Plant sterols are plant components that have a chemical structure similar to
cholesterol except for the addition of an extra methyl or ethyl group; however,
plant sterol absorption in humans is considerably less than that of
cholesterol. In fact,
plant sterols reduce
cholesterol absorption and thus reduce circulating levels of
cholesterol. Earlier studies that have tested the efficacy of
plant sterols as
cholesterol-lowering agents incorporated
plant sterols into fat spreads. Later on,
plant sterols were added to other food matrices, including juices, nonfat beverages, milk and yogurt, cheese, meat, croissants and muffins, and cereal and chocolate bars. The beneficial physiologic effects of
plant sterols could be further enhanced by combining them with other beneficial substances, such as olive and
fish oils, fibers, and
soy proteins, or with exercise. The addition of
plant sterols to the diet is suggested by health experts as a safe and effective way to reduce the risk of
coronary heart disease.