The heroes of our story have several names. Sterols, steroid alcohols, sterols are one of the most important chemicals for a living organism. The best-known human sterol is cholesterol, which is the precursor of fat-soluble vitamins, steroid hormones. Plant sterols-bioadditives are also known to us. People take them in a complex of vitamins of groups A, D, E and K. Next, we will tell as much as possible about sterols and their types. Why are sterols so important to humans? How to recognize their excess / deficiency in the body? What products contain these elements? Read all about it below.
What is this?
Sterols are cyclic high molecular weight alcohols that will belong to the class of lipids (fats). Their parts are able to dissolve in a fat-like and aqueous medium, and the elements themselves are resistant to saponification - hydrolysis with the formation of alcohol and acid. As for the structure of sterols, the basis of the entire group is steran-3-ol.
The structure of cells, a number of vital organismal processes directly depend on them. Responsible for the fluidity of cell membranes, protecting plants from heathit.
Interestingly, the synthesis (production) of elements is carried out by all eukaryotes - living creatures whose cells have nuclei. They will be people, and animals, and plants, and mushrooms. But prokaryotes (bacteria that do not have nuclei) do not produce them.
Sterols are an important class of steroids. Their concentration in the tissues of animals and plants is significant. Consider the example of vertebrates:
- 10% of adrenal weight.
- 2% weight of nerve tissue.
- 0, 2% liver weight.
- Concentrated in the brain cells in the form of cholesterol.
- High content in the membranes of all cells.
Chromatography of sterols - gas-liquid. This is the name of the method of separation, analysis of various substances, the study of their physical or chemical properties.
Having defined sterols, let's move on.
Groups of substances
All sterols can be divided into the following broad categories:
- Zoosterols. Contained in animal cells. The main role here is played by cholesterol, which is necessary for the synthesis of vitamin D.
- Phytosterols. Found in plant cells.
- Mushroom sterol.
- Bacterial sterols.
Varieties of elements
The group is presented in a wide variety. The types of sterols are listed below:
- Cholesterol. Acts as the main sterol in the body of vertebrates.
- Ergosterol (second name - mycosterol) - an element that plays an important role in the life cycle of fungi. At the same time, it is also useful for humans.
- Stigmasterol. He can be found inplants.
- Sitosterol is another plant styrene responsible for their embryonic development.
- Styrene surrogates - typical only for certain types of bacteria, whose development occurs in extreme conditions.
Value for the human body
Why are sterols so important for the human body? Substances perform a number of important functions:
- As bile s alts, promotes good digestion.
- Support elasticity, the structure of the outer walls of cell membranes.
- In the form of cholesterol, they are precursors of vitamin D.
- The basis for creating vitamin complexes A, E in plant organisms.
- Reduce bad cholesterol.
- They are natural antioxidants.
The main tasks of the elements
There are four main tasks of sterols. This is:
- Cell communication. These particles exchange signals, impulses, information. This is necessary for the proper functioning of tissues, organs, the body as a whole. Sterols are designed to transmit signals from cell to cell. They can also provide information from the external environment that helps the cell regulate its growth and development. Therefore, one of the names of sterols is "second messengers".
- Fat soluble vitamins. They will be synthesized by the body from sterols. Note that vitamin A is useful for vision, he althy skin, D - for bone structure,immunity, E is an antioxidant that protects damaged cell mass, K is vital for normal blood clotting.
- Integrity of cell membranes. As we have already noted, sterols (in humans, this is cholesterol) maintain the state of the cell membrane. This is the name given to the outer shells that protect the particle. Like the skin on our body. Sterols are responsible for the integrity of this lipid bilayer, its resistance to temperature extremes.
- In the human body, they act like steroid hormones. For example, cortisol is a stress hormone, estrogen, testosterone are female and male sex hormones, respectively, aldosterone regulates mineral balance.
Food Sources of Elements
What else can you say about sterols and steroids? Their highest concentration is observed in foods that are rich in cholesterol. The most useful among them are chicken eggs (in particular, yolks), sea shrimps.
It should be noted that plant foods are richer in sterols than animal products. For example, 100 g of corn oil will contain 700 mg of sterol. And in 100 g of oil obtained from wheat germ, there are as many as 13-17 g of the element! While for basic animal products, the maximum would be 500mg of sterol per 100g of food.
The richest in sterol are nuts, legumes, vegetable oils, seeds. The leaves of the famous rapeseed, according to the researchers, are 72% percent plant sterol! Surprisingly, butsterols can also be found in chloroplasts, pollen, shoots of some "green inhabitants" of the planet.
Introducing the most sterol-rich foods:
- Brains (over 2000mg per 100g of product).
- Corn oil (600-1000 mg).
- Quail egg (600 mg).
- Chicken egg (570 mg).
- Cod fish liver (520 mg).
- Cow milk.
- Flax oil.
- Cotton oil.
- Beef kidneys.
- Rapeseed oil.
- Sunflower table oil.
- Soybean oil.
- Carp meat.
- Beef liver.
- Peanut butter.
- Olive seed oil.
- Butter in braces.
- Beef meat.
- Pork liver.
- Sour cream (at least 30% fat).
- Pork fat.
- Veal.
- Low-fat pork.
- Cottage cheese.
- Pike dishes.
- Lamb.
- Broiler chicken.
- Fermented milk products (regular kefir is especially valuable).
The list is presented from foods with the highest concentration of sterols to foods with less.
Biologists note that plant sterols (phytosterols) are more easily absorbed by the human body than zoosterols ("brothers" of animal origin). This is due to the fact that the former are more vulnerable to gastric juice.
The daily requirement of the human body in the element
These indicators are individual - depend on the he alth of a particularperson:
- It is recommended for he althy people to consume about 3 g of phytosterols (plant-based) and no more than 300 mg of zoosterols (animal-based) in the form of cholesterol every day.
- People with high "bad" cholesterol, suffering from heart, vascular pathologies, with a risk of developing atherosclerosis, the rate is calculated individually by a nutritionist.
- In the direction of increase, the specialist is revising the daily norm for a patient with weakened immunity, general poor he alth, reduced libido, a diagnosed deficiency of vitamins of groups A, D, E, K.
- The norm is increasing for children with rickets, weakened immunity, as well as for pregnant and lactating women.
- Increasing the amount of foods rich in sterols in the diet is worth actively working people - both physically and mentally.
- If a person is at risk for a possible heart attack or stroke, they need to increase the amount of sterol in their diet - but only of plant origin.
What does it say about the deficiency of the element in the body?
There is no specific sign that would clearly indicate that the human body lacks a sterol. But experts identify a number of conditions, which in their totality will be a similar signal:
- Not the best condition of hair, nails, skin.
- Weakened immunity.
- Constant feeling of general weakness, loss of strength.
- Exhaustion of the nervous system.
- Hormonal problems.
- Appearance of early signs of aging.
- Various sexual disorders.
- The development of atherosclerosis, frequent mood swings will speak about the lack of sterols of plant origin.
What does it say about an overabundance of an element in the body?
Not everything is good, which is a lot. An excess of sterols in the body is fraught with the following consequences for a person:
- Improper clotting of blood mass.
- Problems with the functioning of the liver, spleen.
- Development of gallstone disease.
- High blood pressure.
- Excess cholesterol in the body is reflected in the development of atherosclerosis.
So, sterol-rich foods are an integral component of the human diet, ensuring good he alth and well-being. However, they should be consumed in a normalized manner, consulting a nutritionist, giving preference to elements of plant origin.
