The content of phytosterols in wheat differs according to grain variety. In a 2008 experiment, the Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology at University of Helsinki, Finland, analyzed five varieties of wheat: winter; spring; durum, or hard wheat; spelt; and einkorn and emmer wheat -- two of the first varieties human beings cultivated. The highest sterol contents were found in spelt, durum wheat and einkorn wheat. Often, small wheat kernels rich in bran and lipid content show higher levels of phytosterols.
Genetically related to wheat and barley, rye is a cereal cultivated in Europe since ancient times. It contains about 38.4 to 46.5 mg of plant sterols per 0.25 cup of grain and a high concentration of stanols, in the range of 23 to 26 percent. However, the processed grain can show different sterol and stanol content. Rye flour contains about 15 percent stanols, while whole-meal flour has 19 percent and rye bran has 29 percent stanols.
Aztecs cultivated amaranth, one of the earliest known food grains. However, European grain crops replaced this indigenous grain over time in Mexico. Amaranth seeds, extremely small with a yellowish-brown color, can be prepared and consumed as rice.You can find this grain in many health food shops as of 2011. Amaranth has high levels of high-quality protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, copper and phytosterols, and it has twice as much iron as wheat.
Corn is among the most genetically modified cereal grains. Different hybrid varieties often show distinct sterol and stanol contents, which can range from 662 to 1205 mg per kg. However, corn oil has about 100 to133 mg per tbsp. of sterols -- the highest content when compared with other vegetable oils such as olive oil (10.7 to 11.1), sunflower oil ( 27.5 to 53.3) and canola oil (89.1 to 91.3).