ABSTRACT
The health benets of plant sterols have been recognized for more than six decades. Plant sterols and stanols in ester and free forms have been the subject of over 200 clinical studies. It has been proven that both types of sterols are highly effective in lowering total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterols and can be used in functional foods to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Clinically proven hypocholesterolemic properties of plant sterols led to the worldwide regulatory approval of these compounds for use in foods. In addition, many regulatory jurisdictions now allow the use of health claims regarding foods that are enriched with plant sterols/stanols.
