Plant sterols are white powders with mild, characteristic odor, insoluble in water and soluble in alcohols. They have many applications as food additives, and in medicine and cosmetics.

As a food additive, plant sterols have cholesterol-lowering properties (reducing cholesterol absorption in intestines), and may act in cancer prevention. plant sterols naturally occur in small amount in vegetable oils, especially soybean oil. One such plant sterols complex, isolated from vegetable oil, is cholestatin, composed of campesterol, stigmasterol, and brassicasterol, and is marketed as a dietary supplement.