Phytosterols
Sources:
Phytosterols are plant sterols that can impact cholesterol absorption in the human body. In discussing cholesterol management, and explain that phytosterols can be more atherogenic (prone to causing artery-clogging plaque) than cholesterol itself. They are especially concerned about commercial treatments that use phytosterols to lower cholesterol because while these treatments can reduce cholesterol absorption, they could lead to an increase in the absorption of phytosterols if there exists a genetic predisposition (e.g., defective ATP binding cassette). This can make phytosterols potentially harmful as they are more oxidizable and inflammatory than cholesterol 1.
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