Top 5 Common Food Sources of Phytosterols
Looking to get more phytosterols in your diet? Look no further! My team and I have crunched the numbers and did all the math to determine the top 5 common food sources of this phytonutrient, per serving. Overall, there’s very few foods that provide significant amounts of phytosterols per serving, so it’s important to choose a variety of phytosterol rich foods that deliver smaller amounts and and sprinkle those throughout the day. Getting enough phytosterols as part of a healthy balanced diet is important since a large collection of studies show that getting nutrients from dietary supplements or multivitamins doesn’t improve health outcomes compared to getting nutrients from foods!
| Rank | Food | Nutrivore Score | Serving Size (Raw) | Phytosterols (mg/serving) | % Recommended Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strawberries | 762 | 1 cup | 719.7 | 55 |
| 2 | Kumquats | 381 | 1 cup | 404.6 | 31 |
| 3 | Corn Oil | 103 | 1 tbsp | 134.8 | 10 |
| 4 | Canola Oil | 176 | 1 tbsp | 125.1 | 10 |
| 5 | Soybeans, Mature Seeds | 326 | 1/2 cup | 115.1 | 9 |
Want to know more about this important nutrient including what phytosterols do in the body, how much we need, and even more awesome phytosterol rich foods? Keep reading to learn all there is to know!
Learn What Foods Are the Best Sources of Every Nutrient
The Top 25 Foods for Every Nutrient
The Top 25 Foods for Every Nutrient e-book is a well-organized, easy-to-use, grocery store-friendly guide to help you choose foods that fit your needs of 43 important nutrients while creating a balanced nutrient-dense diet.
Get two “Top 25” food lists for each nutrient, plus you’ll find RDA charts for everyone, informative visuals, fun facts, serving sizes and the 58 foods that are Nutrient Super Stars!
Buy now for instant digital access.
What Are Phytosterols and What Do They Do?
Plant sterols and stanols (together, referred to as phytosterols) are a sub-group of triterpenes with a steroid hormone structure. They are fat-soluble compounds that contribute to the structure and stability of plant cell membranes. While more than 250 different phytosterols have been identified, the dominant plant sterol in the human diet is sitosterol, while the stanols stigmasterol and campesterol make up about 5% of the average dietary phytosterol intake. As a result of their structural similarity to cholesterol, phytosterols block cholesterol absorption from foods and reabsorption in the gastrointestinal tract, which lowers low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol levels, reducing atherosclerosis and heart disease risk. Research has shown that eating at least 2 grams of plant sterols per day can lower LDL cholesterol by 5 to 10% (without impacting HDL cholesterol or triglyceride levels). In addition, phytosterols have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, improve blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity, and improve the composition of the gut microbiome. Learn more about phytosterols here.
How Much Phytosterols Do We Need?
Currently there are no official guidelines for phytosterol intake requirements but we have set a recommended target of 1300 mg for adults based on Team Nutrivore’s review of the scientific literature, established with the aim of providing improvements for overall health and reduction in chronic disease risk.
Nutrient Daily Values
Nutrition requirements and recommended nutrient intake for infants, children, adolescents, adults, mature adults, and pregnant and lactating individuals.
More Food Sources of Phytosterols
Although phytosterols are found in all plant foods, the richest sources are found in unrefined plant oils, including vegetable oils, olive oil, and nut and seed oils. Good amounts of phytosterols can also be found in nuts (e.g., pistachio, pine, almond), seeds (e.g., sesame, sunflower, pumpkin), whole grains, legumes, olives, avocados, cauliflower, passion fruit, oranges and strawberries. If you’re struggling to figure out how to incorporate phytosterol-rich foods in your diet, consider working with a dietitian.
Best Food Sources of Phytosterols
The following foods have large amounts of phytosterols, containing at least 650 mg per serving (at least 50% of the recommended target).
Good Food Sources of Phytosterols
The following foods are good or excellent sources of phytosterols, containing at least 130 mg per serving (up to 650 mg).
Top 5 Common Food Sources
If you’re looking for top 5 common food sources of other important nutrients check out these posts!
cITATIONS
Expand to see all scientific references for this article.
