Alternative Medicine Review 1999 (Jun); 4 (3): 170–177 ~ FULL TEXT
Patrick J.D. Bouic, PhD and Johan H. Lamprecht, MD
Introduction
Beta-sitosterol (BSS) is the major phytosterol in higher
plants, and is found in the serum and tissues of healthy individuals at
concentrations 800-1000 times lower than that of endogenous cholesterol.
Its glycoside, b-sitosterol glycoside (BSSG), is also present in serum
in even lower concentrations. [ 1 ]
These molecules are synthesized in plants; whereas animals obtain them
through diet. Many epidemiological studies of groups consuming diets rich
in vegetables and fruits have indicated a reduced incidence of various
types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. [ 2 ] Many of these studies have concentrated on the protective effects of well-characterized
molecules such as b-carotene, tocopherols, vitamin C, and flavonoids. However,
such studies have ignored the relative importance of fats in the plants
consumed.
The scientific literature is replete with reports of the
biological activities of sterols or their glycosides in various animal
models. For instance, BSS and its glycoside have been shown to reduce carcinogen-induced
cancer of the colon in rats, [ 3 ]
as well as exhibiting anti-inflammatory, [ 4 ]
anti-pyretic, [ 5 ] anti-complement
activity, [ 6 ] and insulin-releasing
effects. [ 7 ]
A proprietary mixture of BSS and BSSG (BSS:BSSG) was studied
and found to have profound immune modulating activities. Initial in vitro
studies were followed by clinical trials in patients with chronic infectious
diseases (tuberculosis, HIV, Human Papilloma Virus [HPV]) and non-infectious
conditions, such as allergies and rheumatoid arthritis. The trials confirmed
the importance of BSS:BSSG in the management of such conditions.
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