Plant sterols (also known as phytosterols), are proven natural cholesterol lowering foods. They lower total cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol levels by as much as 10 to 15 percent. In nature, small quantities of natural plant sterols can be found in a range of foods, particularly vegetable oils. On average, Americans consume about 250mg of plant sterols per day. While vegetarians typically consume in the range of 400-750 mg daily, even they consume levels significantly below the recommendations of the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association: 2-3g (2000-3000mg) of plant sterols daily to lower cholesterol. Fortified foods or supplements are typically required to obtain these levels.

Kardea Nutrition offers both foods with plant sterols and dietary supplements with plant sterols. For other sources of plant sterols, see Foods with Plant Sterols.  Our goal is to allow you to obtain thereapeutic levels of plant sterols (2-3 grams/day) in ways that fit into your eating habits and lifestyle.

Plant Sterol Research:

February 2011: Phytosterols in a Western Diet: Daily supplements of phytosterols were associated with a 20 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol levels in metabolic syndrome patients on a Westernized type diet.

A daily 4 gram dose of plant sterols in an enriched yogurt was associated with a 20 percent drop in LDL cholesterol, 16 percent drop in total cholesterol, and a 19 percent decline in triglyceride levels, despite the volunteers maintaining their habitual western-type diet, according to results of a randomized placebo-controlled study published in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.

June 2010 :"Plant sterols and stanols for healthy ageing" Maturitas: The European Menopause Journal Volume 66, Issue 2 , Pages 158-162, June 2010

Plant sterols consumption is known to decrease low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels by up to 15%, and thus lower cardiovascular disease risks like.  Plant sterols have recently been investigated for the prevention of other age-related diseases. Plant sterols may also have other potential beneficial effects including anti-atherogenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer activities. Overall, dietary intervention strategies, such as incorporating phytosterol into a healthy diet, should be recommended and implemented in older adult populations in order to prevent aging-associated diseases and hence promote healthy ageing.