Ajagbe BO, Othman RA, Myrie SB. Plant Sterols, Stanols, and Sitosterolemia. J AOAC Int. 2015 May-Jun;98(3):716-723. doi: 10.5740/jaoacint.SGEAjagbe. Epub 2015 May 4. PMID: 25941971; PMCID: PMC4514516.
Amiot MJ, Knol D, Cardinault N, Nowicki M, Bott R, Antona C, Borel P, Bernard JP, Duchateau G, Lairon D. Phytosterol ester processing in the small intestine: impact on cholesterol availability for absorption and chylomicron cholesterol incorporation in healthy humans. J Lipid Res. 2011 Jun;52(6):1256-1264. doi: 10.1194/jlr.M013730. Epub 2011 Apr 11. PMID: 21482714; PMCID: PMC3090246.
Assmann G, Kannenberg F, Ramey DR, Musliner TA, Gutkin SW, Veltri EP. Effects of ezetimibe, simvastatin, atorvastatin, and ezetimibe-statin therapies on non-cholesterol sterols in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008 Jan;24(1):249-59. doi: 10.1185/030079908×253663. PMID: 18053317.
Bartłomiej S, Justyna RK, Ewa N. Bioactive compounds in cereal grains – occurrence, structure, technological significance and nutritional benefits – a review. Food Sci Technol Int. 2012 Dec;18(6):559-68. doi: 10.1177/1082013211433079. Epub 2012 Oct 11. PMID: 23064524.
Cabral CE, Klein MRST. Phytosterols in the Treatment of Hypercholesterolemia and Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2017 Nov;109(5):475-482. doi: 10.5935/abc.20170158. PMID: 29267628; PMCID: PMC5729784.
Devaraj S, Jialal I, Vega-López S. Plant sterol-fortified orange juice effectively lowers cholesterol levels in mildly hypercholesterolemic healthy individuals. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2004 Mar;24(3):e25-8. doi: 10.1161/01.ATV.0000120784.08823.99. Epub 2004 Feb 5. PMID: 14764424.
Eussen SR, de Jong N, Rompelberg CJ, Garssen J, Verschuren WM, Klungel OH. Dose-dependent cholesterol-lowering effects of phytosterol/phytostanol-enriched margarine in statin users and statin non-users under free-living conditions. Public Health Nutr. 2011 Oct;14(10):1823-32. doi: 10.1017/S1368980011000164. Epub 2011 Feb 28. PMID: 21356148.
Fatahi S, Kord-Varkaneh H, Talaei S, Mardali F, Rahmani J, Ghaedi E, Tan SC, Shidfar F. Impact of phytosterol supplementation on plasma lipoprotein(a) and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2019 Nov;29(11):1168-1175. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2019.07.011. Epub 2019 Jul 30. PMID: 31582198.
Glenn AJ, Lo K, Jenkins DJA, Boucher BA, Hanley AJ, Kendall CWC, Manson JE, Vitolins MZ, Snetselaar LG, Liu S, Sievenpiper JL. Relationship Between a Plant-Based Dietary Portfolio and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Findings From the Women’s Health Initiative Prospective Cohort Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021 Aug 17;10(16):e021515. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.121.021515. Epub 2021 Aug 4. PMID: 34346245; PMCID: PMC8475059.
Grattan BJ Jr. Plant sterols as anticancer nutrients: evidence for their role in breast cancer. Nutrients. 2013 Jan 31;5(2):359-87. doi: 10.3390/nu5020359. PMID: 23434903; PMCID: PMC3635199.
Han S, Jiao J, Xu J, Zimmermann D, Actis-Goretta L, Guan L, Zhao Y, Qin L. Effects of plant stanol or sterol-enriched diets on lipid profiles in patients treated with statins: systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep. 2016 Aug 19;6:31337. doi: 10.1038/srep31337. PMID: 27539156; PMCID: PMC4990897.
Katan MB, Grundy SM, Jones P, Law M, Miettinen T, Paoletti R; Stresa Workshop Participants. Efficacy and safety of plant stanols and sterols in the management of blood cholesterol levels. Mayo Clin Proc. 2003 Aug;78(8):965-78. doi: 10.4065/78.8.965. PMID: 12911045.
