Phytosterols are plant compounds built a lot like cholesterol but from the plant kingdom. In your gut they get in the way of cholesterol, so you absorb less of it from food.
Shoot for 1 to 3 grams a day, ideally with a meal that contains fat. Fortified spreads, yogurts, and supplements can all get you there, though the body only takes up a small portion no matter the source.
Skip these if you have sitosterolemia, a rare condition that makes sterols pile up. Phytosterols can also lower how much beta carotene and vitamin E your body pulls from meals.