Filed under: Diet, NutritionFor those looking to lower cholesterol through diet, you may not have heard yet about stanols and sterols. So what are they? Sterols and stanols both occur naturally (in small amounts) in many plants and act in your digestive system much like cholesterol -- so they essentially "get in the way" and block real cholesterol from being absorbed into your body. By making sure you get the recommended 2 gms per day of stanols and sterols in your diet (usually through fortified foods such as margarine, orange juice, cereals, and numerous other items) you could lower your cholesterol by as much as 20 points.That being said, sterol/stanol fortified foods are not recommended for everybody. Really only people who are looking to lower their cholesterol, or have a history of heart attack, should incorporate them into their diet on a regular basis.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Cardio Blog)