Discovering plant sterols

PLANT sterols have been the subject of much scientific research since the 1950s. In essence, they are naturally occurring plant constituents, and studies have shown that they can inhibit the absorption of dietary cholesterol. This in turn implies that they may be supportive of a healthy cardiovascular system.

In fact, a meta-analysis of 41 trials have shown that intake of 2g per day of sterols reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by 10%. The analysis found that the effects of the sterols were additive with diet or drug interventions (ie rendered even more effective with such interventions).