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Adding Natural Plant Sterols To Your Diet

Where are plant sterols found?

Plant sterols, sometimes called phytosterols, are naturally found in some vegetable oils, nuts, grain products, fruits and vegetables. Natural plant sterols occur in many foods, but at low levels, so it would be very challenging to get enough plant sterols for effective cholesterol reduction through whole foods alone. It would take about 100 pounds of fruits, vegetables or nuts to get 2 grams of natural plant sterols. So how can you add plant sterols to your diet?

Is Your Diet Rich Enough in Plant Sterols?

Eating a healthy diet that includes natural plant sterols daily with meals can reduce LDL cholesterol. Foods containing at least 0.4 grams per serving of plant sterols eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 0.8 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

How does your diet stack up? Use this table to see the amount of plant sterols you get in a day according to what you usually eat.

DIETARY SOURCE SERVING SIZE CALORIES FAT SAT FAT TRANS FAT PLANT STEROLS**
Promise activ™ SuperShots™ 3 oz. bottle 70 3.5 g 0 g 0 g 2.0 g
Promise activ™ Buttery Spread* (formerly known as Take Control®) 1 Tbsp 80 8 g 1 g 0 g 1.0 g**#
Promise activ™ Light Spread* (formerly known as Take Control®) 1 Tbsp 45 5 g 1 g 0 g 1.0 g**#
Almonds 1 oz 164 14 g 3.8 g 0 g 0.03 g
Apple 1 large 110 0 g 0 g 0 g 0.025 g
Avocados 1 small 227 20 g 2.9 g 0 g 0.13 g
Corn Oil 1 Tbsp 120 13 g 1.8 g 0 g 0.13 g
Olive Oil 1 Tbsp 119 13.5 g 1.9 g 0 g 0.03 g
Orange Juice with plant sterols 8 oz. 110 0 g 0 g 0 g 1.0 g+
Oat Bars with plant sterols 1 bar 160 4 g 0.5 g 0 g 0.4 g
Peanuts, raw 1 oz. 161 13.9 g 1.9 g 0 g 0.062 g
Spinach, raw 1 cup 7 0.06 g 0 g 0 g 0.003 g
Tomato, raw 1 medium 22 0.25 g 0 g 0 g 0.009 g
Walnuts, dried 1 oz. 175 16.7 g 1.0 g 0 g 0.031 g

USDA Nutrient Database unless otherwise specified.
* www.promisehealthyheart.com
+ www.minutemaid.com
** In some foods plant sterols are combined with a fatty acid from a vegetable oil to form a plant sterol ester (this improves the solubility of the plant sterols in foods low in saturated fat). About 65% of the plant sterol ester is plant sterol.
# Contains 1.7g plant sterol esters, providing 1.0 g of plant sterols.