Plant sterols and stanols are two types of phytosterols. Research shows that phytosterols can cut down the amount of cholesterol absorbed into our intestines by half, according to a 2017 scientific review published in Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia. This produces reductions in LDL cholesterol levels, otherwise known as “bad” cholesterol. In addition, phytosterols are also thought to boost the excretion of cholesterol from the body. However, most of us could stand to increase our intake of phytosterols. Consuming 2 grams of phytosterols daily has been linked with an 8% to 10% decrease in LDL cholesterol, but most Americans are getting only about 300 milligrams of these compounds each day.
In a 2012 study published in the Journal of Cereal Science, researchers examined the bioactive compound makeup of wheat grain and bran. As outlined in the research, cereals are among some of the most phytosterol-rich food sources, with the greatest amounts found in the bran and germ fractions of wheat grain. As for legumes, researchers from a 2018 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry analyzed dietary phytosterol intake among people in China. Legumes were found to have the second-highest concentration of phytosterols with 129.6 to 275.6 milligrams per every 100 grams.