Sterols should be outlawed?

[Guest guest]

This is a heads up to potential problems with Sterols. Personally, when

the vytorin study came out (statin + zetia), I stopped taking any

supplements that had sterols since sterols have a similar effect as

zetia in that they absorb cholesterol from the digestive system. The

Vytorin study with zetia showed that zetia increased the rate of plaque

deposition on carotid arteries in the neck and most likely around the

heart as well. As many know, the makers of vytorin delayed their

publication of the results by two years until congress got into the act

and continued to push the product in spite of the negative results in

order to continue making insane profits.

Here's the article:

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/sterols-should-be-outlawed.html

Sterols should be outlawed

Friday, March 13, 2009

While sterols occur naturally in small quantities in food (nuts,

vegetables, oils), food manufacturers are adding them to processed foods

in order to earn a " heart healthy " claim.

The FDA approved a cholesterol-reducing indication for sterols , the

American Heart Association recommends 200 mg per day as part of its

Therapeutic Lifestyle Change diet, and WebMD gushes about the

LDL-reducing benefits of sterols added to foods.

Sterols--the same substance that, when absorbed to high levels into the

blood in a genetic disorder called " sitosterolemia " --causes extravagant

atherosclerosis in young people.

The case against sterols, studies documenting its coronary disease- and

valve disease-promoting effects, is building:

Higher blood levels of sterols increase cardiovascular events:

Plasma sitosterol elevations are associated with an increased incidence

of coronary events in men: results of a nested case-control analysis of

the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study.

Sterols can be recovered from diseased aortic valves:

Accumulation of cholesterol precursors and plant sterols in human

stenotic aortic valves.

Sterols are incorporated into carotid atherosclerotic plaque:

Plant sterols in serum and in atherosclerotic plaques of patients

undergoing carotid endarterectomy.

Though the data are mixed:

Moderately elevated plant sterol levels are associated with reduced

cardiovascular risk--the LASA study.

No association between plasma levels of plant sterols and

atherosclerosis in mice and men.

The food industry has vigorously pursued the sterol-as-heart-healthy

strategy, based on studies conclusively demonstrating LDL-reducing

effects. But do sterols that gain entry into the blood increase

atherosclerosis regardless of LDL reduction? That's the huge unanswered

question.

Despite the uncertainties, the list of sterol-supplemented foods is

expanding rapidly:

Each Nature Valley Healthy Heart Bar contains 400 mg sterols.

HeartWise orange juice contains 1000 mg sterols per 8 oz serving.

Promise SuperShots contains 400 mg sterols per container.

Corozonas has an entire line of chips that contain added sterols, 400 mg

per 1 oz serving.

MonaVie Acai juice, " Pulse, " contains 400 mg sterols per 2 oz serving.

Kardea olive oil has 500 mg sterols per 14 gram serving.

WebMD has a table that they say can help you choose " foods " that are

sterol-rich.

In my view, sterols should not have been approved without more extensive

safety data. Just as Vioxx's potential for increasing heart attack did

not become apparent until after FDA approval and widespread use, I fear

the same may be ahead for sterols: dissemination throughout the

processed food supply, people using large, unnatural quantities from

multiple products, eventually . . . increased heart attacks, strokes,

aortic valve disease.

Until there is clarification on this issue, I would urge everyone to

avoid sterol-added " heart healthy " products.

Some more info on sterols in a previous Heart Scan Blog post: Are

sterols the new trans fat? .

--

Steve - dudescholar4@...

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