High blood cholesterol level is the first risk factor for coronary heart disease. The cholesterol lowering effect of plant sterols is well documented in the literature. Consumption of 1.5 to 2.4 grams of plant sterols per day has been found to potentially lower LDL-Cholesterol by 7% to 10%.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), has approved claims for plant sterols namely:

1. “plant sterols have been shown to lower/reduce blood cholesterol with a daily intake of 1.5-2.4 g of plant sterols/stanols” and
2. “plant sterols/stanols contribute to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels with a daily intake of 0.8 g of plant sterols/stanols”.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the following claim for phytosterols: “foods containing at least 0.4 grams per serving of plant sterols, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 0.8grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease”.

Due to their insolubility in water and lipids, phytosterols and incorporation into foods and beverages formulations has been verye challenging. In this respect, Lipophytol® microcapsules facilitates incorporation of phytosterols in food matrices due to its high dispersibility. It has been proven in studies that Lipophytol® microcapsules significantly reduced the concentration of VLDL and LDL Cholesterol in serum compared to the control. Similarly, Liphophytol® microcapsules has the ability to protect the arteries through atherosclerosis damage test done on mice.

For more information on Lipophytol® microcapsules, please do not hesitate to drop us a message.