Fiber and cholesterol- just a quick note!

jenniferinfl

I see a lot of posts encouraging the use of fiber to lower cholesterol. While this is true, it needs to be a little more specific. There are two types of dietary fiber, soluble and insoluble. Unless it is specified on the label, you can generally assume that the fiber is insoluble. Insoluble fiber creates indigestible bulk in our waste, but it serves the important purpose of giving our intestines something to push against. Insoluble fiber helps prevent colon cancer and diverticulitis. However, insoluble fiber does not help your cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber is the stuff that helps your cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber can usually be found in oatmeal and other cereals/breads that contain oat bran. Of course, check the label, if it has soluble fiber you should see it clearly listed.

I'm sure most of you already knew that, but for the new people it seemed like an important note.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002136.htm

stines72

geez ive never seen soluble fiber on a label

claritarejoice

I take soluble fiber powdered supplements or psyllium husks.

AnswerintheSky

For those interested in a quick list of some of the best soluble fiber foods, I've compiled the following breakdown (it is not meant to be comprehensive and exhaustive):

Whole grains: oats, barley

Fruits: prunes, pears, citrus (such as oranges), and grapes, and, to a lesser extent, nectarines, peaches, plums, apples, bananas, and blackberries

Legumes (beans especially) are at the top when it comes to soluble fiber: lima, kidney, pinto, navy, black, and northern have the most, followed by lentils, chick peas (garbanzos), and black-eyed peas

Vegetables: broccoli, brussels sprouts, and carrots have soluble fiber worth mentioning


Animal products (meat, fish, chicken, dairy products, eggs) have no fiber (soluble or insoluble). But they are your source for all of your dietary cholesterol.