1. Anti-cancer effect
Animal experiments have found that sitosterol can inhibit colorectal cancer induced by chemical carcinogens, which may be related to the influx of bile acids in the large intestine. Sitosterol has the effect of inhibiting bile acids and can reduce the proliferation of cancer cells. It is also reported that a 3 to 4 week high-dose phytosterol ester edible experiment was conducted on volunteers. The content of cholic acid and sterol (including cholesterol, phytosterol esters and their metabolites) in the stool was tested, and it was found that although the content of sterol in the stool increased, it had potential teratogenic effects. It is still maintained within the normal level, which proves that phytosterols will not increase the level of sterol metabolism, but actually reduce the concentration of bile acid metabolites, thereby reducing the incidence of colorectal cancer.
2. Delay aging
Aging will inevitably involve changes in membrane structure. Membrane lipids are the key substances in membrane structure. They include phospholipids, glycolipids and sterols. Among them, sterols play a role as a scaffold in the membrane structure. According to Singer. According to the analysis of Nicolsen flow mosaic theory, when the membrane is aging or defective, the fatty acid long chain of the double-layer membrane
3. Promote animal growth and improve health
Phytosterols have the function of promoting animal protein synthesis and promoting animal growth and health. Phytosterols and plant growth hormones can combine with lipids that form molecular membranes in water to form a plant hormone-phytosterol-ribonucleoprotein complex. This complex has the function of promoting the synthesis of animal proteins and increases the original plant acid hormones. It is a new type of animal growth hormone for the stability of environmental temperature, animal body temperature and body decomposition. However, animals of different sexes have different levels of absorption and metabolism of plant sterols, and this aspect needs to be further studied.