What are phytolipids?

Answer 1

Phytolipids are plant-based fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E, and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, phospholipids, and others, whose main biological functions include energy storage, forming structural components of cell membranes, and acting as important signaling molecules. They include:

• Phytosterols, the more than 200 steroid compounds similar to cholesterol in plants, including:
  • Campesterol, found in bananas, pomegranates, saw palmetto berries, grapefruit, cucumbers, peppers, onions, potatoes, oats, lemon grass, and coffee beans, prevents the absorption of "bad" LDL cholesterol, balances blood cholesterol levels, and displays anti-inflammatory properties, which may make it beneficial for Arthritis and cardiovascular diseases, among other health conditions.
  • Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2), found in mushrooms exposed to ultraviolet light either while they are growing or shortly after they are picked, is necessary for calcium absorption, bone growth and maintenance, neurological and immune system functions, and reducing inflammation. It may also treat or prevent Addison's Disease, allergic hypersensitivity, Alzheimer's, asthma, Ankylosing Spondylitis, autism, autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, several cancers, COPD, systic fibrosis, depression, and other conditions.
• Essential fatty acids are fatty acids that you must ingest because your body requires them for good health but cannot synthesize them. They include:
  • Omega-3 fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), found in soy, walnuts, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, pumkin seeds, sesame seeds, mustard seeds, chia seeds, Brazil nuts, wheat germ, green leafy vegetables, grains, and spirulina, can protect against cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attack, and reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death in people who already have Heart disease.
  • Omega-6 fatty acids, including linoleic acid (LA), found in brazil nuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, and pecans, is important for the growth and development of infants, and is a precursor for a hormone-like substance prostaglandins, which cause constriction or dilation in vascular smooth muscle cells, cause aggregation or disaggregation of platelets, sensitize spinal neurons to pain, induce labor, decrease intraocular pressure, regulate inflammatory mediation, regulate calcium movement, control hormone regulation, control cell growth, act on thermoregulatory center of the hypothalamus to produce fever, act on mesangial cells in the glomerulus of the kidney to increase the glomerular filtration rate, and act on parietal cells in the stomach wall to inhibit acid secretion. You should have about 1 to 4 times the amount of omega-6 as omega-3, but Americans tend to have anywhere from 10 to 30 times the amount of omega-6, due to the large amounts of oils and fried foods they eat. This unbalanced ratio can lead to health problems. You can get a higher ratio of omega-3 fatty acids by avoiding fried foods and meats, eating more flax seed, walnuts, and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids, or taking a spirulina supplement.