Stigmastanol is a plant lipid molecule that resembles cholesterol in structure. It inhibits cholesterol absorption. Sitostanol powder (1 g) reduced cholesterol absorption by only 11.3 /- 7.4% (P = 0.2), confirming in vitro data showing poor solubility of sitostanol powder in artificial bile. In contrast, sitostanol in lecithin micelles reduced cholesterol absorption by 36.7 /- 4.2% (P = 0.003) at a dose of 700 mg and by 34.4 /- 5.8% (P = 0.01) at a dose of 300 mg. Stigmasterol, which is used for the synthesis of progesterone and vitamin D3 is a potential anti-inflammatory compound. Its action is mediated by the inhibition of several pro-inflammatory and matrix degradation mediators involved in osteoarthritis-induced cartilage degradation.