Reduce Cholesterol with Soluble Fiber

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If you’re trying to lower your cholesterol, you’ve probably reduced your saturated fat intake. But have you changed your diet in other ways? More specifically, have you increased your intake of soluble dietary fiber? If not, then you should. New research shows that soluble fiber effectively reduces cholesterol.

Dietary fiber, the term for the parts of plant foods that your body does not digest, is divided into two groups—soluble fiber and insoluble fiber, based on how it acts in the digestive system. Both types provide important cardiovascular benefits, but studies have shown that the four major sources of soluble fibers—beta-glucan, psyllium, pectin and guar gum—all very effectively lower LDL cholesterol (the bad kind), without affecting HDL cholesterol (the good kind). These can be found in supplements or in foods such as oats, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, berries, apples and carrots.

Researchers at Maastricht University in the Netherlands reviewed a collection of such studies and found no major differences between the different types of soluble fiber, despite their differences in molecular structure, when it comes to their effect on cholesterol. This suggests a common underlying mechanism: water-soluble fibers lower the absorption of cholesterol in particular bile acids and ultimately lead to increased LDL uptake by the liver.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: The evidence showing that increasing your soluble fiber intake can lower your cholesterol is powerful. Make sure that you are getting plenty of soluble fiber daily from foods and supplements. 25 to 30 grams a day (total—soluble and insoluble combined) is the recommendation to keep your cholesterol levels healthy and your body humming along.

Tags: apples, cholesterol, fiber, heart health, psyllium