Are Plant Sterols Safe for Lowering Cholesterol? @NutritionFactsOrg
Are Plant Sterols Safe for Lowering Cholesterol?  @NutritionFactsOrg
Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
If you don’t want to wait for all the videos to be released, Dr. Greger compiled all the information into his latest book, Lower LDL Cholesterol Naturally with Food (nutritionfacts.org/book/portfolio/), available as a softcover, ebook, and audiobook. (All proceeds Dr. Greger receives for all his books are donated directly to charity.)

Are there any downsides to taking cholesterol-lowering phytosterol supplements? Safety concerns regarding phytosterolemia, red blood cell fragility, oxysterols, and the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients are addressed.

This is the seventh video in an extended series on the critically important topic of how to lower LDL cholesterol, the primary driver of our primary killer. In this series, we take a deep dive into ways we may lower our cholesterol through diet. We’ll explore the Portfolio Diet, plant sterols, and cholesterol-lowering supplements, foods, herbs, and spices, then conclude with my Portfolio Plus Powder recipe “cooking” video.

If you missed the previous videos in this series, see:
• Why Isn't Everyone on Cholesterol-Lowering Statin Drugs? (nutritionfacts.org/video/why-isnt-everyone-on-cholesterol-lowering-statin-drugs)
• How Effective Are Statins? (nutritionfacts.org/video/how-effective-are-statins)
• The Side Effects of Statins: Are They Worth It? (nutritionfacts.org/video/the-side-effects-of-statins-are-they-worth-it)
• What Is the Best Statin Cholesterol-Lowering Drug? (nutritionfacts.org/video/what-is-the-best-statin-cholesterol-lowering-drug)
• How to Lower Cholesterol with the Portfolio Diet (nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-lower-cholesterol-with-the-portfolio-diet)
• Are Plant Sterols Effective for Lowering Cholesterol? (nutritionfacts.org/video/are-plant-sterols-effective-for-lowering-cholesterol)

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Have a question about this video? Leave it in the comment section at nutritionfacts.org/video/are-plant-sterols-safe-for-lowering-cholesterol and someone on the NutritionFacts.org team will try to answer it.

Want to get a list of links to all the scientific sources used in this video? Click on Sources Cited at nutritionfacts.org/video/are-plant-sterols-safe-for-lowering-cholesterol. You’ll also find a transcript and acknowledgements for the video, my blog and speaking tour schedule, and an easy way to search (by translated language even) through our videos spanning more than 2,000 health topics.

Thanks for watching. I hope you’ll join in the evidence-based nutrition revolution!
-Michael Greger, MD FACLM

Captions for this video are available in several languages; you can find yours in the video settings. View important information about our translated resources: nutritionfacts.org/translations-info

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Are Plant Sterols Safe for Lowering Cholesterol?

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