STEROLS AND STEROLINS: WHAT ARE THEY?
One of the many phytochemicals which have, in recent years, stimulated research into the healing
and protective effects of plants.
Both sterols and sterolins were identified and chemically elucidated as early as1922.
They are plant "fats" present in every single plant (fruits and vegetables). Chemically very similar
to the animal fat, cholesterol but totally different in biological functions.
Sterols never exist on their own: always in combination with their glucosides.
In the natural state, they are bound to the fibres of the plant and for this reason, they are difficult
to desorb from the fibres.
Seeds are the richest source of the sterols and sterolins and yet, the refining processes applied in
the food industry render the foods useless because they remove the sterols and sterolins to make
the product more appealing to the eye (such as no precipitation of the fats in the extracted oils
from seeds).
Also of importance is the fact that our diet is low in plant materials (vegetables and fruits) or we
have recourse to the fast food outlets!!
The way in which we prepare our vegetables is also a major cause for concern: we freeze the
vegetables (which releases enzymes and these in turn destroy the glucosides) and then we boil
and throw away the water. It is like throwing away the baby with the bath water!!
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND ITS DEPENDENCE
ON STEROLS AND STEROLINS:
Our immune system is made up of several cells- and the factors which they secrete in response to
an invading offender.
On one hand we have cells called B lymphocytes which make proteins (antibodies) which bind to
and inactivate the organism only if the organism is on the outside of the host's cells (for example,
a bacterium). Once the organism has been internalized, it is inaccessible to the action of the
antibodies. This was a ploy developed by microorganisms in order to evade the immune system.
On the other hand, the T cells are specialized cells which fight off offenders which live inside the
host's cells (eg. Viruses, certain bacteria, etc). The T cells secrete soluble factors which enhance
the functions of specialized cytotoxic cells which kill off the infected cells.
Sterols and sterolins have been shown to modulate the functions of the T cells by enhancing their
cellular division and their secretion of these important soluble factors called Iymphokines. Also,
the activity of the cytotoxic cells is greatly promoted in the presence of the sterols/sterolins
mixture. These activities are of utmost importance in fighting off viral diseases or diseases
involving bacteria vvhich live inside cells (eg. tuberculosis).
It should be noted that the enhancing activity described above is maximal when both the sterols
and sterolins are present. It was previously shown that the absorption of the sterols is increased
when in conjunction with the sterolins and vice versa. It therefore stands to reason that both are
required to carry out this immunological activity.
Hence, under ideal and healthy conditions whereby the person is taking the sterols/sterolins
mixture, the cells of the immune system are "primed" to function optimally so that an infection is
taken care of quicker and more efficiently.
In certain diseases. the immune system starts to attack one's own body by producing antibodies
directed to the host's body constituents. These are called autoimmune diseases (eg. Rheumatoid
arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosusor SLE, Multiple Sclerosis, etc) and these are known to
arise in response to an overproduction of lymphokines which promote the functions of B cells
making the antibodies. If the "correct" lymphokines could be secreted by the T cells then one
should be able to correct the disease process and the disease would be alleviated. In other
words, the sterols/sterolins mixture treat the underlying causes and not the symptoms.
Other diseases/conditions which would benefit from the intake of sterols/sterolins mixture include:
(1) Cancer: it is known that the individual's immune system is low thereby allowing the
growth of cancer cells. By enhancing the function of both T cells and the secretion of
lymphokines, it can be predicted that the cancer cells will be attacked and killed.
(2) Allergies: in these conditions, the lymphokines secreted by the T cells promote the B
cells to make a certain type of antibodies (IgE). Because the sterols/sterolins mixtrue
stimulate the secretion of "good" lymphokines which inhibit the IgE promoting
lymphokines, the symptoms of an allergic state would disappear.
(3) Chronic viral diseases: such as HIV infection where it is known that the immune
suppression is due to the body's immune system failing to make sufficient lymphokines
which stimulate the activity of cytotoxic T cells (hence chronic infection):~nd aLso the
T cells fail to divide in response to the invading virus or other opprotunistic organisms.
Since the sterolsisterolins stimulate both the proliferation of lymphocytes when these have
to respond to organisms as well as the secretion of Iymphokines, in these diseases. the
individuals would find that their immune system would cope with the onslaught by the
invading organism and that there would not be destruction of the immune cells which
normally accompanies infection by HIV.
(4) Stress: the killer of modern man. It is a well known fact that stress (either physical or
mental) has a detrimental effect on the immune system due to the synthesis and release of
hormones such as Cortisol. It has been the interest of prominent immunologists and sports
medicine doctors to find out why marathon runners are prone to colds and influenza
during the period immediately following a marathon run. It is now known that during
the excessive physical stress, the immune system is inhibited by the secretion of
cortisol and the increased released of proinflammatory factors (due to tissue damage).
Sterols/strerolins have been shown to reverse these processes and to prevent the
post-marathon infections: indeed, the plant sterols/sterolins decrease the blood levels of
cortisol as well as the factors which themselves induce inflammation (tissue damage,
muscular aches and stiffness, etc.).
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