What Are Plant Sterols?
Plant sterols, also known as phytosterols, are naturally occurring substances found in grains, vegetable oils, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Plant sterols help reduce blood levels of LDL cholesterol.
They are also added to products like yogurts, juices, and spreads, but are not commonly found in today’s Canadian market.
How to Spot Sterols
Find the nutrient claims: You may see the following claims information about plant sterol-containing products on the front of pack and/or back of pack labels.
- Primary claim: “[Serving size from Nutrition Facts table in metric and common household measures] of [product name] provides X% of the daily amount* of plant sterols shown to help reduce/lower cholesterol in adults”.
- Plant sterols help reduce [or help lower] cholesterol.
- High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease.
Look at the ingredients list: “Plant sterols” will be in the ingredients list of products with added plant sterols.
Recommended Intake
Health Canada’s recommended daily amount for plant sterols is 2 grams (2000 mg). Note that more than 2 grams offers little additional benefit and may reduce the absorption of some vitamins and minerals.
Naturally in Food:
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- See examples of some foods containing plant sterols below. Keep in mind that incorporating more plant-based foods in your diet will increase your phytosterol intake and also provide other beneficial nutrients like fibre, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Plant Sterol Amounts of Selected Foods
| Category | Serving Size | Phytosterols* (mg) |
| Fats and Oils | ||
| Corn Oil | 15 mL (about 1 tablespoon) | 120 |
| Grapeseed Oil | 15 mL (about 1 tablespoon) | 25 |
| Olive Oil | 15 mL (about 1 tablespoon) | 30 |
| Sesame Oil | 15 mL (about 1 tablespoon) | 119 |
| Vegetables and Fruits | ||
| Avocado | 1 whole, raw | 157 |
| Apple | 1 medium raw, with skin | 22 |
| Soybeans (Edamame) | 125 mL (½ cup) boiled | 48 |
| Banana | 1 medium, raw | 19 |
| Plant-Based Proteins | ||
| Almonds | 60 mL (½ cup), dry roasted, unblanched | 45 |
| Macadamia Nuts | 60 mL (½ cup), dry roasted | 52 |
| Pink Lentils | 60 mL (½ cup), boiled | 22 |
| Pistachio Nuts | 60 mL (½ cup), dry roasted | 70 |
Source: Canadian Nutrient File 2015 https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/cnf-fce/?lang=eng
*In the Canadian Nutrient File and USDA Food Composition Data databases, amounts of phytosterols in foods only include major sterols (stigmasterol, sitosterol, and campesterol). These values are likely to be underestimates of total sterol amounts. Note not all categories with plant-sterols are shown due to a lack of data.
Plant-Sterol Enriched Foods:
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- These foods have concentrated amounts of plant sterols added. Health Canada allows up to 1 gram (1000 mg) of plant sterols to be added per serving to foods like fortified fruit juice, spreads, margarine, and yogurt, however, few are available in Canada.
Supplements:
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- Plant sterol supplements may be available in your local pharmacies and health food stores. Amounts of plant sterols different depending on the product and brand (ex. 0.4 mg, 1.2 grams).
Contact a registered dietitian or your doctor for more info on plant sterols and if they are safe for you, especially if you are on medication such as statins.