Supplements · Metabolic & Cardiometabolic
Do plant sterols lower "bad" cholesterol?
The claim, precisely: phytosterols decreases LDL cholesterol
Yes — about 7-12% at the standard dose, but they need fat to absorb and some people don't respond.
Evidence ladder
How far up the ladder this claim has climbed. A high consensus on a low rung means "consistent so far," not "proven in people."
Top evidence so far: All trials, pooled (Meta-analysis)
How the studies fall
What the evidence shows
Plant sterols/stanols lower LDL ~7-12% at ~2 g/d (high-grade, dose-responsive), but need a fat phase to be bioavailable and have a real non-responder fraction — a poor fit for a lean sourdough unless a sterol-bearing fat phase is built in.
The evidence (3)
| Source | Grade | Stance | Quality | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ras RT, et al. (Trautwein) 2014 · Br J Nutr | meta-analysis | supports | high | 0.6-3.3 g/d -> 6-12% LDL drop, plateau ~3 g/d (124 studies); Unilever funding flag |
| Zhang 2024 2024 · Medicine | meta-analysis | supports | high | phytosterols/stanols significantly lower LDL-C and ApoB |
| Wang 2024 2024 · Phytother Res | meta-analysis | supports | high | umbrella review: consistent LDL-lowering across meta-analyses |
Educational only, not medical advice. Grades and scores reflect published evidence weighted by study design and quality; see the methodology.