Foods with enhanced levels of plant sterols can help lower cholesterol.

Cholesterol-lowering plant sterols research

Plant sterols are the latest weapon in war against heart disease.

• 7 November 2007 | Updated 14 October 2011

• What are sterols and why are they of interest?
• What CSIRO is doing?
• How will this information help?

Dr Peter Clifton leads CSIRO research into an important new weapon in the war against heart disease - plant sterols.

What are sterols and why are they of interest?

Sterols are lipids (fats) found in the cells of all organisms where they have a number of important functions. Sterols from plants can lower cholesterol (which is also a sterol).

Plant sterols are in everyday foods including nuts, seeds and vegetables, but are present at quite low levels.

50 per cent of Australians have elevated cholesterol levels, which puts them at higher risk of heart disease. Lowering cholesterol levels by 10 per cent can reduce heart disease risk by 25 per cent or more.

What CSIRO is doing?

According to Dr Clifton sterol-fortified margarine trials conducted by CSIRO have confirmed that LDL or 'bad' cholesterol can be reduced by up to 10 per cent within three weeks in men and women with elevated levels.

To optimise this effect however, would require eating at least 20g or four teaspoons of sterol-fortified margarine a day. 

Another CSIRO volunteer trial involved a range of foods enriched with plant sterols including bread, milk, cereal and yogurt, making sterol-fortified foods easier to incorporate in the average diet.

About 60 Australians with cholesterol levels above 5 mmo/L (the current desirable limit) were involved in the trials, in collaboration with the Baker Research Institute and Sydney University.

Cholesterol levels were lowered by sterols in these test foods.

How will this information help?

Although the cholesterol-lowering effect of plant sterols has been known for more than 40 years, the ability to incorporate them easily into foods is a recent development.

Hereditary factors, and being male, increase heart disease risk - and there's not much you can do about that. But changing your diet marginally is a small step that can have a big impact on reducing that risk.

The trial results have established the benefits and safety of sterol-fortified foods and help place more foods containing plant sterols onto Australian supermarket shelves.

Find out more about CSIRO's work in Food.