Phytosterols are plant-based steroids that chemically have similar structures to cholesterol. They are classified into two groups, sterols and stanols.

Subtypes:

They are beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, beta-sitostanol, brassicasterol, and furostanol.

Food Sources:

Fruits: coconut, acai berry, goji berry, lemon, persimmon, plum, sea buckthorn, strawberry, and cherries.

Vegetables: alfalfa sprouts, amaranth, avocado, beets, bell pepper, cabbage, celery, cucumber, eggplant, onion, potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes, turnip, turnip greens, and yams.

Health Benefits:

1. They help reduce blood cholesterol level by competing with the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine.
2. They may improve cardiovascular health.
3. They may increase the production of male hormones.