Avocado and their beta-sitosterol content

Here is some info on Avacado's and their beta-sitosterol content extracted
from a few different sites on the web.


These plant-based phytonutrients recently discovered in the avocado are
beta-sitosterol and glutathoine. Beta-sitosterol helps lower blood
cholesterol levels and is found in fruits like bananas, apples, strawberries
and cherries. Ounce-per-ounce, avocados contain four times the
bets-sitosterol found in oranges, which had previously been reported as the
richest beta-sitosterol fruit source.

Glutathoine, another phytonutrients found in fruits and vegetables, acts as
an antioxidant. Antioxidants help by "mopping up" the free radicals that are
known to play a role in the development of heart disease and cancer.
Avocados, one of the best fruit sources of glutathoine, may offer some
protection against oral, throat, and other types of cancer.

In a study by researchers at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social,
published in the Archives of Medical Research, Winter 1996, subjects who ate
avocado every day for a week experienced an average 17% drop in total blood
cholesterol. Moreover, their levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol dropped while
their HDL ("good") cholesterol climbed.

In a study reported in the June 17, 1995 edition of the British medical
journal, The Lancet, patients treated with Beta-Sitosterol showed
significant improvement in symptoms and urinary flow parameters.
(Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Clinical Trial of
Beta-Sitosterol in Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

According to Dr. David Heber, director of the UCLA Center for Human
Nutrition, the data strengthen the healthful profile of the avocado.
"Avocados are recognized as an excellent source of monounsaturated fat which
is known to lower cholesterol levels, but the antioxidant and phytochemical
properties of avocados are less well recognized. These plant nutrients
naturally found in fruits and vegetables work together to reduce oxidant
stress and prevent disease." Other phytochemicals found in avocados include
glutathione, which functions as an antioxidant like Vitamin E to "mop up"
free radicals. Avocados also contain four times more beta-sitosterol than
any other fruit, which helps lower blood cholesterol levels. The avocado's
beta-sitosterol content combined with its monounsaturated fat content make
avocados an excellent cholesterol-lowering food source, according to Heber.

Top 5 Fruits* for Beta-Sitosterol
(Per 100g Raw, Edible Portion Fruit)
1 - Avocado 76 mg
2 - Orange 17 mg
3 - Cherries 12 mg
4 - Apple (w Peel) 11 mg
4 - Banana 11 mg

Sources for data: Duester KC, JADA 101(4), 2001, and Weihrauch JL & Gardner
JM, JADA 73(1), 1978.

*Based on 20 Most Frequently Consumed Raw Fruits in the United States


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