Plant sterols have been found to lower blood cholesterol levels & thereby reduce the risk of heart disease. According to research plant sterols are considered to be the most effective single food that can lower cholesterol as part of a healthy diet & lifestyle. Plant sterols are a group of plant chemicals with a structure similar to cholesterol. Plant sterols are not absorbed by the gut but have been found to reduce the absorption of cholesterol both from foods & from the bile that the liver discharges into the intestine.