Who Knew Soluble Fiber Did So Much?

When cholesterol levels are elevated in otherwise healthy people, I begin to wonder if it’s an issue with soluble fiber intake.

A lesser known reason for elevated cholesterol levels has to do with what happens to cholesterol once it reaches the gut. After the liver processes unused cholesterol from the body, it’s released into the intestines. Here, it should bind with fiber from the food you eat and be excreted in the stool. When you don’t eat enough fiber, especially soluble fiber, the cholesterol can actually be recycled back into the blood stream, causing elevated cholesterol levels.

When soluble fiber mixes with liquids, it forms a gel that moves through the digestive tract undigested, absorbing cholesterol and clearing the intestines, thus reducing heart disease by decreasing LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and total cholesterol, among other benefits.

Sources of soluble fiber also causes the stomach to empty at a slower pace, which keeps blood sugar levels from spiking, reducing the risk of diabetes. This also gives you a feeling of fullness in the stomach, causing you to eat less, and possibly lose weight. Soluble fiber decreases constipation and diarrhea, reducing hemorrhoids and possibly colon cancer.

All one has to do to reap these benefits is add more soluble fiber to your diet. Here are some of the foods highest in soluble fiber:

• oats and oat bran
• psyllium husk
• flax seeds
• nuts
• beans, especially black, navy, kidney, and soy
• vegetables, especially avocado, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, asparagus, and turnips
• fruits, especially figs, oranges, pears, apricots, nectarines, grapefruit, and mangoes

All sources of fiber help with this process, but the above foods will help to keep things moving in the digestive tract, hopefully lowering your risk of heart disease, type II diabetes, and colon issues.

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If you would like more support with your cholesterol, feel free to schedule a consultation with me.