Phytosterol Profiles\nof Common Foods and Estimated\nNatural Intake of Different Structures and Forms in China

Phytosterols are\nwell-known for their cholesterol-lowering effects,\nand the structures and forms of phytosterols affect their bioactivity.\nWe aimed to illustrate the phytosterol profiles in common foods and\nestimate their natural intake in five geographical regions and among\ndifferent age groups in China. In total, 12 phytosterols in free and\nesterified forms of 119 foods from five regions across China were\nexamined using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Then,\nthe dietary intake of phytosterols was calculated combined with the\ndietary foods intake data of Chinese people. The total phytosterol\ncontent was highest in vegetable oils (150.4–1230.9 mg/100\ng), followed by legumes (129.6–275.6 mg/100 g), nuts (18.9–255.2\nmg/100 g), and cereals (11.9–93.8 mg/100 g). Vegetables and\nfruits contained lower contents of total phytosterols. Phytosterols\nwere mainly esterified in most common foods except in nuts. The predominant\nphytosterols were β-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol,\nall of which belonged to plant sterols and 4-desmethylsterols. Total\nphytosterol intake varied across different regions, ranging between\n257.7 and 473.7 mg/standard-person (sp)/day, with the highest intake\nin Beijing, followed by Hangzhou, Wuhan, Chongqing, and Guangzhou.\nHowever, phytosterol proportion was similar across regions, with β-sitosterol\naccounting for 46.5–50.3% of the natural intake. Phytosterol\nintake was mainly constituted by plant sterols and 4-desmethylsterols\nin esterified form (61.9–74.6%). At the age of 2–70\nyears, phytosterol intake ranged from 154.3 mg/day to 348.0 mg/day\nin the national scale.