Phytosterols (Plant sterols) can stop your body from absorbing cholesterol. Eating foods daily that have just under a gram of phytosterols can lower your LDL. Adding phytosterols to your diet in a supplement form might lower your beta-carotene level, so make sure you are also eating more fruits and vegetables in your diet.

The primary mechanism is that phytosterols compete with cholesterol for absorption in the gut.

Plant sterols have a chemical structure almost identical to cholesterol, so they enter the digestive system and compete for incorporation into micelles that transport cholesterol to intestinal cells.

Because of this competition:

• Less dietary cholesterol is absorbed

• More cholesterol is excreted in feces

• Blood LDL cholesterol drops

Research shows phytosterols can reduce intestinal cholesterol absorption by about 30–50%.

Phytosterols do lower cholesterol and they are naturally occurring compounds found in plants that are structurally similar to cholesterol. Because of this similarity, they can compete with cholesterol for absorption in the digestive tract. As a result, consuming foods or supplements containing phytosterols may help reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed into the bloodstream. For individuals seeking a more comprehensive and root-cause approach to improving metabolic and cardiovascular health, visiting a functional medicine clinic in Columbus can provide personalized guidance on nutrition, lifestyle, and targeted therapies.