Flemun is a herbal dietary supplement. According to the manufacturer, the phytosterols they contain help maintain normal cholesterol levels in the blood: Since they have a similar structure to cholesterol, they compete with the cholesterol from animal fats in the intestine. The free phytosterols occupy the cholesterol receptors in the intestine and thereby reduce the absorption of cholesterol through the intestinal wall.
A daily intake of at least 800 mg phytosterols, which corresponds to two tablets, has a positive effect. One pack contains 60 tablets and is sufficient for one month, the retail price is 20 euros.
The phytosterols were originally discovered in the South African medicinal plant Hypoxis rooperi, which the local population also calls “African potatoes”. It is a lily-like plant with yellow flowers and a bulb from which the phytosterols were obtained. This plant was discovered by a group of scientists who traveled to southern Africa 50 years ago on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to research medicine among the indigenous people of the Kalahari with the medicine men and women – so-called sangomas.
In doing so, they repeatedly came across Hypoxis rooperi. At the University of Durban, chemists isolated phytosterols from the plant, which were initially used successfully as prostate drugs in Germany. It was only later that scientists discovered the positive influence on the cholesterol level. Due to the increased global demand, the phytosterols for Flemun are made from pine trees.
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