Effects of plant sterols/stanols on atherosclerotic process and cardiovascular diseases

It is known that the morbidity and mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases in our country and have reached serious numbers in the world. Nowadays, the morbidity of cardiovascular diseases has increased with changing lifestyle and dietary habits. Dietary plant sterols/stanols may alter and improve these adverse environmental conditions through various mechanisms. The mechanism of action is the regulation of cholesterol and lipid regulatory targets in enterohepatic cycle. There are important effects in the intestinal lumen such as competing with exogenous (dietary) and endogenous cholesterol, reducing the absorption of intestinal cholesterol and altering the expression of genes involved in cholesterol synthesis. Its effectiveness in the hepatic cycle significantly reduces total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride serum concentrations, which are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. In addition, it affects the atherosclerotic process by decreasing plasma fibrinogen levels and thrombotic effects that play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis