults over the age of 25 worldwide have triglyceride concentrations that are too high, and that this percentage is likely to increase because of the increasing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes. 

According to researchers, limiting throughout life exposure to risk factors such as high cholesterol can reduce the likelihood of coronary artery disease to a greater extent than treatment, in later life, with statins, the drugs used to reduce cholesterol, There is therefore a growing need to manage risk factors such as blood lipids to prevent coronary artery disease. Limited fat intake, along with consumption of plant sterols and fish oil may offer an interesting opportunity to improve the blood lipid profile. To stay up to date with the latest news from Omega-3 scientific research, subscribe to our newsletter. 

Source: R.T. Ras, I. Demonty, Y.E.M.P. Zebregs, J.F.A. Quadt, J. Olsson, E.A. Trautwein "Low Doses of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid From Fish Oil Dose-Dependently Decrease Serum Triglyceride Concentrations in the Presence of Plant Sterols inHypercholesterolemic Men and Women" Journal of Nutrition. Published online ahead of print, doi:10.3945/jn.114.192229