Cholesterol is not as bad as you think. They are necessary for keeping cell membranes supple and pliant. On the flip side, too much cholesterol is bad for your cardiovascular health.
Increased blood cholesterol is a precursor for atherosclerosis and peripheral artery disease. Symptoms of such diseases include dizziness, tiredness, insomnia, tingling sensation in the arms and feet and the infamous heart attack.
As a treatment, doctors prescribe statin drugs and resins that bind to cholesterol and prevent its absorption into the bloodstream. But these drugs do not solve the problem. Apart from their unfavorable side effects, these drugs only provide relief from symptoms. They are not curative.
Lifestyle modification is the best treatment for high blood cholesterol. Exercise, for example, is not only great for bone and joint health but great for your blood cholesterol too.
A second approach is diet modification. Fiber not only improves your gut health but reduces your blood cholesterol too. And here’s how.
Two Kinds of Fiber
There are two types of fiber. Soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is not readily digested because of the complexity of its carbohydrate molecules. Soluble fiber is digested and dissolves in water to form a gel-like constituency that sticks to the gut lining. Although insoluble fiber reduces fat content in the blood, soluble fiber has a more direct action in reducing blood cholesterol. About 10-25g of the soluble fiber reduces blood cholesterol by as much as 18%.1
Here’s how insoluble fiber reduces blood triglycerides:
Suppresses Appetite – Fiber is a high-density food that is rich in nutrients and low in calories. Insoluble fiber is filling, not readily digested and remains in your gut for longer. This keeps you full for a longer period and suppresses appetite and cravings. It is healthy to snack on leafy fibrous vegetables and fruits instead of potato chips and cookies.
Increases Gut Motility – Fiber gets your gut moving. Because complex carbohydrates in fiber have to be broken into smaller components, your gut muscles and enzymes work hard to get it moving down the gut.
How Soluble Fibre Reduces Blood Cholesterol.
Soluble fiber is dissolved in the small intestine to form a gel-like consistency that coats the lining of the small intestine. This jelly coat binds to bile acids in the colon, making them unavailable for circulation in the blood.2 Instead, bile acid (which contains cholesterol) is excreted in the feces. Because bile acid is needed for digestion, the gall bladder secretes more. Soluble fiber works as a catalyst in a positive feedback cycle that encourages secretion and excretion of cholesterol in the feces. Soluble fiber also reduces LDL levels in the blood. However, it has no reducing effects on HDL and triglycerides levels.3
Food Sources.
Soluble and insoluble fiber is sourced from:
Pectins – available in fruits like apples, citrus, and berries.
Hemicelluloses – Available in vegetables and mushrooms
Beta Glucan – Available in whole grains
Psyllium – Available in whole grains
Lignins – Available in nuts and seeds.
In conclusion, dietary fiber is a sustainable way of reducing blood cholesterol and improving your cardiovascular health.
References
- https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/12/5/4726
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17281-heart-healthy-eating-to-help-lower-cholesterol-levels
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-10-80