6 Proven Health Benefits of Beta-Sitosterol

A naturally-produced chemical that packs a punch.

Though nutrition is always the first line of defence towards better health, there are times in many of our lives when we simply cannot garner enough assistance from our daily 5-6+ servings of greens. Plus, due to issues like soil depletion, pesticides, stock availability and personal tastes, just getting in those 5-6+ servings per day to begin with, often becomes less feasible. If after improving your diet and maintaining it consistently, you find yourself seeking additional support for your cholesterol levels, prostate health, exercise recovery and more, you can embrace the myriad choices of phytosterols in a concentrated supplement form.

Phytosterols can be found in all plant foods. Though for amounts that would be of the therapeutic value you are seeking, you should consider a high-quality supplement like TRANSCEND’s Beta-Sitosterol, Plant Sterols, or Cholesterol Support. Health supplements like these are proving themselves to be terrific alternatives to the routinely prescribed pharmaceuticals, which regrettably also come bearing very troubling side effects.

Luckily, there are options beyond pharmaceuticals to both support and treat ourselves. With a doctor’s supervision, people around the globe are understanding the responsibility they can take in changing their own health for the better.  Beta-Sitosterol (a major phytosterol) is an excellent example of this opportunity.

Lowering LDL cholesterol

While you may have heard about the health benefits of plant sterols like Beta-Sitosterol, in terms of lowering LDL cholesterol levels, you may not be as familiar with this naturally occurring chemical’s additional health-enhancing roles. But we are not going to just breeze over those LDL lowering qualities.

Studies from the University of Maryland Medical Center positively indicate Beta-Sitosterol’s ability to both lower LDL cholesterol levels and also not adversely impact the more beneficial HDL cholesterol levels. The method by which this nutrient performs this function is by reducing the cholesterol in the intestines, to be secreted out during the waste process. So it’s no wonder that this mechanism can also be used towards improved heart health – as a reducer of cholesterol there as well.

Lowered risk of heart disease

In fact, even the FDA allows manufacturers to make claims that their foods containing plant sterol esters contribute to a lowered risk of heart disease. This allowance speaks volumes towards the benefits of this common and naturally occurring chemical, in a world seeking (and deserving) strict transparency within all products and policies.

Strengthening immunity

One of the umbrella qualities of this phytosterol is strengthening our bodies’ immunity. We would consider this an umbrella quality because the immune system has immense outreach towards our overall heath and impacts the entire human system at large.  Moderation in lifestyle choices – both good and otherwise - can be difficult, especially when we are truly driven towards excellence. Examples of the more sought-after choices are long-distance runners, marathoners, triathloners, Crossfitters, bodybuilders, and the like. All of these lifestyles are harsh on the body, as self-affirming and worthy as they are. Beta-Sitosterol has been shown to reduce stress caused by these types of activities and work against the “post-marathon sniffle”. This works as the chemical reduces the inflammatory response during intense work-out sessions of any kind. The recovery process would also be shortened, which is considered a process as important as the work-out itself.

Manage Prostatitis

On the same vein of seeking an alternative to ill-side effects from pharmaceuticals, Beta-Sitosterol has been proven to act like the medicine Proscar, but without the worry of negative sexual complications. Beta-Sitosterol inhibits activity of 5-alpha-reductase to work against urinary issues, pelvic pain, enlarged prostate due to benign prostatic hyperplasia and other localized difficulties that men with or without an enlarged prostate often experience.  

Beta-Sitosterol has been shown to reduce swelling and inflammation of the prostate, which in turn reduces the sense of urgency, pain, and frequency that men can experience. The studies also showed a reduction in the amount of urine left in the bladder, which also contributes to a feeling of completion and relief after using the bathroom.

Reducing prostate tumors

The reduction of prostate tumors by 24% is another exciting benefit of this humble plant chemical and undoubtedly will be explored in even greater numbers in the near future. Similar studies found Beta-Sitosterol to be even more effective than another phytosterol called “campesterol” in the protective benefits of inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis of PC-3 cells.

Normalizes blood sugar

Beta-sitosterol also has displayed encouragingly positive results in stimulating the release of insulin in the presence of non-stimulatory glucose concentrations and inhibiting glucose-6-phosphatase. Due to the anti-oxidative effects of Beta-sitosterol in conjunction with the insulin release stimulation, this commonly found natural chemical is being considered a viable option as an antidiabetic. Unlike common diabetes medications, Beta-Sitosterol side effects also appear to be minimal.

Conclusively, we are very excited about the studies both done and currently being performed on this common ingredient of our green planet. Beta-Sitosterol in supplement form does some really heavy lifting, when it comes to the push towards better health, for such a simple and naturally derived ingredient.