Cancer can be tackled using the nutraceutical effects of phytosterols, it has been claimed.
The development of cancer may be held back by consumption of phytosterols, according to a review of the literature surrounding the nutraceutical benefits of the molecules reported by NutraIngredients.com.
Phytosterols are derived from plants and similar in many ways to cholesterol; however, their consumption has been linked with lower cholesterol levels in the body.
But they have been seen to act in the membrane of cancer cells, reducing cholesterol there while activating caspase, an enzyme with action on cell death.
With these dual nutraceutical benefits in mind, the researchers - from the Department of Animal Science and the University of Manitoba's Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals - suggest that the molecules could help to prevent cancer when consumed.
"This combined evidence strongly supports an anticarcinogenic action of phytosterols and hence advocates their dietary inclusion," they claim.
Previous research from Wageningen University and Unilever found that the action of phytosterols on lowering cholesterol is consistent whether they are in non-fatty or fatty foods.