Mannarino E, Pirro M, Cortese C, Lupattelli G, Siepi D, Mezzetti A, Bertolini S, Parillo M, Fellin R, Pujia A, Averna M, Nicolle C, Notarbartolo A. Effects of a phytosterol-enriched dairy product on lipids, sterols and 8-isoprostane in hypercholesterolemic patients: a multicenter Italian study. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2009 Feb;19(2):84-90. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2008.03.012. Epub 2008 Aug 31. PMID: 18762410.
Ostlund RE Jr, Racette SB, Stenson WF. Inhibition of cholesterol absorption by phytosterol-replete wheat germ compared with phytosterol-depleted wheat germ. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Jun;77(6):1385-9. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/77.6.1385. PMID: 12791614.
Poli A, Marangoni F, Corsini A, Manzato E, Marrocco W, Martini D, Medea G, Visioli F. Phytosterols, Cholesterol Control, and Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrients. 2021 Aug 16;13(8):2810. doi: 10.3390/nu13082810. PMID: 34444970; PMCID: PMC8399210.
Prasad M, Jayaraman S, Eladl MA, El-Sherbiny M, Abdelrahman MAE, Veeraraghavan VP, Vengadassalapathy S, Umapathy VR, Jaffer Hussain SF, Krishnamoorthy K, Sekar D, Palanisamy CP, Mohan SK, Rajagopal P. A Comprehensive Review on Therapeutic Perspectives of Phytosterols in Insulin Resistance: A Mechanistic Approach. Molecules. 2022 Feb 28;27(5):1595. doi: 10.3390/molecules27051595. PMID: 35268696; PMCID: PMC8911698.
Raitakari OT, Salo P, Gylling H, Miettinen TA. Plant stanol ester consumption and arterial elasticity and endothelial function. Br J Nutr. 2008 Sep;100(3):603-8. doi: 10.1017/S0007114508922546. Epub 2008 Feb 18. PMID: 18279553.
Rocha M, Banuls C, Bellod L, Jover A, Victor VM, Hernandez-Mijares A. A review on the role of phytosterols: new insights into cardiovascular risk. Curr Pharm Des. 2011 Dec 1;17(36):4061-75. doi: 10.2174/138161211798764852. PMID: 22188455.
Salehi B, Quispe C, Sharifi-Rad J, Cruz-Martins N, Nigam M, Mishra AP, Konovalov DA, Orobinskaya V, Abu-Reidah IM, Zam W, Sharopov F, Venneri T, Capasso R, Kukula-Koch W, Wawruszak A, Koch W. Phytosterols: From Preclinical Evidence to Potential Clinical Applications. Front Pharmacol. 2021 Jan 14;11:599959. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.599959. PMID: 33519459; PMCID: PMC7841260.
Shi C, Liu J, Wu F, Zhu X, Yew DT, Xu J. Beta-sitosterol inhibits high cholesterol-induced platelet β-amyloid release. J Bioenerg Biomembr. 2011 Dec;43(6):691-7. doi: 10.1007/s10863-011-9383-2. Epub 2011 Oct 4. PMID: 21969169.
Tammi A, Rönnemaa T, Miettinen TA, Gylling H, Rask-Nissilä L, Viikari J, Tuominen J, Marniemi J, Simell O. Effects of gender, apolipoprotein E phenotype and cholesterol-lowering by plant stanol esters in children: the STRIP study. Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project. Acta Paediatr. 2002;91(11):1155-62. doi: 10.1080/080352502320777379. PMID: 12463311.
Tavares AKMM, Ribas SA, Paravidino VB, Sgambato MR, Rodrigues RDRM, da Rocha CMM, Sichieri R, Cunha DB. Effect of phytosterol capsule supplementation associated with the National Cholesterol Education Program Step 2 diet on low-density lipoprotein in children and adolescents with dyslipidemia: A double-blind crossover trial. Nutrition. 2021 Feb;82:111051. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2020.111051. Epub 2020 Nov 6. PMID: 33290971.
Vezza T, Canet F, de Marañón AM, Bañuls C, Rocha M, Víctor VM. Phytosterols: Nutritional Health Players in the Management of Obesity and Its Related Disorders. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Dec 12;9(12):1266. doi: 10.3390/antiox9121266. PMID: 33322742; PMCID: PMC7763348.
Foods High in Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)
