Although you can go to your doctor and get a prescription for just about any health issue known to man, medications have their drawbacks. More and more people today are looking for more natural (and safer) ways to improve their health. As Hippocrates once said, "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food". This is as true today as it was back then. One of the best ways to improve your health is by improving your diet. But even if you think you're eating well you may be missing out on some less-known but vital nutrients, such as plant sterols. Read on to learn more about plant sterols and how they can benefit your health by helping to lower your cholesterol. What are plant sterols? Plant sterols, also known as phytosterols, come from plants. These naturally-occurring substances are the plant's cholesterol. Just as humans have cholesterol, so do plants.
Both human and plant cholesterol is critically important in maintaining a healthy state. However, when cholesterol levels begin to exceed normal levels, they turn from good to bad in which high levels of LDL cholesterol can begin to harm the body by increasing the chances of heart disease. If you were to look at plant sterols under a microscope, they look very similar to human cholesterol. They are found in fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, seeds, and most types of grain. Because of their many health benefits, several manufacturers are now adding them to healthy snacks and heart healthy foods. These include foods such as healthy chips made from whole grains, orange juice and margarine. How do Plant Sterols Work in the Body? Plant sterols and stanols have a structure similar to cholesterol. They compete with cholesterol for access to receptors in the small intestines known as micelles. Micelles help transport cholesterol through the intestine into your blood stream. Imagine 15 people all hoping to get a ride in their friend's Volkswagen Beetle - not everyone is going to be riding in the car. The same thing happens when plant sterols are introduced into the small intestine along with cholesterol.
The tradeoff, comes in the form of a new, space-saving torsion beam suspension, which slightly sacrifices driving dynamics. A split folding rear seat is standard, as well as a center pass-through, which allows multiple cargo and passenger configurations. Compared to the four-door Ford Focus hatchback, the Volkswagen Golf offers slightly more rear legroom but falls short of the Focus’s 23.8 cubic-foot trunk. The Kia Forte hatchback gets more headroom, slightly more rear legroom and and 23.2 cubic feet of trunk space. Mazda3 hatches slightly more rear legroom with 35.8 inches, but have slightly less headroom in the front and rear the least amount of trunk space at 20.2 cubic feet. The 2015 Volkswagen Golf is both sophisticated and fun, with European road manners that make it pleasurable to drive around town and on the highway. Though all models now use four-cylinder engines, there is ample power for most driving needs.
