Main foods rich in phytosterols
The phytosterols content of food is not a value that is usually determined. The data in the following table are extracted from the observation of commercial products and from the official tables of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Table of the main phytosterols-rich food
The following list contains foods with many phytosterols in order of highest to lowest content and per 100g:
| Amount of phytosterols in food (in mg per 100g) | |
|---|---|
| Margarine “for cholesterol” * | 9.060 |
| Margarine “for cholesterol”Flora Pro Activ * | 7.500 |
| Drinking yogurt “for cholesterol” Danacol * * | 2.000 |
| Drinking yogurt “for cholesterol” Benecol * | 1.600 |
| Rice bran oil | 1.190 |
| Sesame oil | 865 |
| Sesame (seeds) | 534 |
| Wheat germ oil | 553 |
| Dry sunflower seeds | 534 |
| Soy phytosterols supplement (1 capsule) | 500 |
| Safflower oil | 444 |
| Margarine ** | 410 |
| Shea oil | 357 |
| Cottonseed oil | 324 |
| Poppy seed oil | 276 |
| Almond oil | 266 |
| Apricot seed oil | 266 |
| Ground clove, spice | 256 |
| Refined soybean oil | 250 |
| Ground sage,spice | 244 |
| Olive oil | 221 |
| Raw pistachios | 214 |
| Peanut oil | 207 |
| Chips | 181 |
| Paprika,spice | 175 |
| Dry thyme, spice | 163 |
| Raw soybean | 161 |
| Roasted cashews | 158 |
| Fenugreek, spice | 140 |
| Roasted almonds | 139 |
| Hazelnuts | 110 |
| Peanut butter | 102 |
| Coconut oil | 86 |
| Mace, spice | 73 |
| Cooked soybean | 50 |
| Fresh rosemary, spice | 44 |
| Raw lettuce | 38 |
| Figs | 38 |
| Beet | 25 |
| Oranges | 25 |
| Asparagus | 24 |
| Brussels sprouts | 24 |
| Okra | 24 |
| Apricots | 18 |
| Cooked onions | 18 |
| Grapefruits | 17 |
| Bananas | 16 |
| Apples | 12 |
| Cherries | 12 |
| Strawberries | 12 |
| Egg, omelette | 10 |
| Melons | 10 |
| Peaches | 10 |
| Peppers, raw and cooked | 10 |
| Pears | 8 |
| Plums | 7 |
| Tomatoes, raw and ripe | 6 |
| Grapes | 4 |
| Watermelon | 2 |
* Commercial products “for cholesterol” are those to which plant sterols are added and advertised in order to lower cholesterol levels. In the market you can find brands with different quantities of these components.
** Margarine are spreadable vegetable oils. Currently most margarines are made without trans fats.
Note: Phytosterols should not be confused with phytoestrogens.
More information on phytosterols
