What Are Plant Sterols? [And Why They Matter]

August 13, 2024 Dr Livingood

What are plant sterols and why should you be paying attention to them, especially if you care about cholesterol & heart health?

What Do They DO?

Plant sterols are phytonutrients found in plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. They not only assist digestion but also prevent your body from absorbing more LDL. This is so powerful for cholesterol because the harmful form of LDL can eventually be oxidized in your system, create discomfort and damage your arteries.

How to Get Them

Getting plant sterols from food sources alone can be challenging due to the large amount you’d need to consume to receive high enough levels of plant sterols. Some foods that contain a concentrated amount of them include:

Brussel Sprouts
Pistachios
Almond Butter
Sesame Seeds

Beware of Bad Oils

Wheat, peanuts and all the vegetable oils are high in plant sterols, but can also be toxic. Understanding good fat vs. bad fat is key because oxidation of processed oil taxes your heart and clogs your arteries.

Clean-15-Dirty-Dozen-Which-Foods-to-Buy-Organic

Supplementation

Plant sterols are extracted from a plant, seed or nut into a supplement form. Sometimes, they are extracted from soybeans or rapeseeds (which is the source of canola oil) and both are considered toxic due to them being oxidized by high processing.

Pine trees are the safest supplement source for plant sterols. When not genetically modified form you can extract the phytonutrients out of it, put it in a supplement and get amazing results such as:

Reduced cholesterol by 6.4%
Reduced LDL by as much as 10%
Paired with a heart-healthy lifestyle (diet & exercise) – results are even better!

Overall, plant sterols may be a better solution than a toxic statin drug, especially if you’re worried about clogged arteries, your cholesterol being high or you just want overall good heart health.