Do Health and Environment Research Institute, 'Perilla Oil and Sesame Oil' Best for Lowering Cholesterol

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] A study has found that sesame oil and perilla oil contain high amounts of substances that lower cholesterol.

The Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment conducted an analysis on 50 plant-based oils sold in large retail stores and online shopping malls within Gyeonggi-do, including perilla oil (7 samples), peanut oil (1 sample), avocado oil (4 samples), olive oil (12 samples), pine nut oil (2 samples), sesame oil (8 samples), canola oil (3 samples), coconut oil (1 sample), grapeseed oil (9 samples), and sunflower oil (3 samples). The study measured the content of 'phytosterol,' a substance known to inhibit cholesterol, and found that sesame oil (334.43mg/100g), canola oil (313.46mg/100g), and perilla oil (262.16mg/100g) contained the highest amounts of phytosterol.

Phytosterols are a collective term for steroids found in plants, which, when absorbed by the human body, help reduce cholesterol absorption in the intestinal mucosa.

For this reason, foods rich in phytosterols are known to have the effect of lowering cholesterol levels. To date, over 250 types of phytosterols have been reported in plants.

Recently, in Europe, phytosterols have been popularized by processing them into microcapsules and adding them to dairy products such as cheese, milk, and yogurt.

Additionally, phytosterols are known to be effective in preventing and treating periodontal diseases, and domestically, they are used as a key ingredient in gum disease treatments.

Lee Myung-jin, head of the Health Research Planning Team at the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment, explained, "This experiment is part of a lifestyle-oriented research project aimed at providing useful information for consumers' daily lives and will serve as valuable information for purchasing functional food substances."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.