Beta-sitosterol is a plant sterol that is similar to cholesterol and is found in many foods and plants:
- Sources: Found in nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, rice bran, wheat germ, peanuts, corn oils, and soybeans
Sitosterol is a member of the class of phytosterols that is stigmast-5-ene substituted by a beta-hydroxy group at position 3. It has a role as a sterol methyltransferase inhibitor, an anticholesteremic drug, an antioxidant, a plant metabolite and a mouse metabolite. It is a 3beta-sterol, a stigmastane sterol, a 3beta-hydroxy-Delta(5)-steroid, a C29-steroid and a member of phytosterols. It derives from a hydride of a stigmastane.
Beta-sitosterol is a component of the food additive E499. It is also found in botanicals such as saw palmetto, rye grass pollen, pygeum, and stinging nettle.
Beta-sitosterol may help with the following:
- Cholesterol: May lower cholesterol levels by reducing the amount of cholesterol absorbed from the diet
- Enlarged prostate: May improve urinary flow and decrease the amount of urine left in the bladder
- Cancer: May slow the growth of some types of cancer cells and kill them
Beta-sitosterol might help reduce cholesterol levels by limiting the amount of cholesterol that is able to enter the body. It can also help reduce swelling in the prostate and other tissues. People most commonly use beta-sitosterol for lowering cholesterol levels and improving symptoms of an enlarged prostate (BPH). It's also used for heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), male-pattern baldness, and many other conditions
Use
Beta-sitosterol has been used to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and improve symptoms in mild to moderate benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Beta-sitosterol has also been investigated for its immunomodulatory and anticancer effects.
What is this product used for?
Beta-sitosterol may help some people to lower cholesterol. It may also help with symptoms of a prostate problem called benign prostatic hypertrophy, or BPH.
* The statements in this section have not been evaluated by the FDA or EFSA.
References
1.Khan Z, Nath N, Rauf A, Emran TB, Mitra S, Islam F, Chandran D, Barua J, Khandaker MU, Idris AM, Wilairatana P, Thiruvengadam M.Chem Biol Interact. 2022 Sep 25;365:110117. doi: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110117. Epub 2022 Aug 19.PMID: 35995256
2.Babu S, Jayaraman S.Biomed Pharmacother. 2020 Nov;131:110702. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110702. Epub 2020 Aug 31.PMID: 32882583
3.Wang H, Wang Z, Zhang Z, Liu J, Hong L.Adv Nutr. 2023 Sep;14(5):1085-1110. doi:
10.1016/j.advnut.2023.05.013. Epub 2023 May 27.PMID: 37247842
4.Ma L, Ma Y, Liu Y.Food Funct. 2023 May 22;14(10):4456-4469. doi: 10.1039/d3fo00772c.PMID: 37066493
5.Zheng Y, Zhao J, Chang S, Zhuang Z, Waimei S, Li X, Chen Z, Jing B, Zhang D, Zhao G.J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2023 Dec;18(4):690-703. doi: 10.1007/s11481-023-10091-w. Epub 2023 Dec 2.PMID: 38041701
Audited Supplier 
){kind=link}