Foods With Plant Sterols. A high LDL-C can increase your risk of heart disease. Plant sterols are found in plants like vegetables fruits wheat germ whole grains beans sunflower seeds and many vegetable oils. Small amounts of sterols are found naturally in some plants but to consume this amount you will need to consume foods that have been enriched with plant sterols some margarine spreads cheese and low fat milk. The catch is that you need to eat about 2 grams worth of added sterols or stanols every day to put a dent in your cholesterol reports the Harvard Heart Letter.
Foods that have been fortified with sterols or stanols are available. One serve approximately 1 gram sterol enriched foods. Some that have the highest amounts are. Kevin Povey in Developing Food Products for Consumers with Specific Dietary Needs 2016. Making an olive oil salad dressing is an easy way to add olive oil to the diet. 33 Plant sterols and stanols.
About 44 phytosterol types are known to exist in plants.
Plant sterols are also present in good amount in wheat germ oil and corn oil. Plant sterols provide one primary benefit. A variety of foods naturally contain plant sterols and stanols including fruits and vegetables seeds legumes nuts cereals and vegetable oils. All of these foods contain low levels of plant sterols though. Plant sterols phytosterols are cholesterol -like compounds that are found mostly in vegetable oils nuts and legumes. Plant sterols are also present in good amount in wheat germ oil and corn oil.