Present in every plant, sterols and sterolins are literally vegetable fats, which have been proven as effective enhancers of the human immune response. Some plants, particularly seeds and sprouts, are richer than others in the compounds.
Scientists first isolated sterols, plant fats - and their glucosides, sterolins, natural compounds found in all fruits and vegetables in 1922. However, their remarkable health benefits were only realized and confirmed by extensive research in the last two decades.
Numerous ongoing clinical trials reveal that concentrations of sterols and sterolins offer extraordinary support to the immune system of both humans and animals.
A Closer Look at Cholesterol
It is easy to hear the headlines and think that Cholesterol is inherently “bad for you”, but actually, this is far from the case. Cholesterol is essential to health, but the two different types of cholesterol need to remain in balance to help your body function normally.
Although it is common to refer to LDL as “bad” cholesterol, and HDL as good, the two have a close relationship and both are important. Maintaining the right balance of the two types of cholesterol is essential.
Cholesterol is a lipid (or fat), that is found in every single cell in your body. It acts to protect the nerve fibres, produce bile salts,(important for digestion), plays an important role in hormone regulation and supports the role of sunshine in creating Vitamin D
Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver, and levels will be affected by the foods that you eat, but this is only part of the story as only around 20% of the Cholesterol in your body is directly created as a result of diet.
If you do not consume enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more to compensate.
The right sort of fats are an important foundation for health - they are essential for transporting vitamins around the body, energy production and the maintenance of cell membranes.
Saturated fats have been subject to a lot of bad press, but are actually an important part of the diet. They provide special short and medium chain fatty acids which help to keep your body strong. Now that's not advice to eat a diet packed with saturated fats, but small balanced amounts are certainly an important part of a broad, varied diet. It should be remembered that natural saturated fats such as butter and coconut oil are actually far healthier than spreads containing hydrogenated, trans fats which are far from healthy! It is the overuse of these highly processed vegetable oils that should be avoided - these are new additions to the human diet and are thought to interfere with many processes in the body.
Small, but regular amounts of polyunsaturated fats in your diet are also valuable, these can be found in oily fish and in good oils such as
Flaxseed Oil and Cod Liver Oil. Monounsatured fats such as Olive Oil and as found in nuts and seeds also have a role to play. As with all things, moderation is key!
A broad and varied diet are essential alongside maintaining a healthy weight and keeping active.
