If you’re over 45, chances are you’ve seen the ads: a heroic dollop of cholesterol-lowering spread onto breakfast toast. Fortified spreads and yoghurt drinks have been recommended for their plant sterols for years, and with good reason. They work. But are they the most practical way to get your daily dose? Or, if you’d rather not eat margarine every day, are tablets a more convenient route?
Let’s unpack the science, the pros and cons, and how a quality supplement like Woods Health Plant Sterols can fit into a realistic routine.
What plant sterols do (and why you might want them)
Cholesterol in your diet and bile mixes with fat in your gut; micelles (tiny fat bubbles) ferry it to your intestinal wall for absorption. Plant sterols look enough like cholesterol to muscle into those micelles and crowd out the real thing. Result: less cholesterol gets absorbed, more leaves your body. This happens locally in the gut—sterols don’t need to get into your bloodstream to work.
- The benefit in a nutshell: Plant sterols, a type of phytosterol, help to lower LDL-cholesterol (the ‘harmful’ cholesterol) levels by reducing its absorption in the gut. Think of them as polite bouncers at the cholesterol nightclub: they take up the seats so less dietary LDL-cholesterol gets in.
- How much they help: Scientific research has shown that intakes of about 1.5–3.0 g/day, can result in around a 7-12% drop in LDL-cholesterol after a few weeks. And 0.8 g/day can help to maintain normal cholesterol levels.
- Add-on effect: Plant sterols add to—rather than replace—the effect of statins. Always check in with your GP about this if you are on statins.
- The fine print: Sterols can slightly reduce blood levels of carotenoids (like beta-carotene) because they share absorption routes; this is easily offset by eating more colourful vegetables.
Fortified foods: the case for spreads and yoghurt drinks
The classic carriers are fat-based spreads and yoghurt drinks. They’re convenient because the sterols are delivered in a food that’s typically eaten with meals.
Pros
- Evidence-rich: Many clinical trials have tested spreads and dairy-style drinks.
- “Built-in” timing: People often consume them with meals—ideal for sterols to do their job.
- Practical for some habits: If you usually use spread on toast or have a daily yoghurt drink, this is an option for you.
Cons
- Dose depends on portion: You need enough each day—often 1–3 servings. If you use a tiny smear of spread, you might not reach the 0.8 – 2.4 g/day sweet spot.
- Calories and extras: Spreads add fat and calories; yoghurt drinks can add sugar and calories. That’s fine if it fits your diet—but not ideal if you’re watching your weight or prefer olive oil or butter.
- Taste and preference: Not everyone wants a daily margarine or a sweet dairy drink.
- Cost variability: Depending on the brand and supermarket, the daily cost can be similar to or higher than tablets.
Supplements: how tablets measure up
Quality plant sterol supplements, such as The Woods Health Plant Sterols, contain concentrated phytosterols. The active ingredient is from the same family as those found in advertised spreads—just without the added calories. These plant-derived sterols are the business end of the product; they’re the reason LDL falls.
Pros
- Dose control and consistency: It’s easier to know if you’re getting 0.8–2.4 g/day when your label tells you exactly how much is in each tablet or serving.
- Calorie-free delivery: No extra fat or sugar alongside your sterols.
- Flexibility: Works for butter/olive oil loyalists, intermittent fasters and travellers.
- Budget-friendly options: Many supplements compete well on cost per gram.
Important practical tip
- Take sterol tablets with a main meal that contains some fat. That fat helps form the micelles that sterols need to block cholesterol absorption effectively. Breakfast or your largest meal is ideal.
Always check the label for:
- Amount of plant sterols per tablet (so you can reach 0.8–2.4g/day if LDL reduction is the goal, or at least 0.8 g/day for maintenance).
- Tablet type and any additional excipients if you have dietary preferences or intolerances.
So which is better for daily intake of plant sterols: fortified food or tablets?
Short answer: whichever you’ll actually use daily and at the right dose. Longer answer: here’s a practical comparison to help you choose:
- Hitting the evidence-based dose
- Spreads/drinks: Effective if you consume the full recommended amount every day. A “light scrape” on toast won’t cut it.
- Tablets: Easy to dose precisely. You can split doses with meals for comfort.
- Calories
- Spreads/drinks: Add calories (and sometimes sugar in drinks).
- Tablets: Essentially zero calories.
- Lifestyle fit
- Spreads/drinks: Great if toast and daily dairy drinks are already your habits.
- Tablets: Better if you prefer butter/olive oil, do low-carb, or dislike dairy drinks.
- Taste and variety
- Spreads/drinks: Taste varies; some love them, some don’t.
- Tablets: No change to meals.
- Cost per gram
- Spreads/drinks: Can be cost-effective, but prices vary widely by brand.
- Tablets: Often competitive, especially over a 2-3 month supply.
Support with diet and lifestyle
Sterols play very nicely with:
- Foods that contain soluble fibre (oats, barley, beans, psyllium)
- A Mediterranean-style diet (veg, fruit, legumes, nuts, whole grains, fish, olive oil)
- Regular physical activity (brisk walking plus some resistance workouts)
- Weight management and good sleeping habits
These all add up, often yielding larger cholesterol-lowering improvements than any single step on its own. A healthy, varied diet is an important part of maintaining health.
Key takeaways
- Spreads/drinks work if you take the full daily serving; tablets make dosing exact.
- Pair plant sterols with a high-fibre, healthy diet and regular activity for additional benefits.
Please consult your GP if you have any existing or new medical conditions, or are on medication, before you start taking food supplements.
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References and further reading:
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (2012). Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to plant sterols and plant stanols and lowering of LDL-cholesterol. EFSA Journal. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2693
- EFSA (2010). Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to plant sterols and plant stanols and maintenance of normal blood cholesterol. EFSA Journal. https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1813
- Demonty I, Ras RT, van der Knaap HCM, et al. (2009). Continuous dose–response relationship of the LDL-cholesterol–lowering effect of phytosterol intake. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622066421
- Katan MB, Grundy SM, Jones P, Law M, Miettinen T, Paoletti R. (2003). Efficacy and safety of plant stanols and sterols in the management of blood cholesterol levels. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.4065/78.8.965
