{"id":228272,"date":"2026-01-09T01:55:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T01:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/228272\/"},"modified":"2026-01-09T01:55:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T01:55:12","slug":"the-diet-change-everyone-should-make-to-lower-their-cholesterol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/228272\/","title":{"rendered":"The diet change everyone should make to lower their cholesterol"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fibremaxxing is the new thing in nutrition. Online health influencers are adding chia seeds, beans, oats and berries to their aesthetically pleasing meals, aiming to eat as much fibre as possible \u2013 in many cases, the entire recommended daily amount<\/a> in a single meal.<\/p>\n

In short, fibre is fast becoming nutrient royalty. It\u2019s not quite reached protein\u2019s level of hype \u2013 which Dr Emily Leeming<\/a>, dietitian and nutrition scientist at King\u2019s College London, says is currently treated as the \u201cprom king of nutrients.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Leeming thinks of fibre as the quirky wallflower in a 90s makeover movie. \u201cThey were always great, but we never fully recognised them for it.\u201d Now, fibre is ready to be a princess.<\/p>\n

But although all eyes<\/a> are on fibre right now, most of us still don\u2019t realise its full potential. Everyone knows it\u2019s great for the gut \u2013 but fibre can also do wonders for your cholesterol levels.<\/p>\n

Heart of the matter<\/p>\n

Much in the field of nutrition is disputed, but the idea that fibre is good for the heart is backed by robust, well-established science.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have big, population-based studies with very consistent evidence to show that having a higher fibre intake is protective for heart health,\u201d says Leeming.<\/p>\n

For instance, a large observational study<\/a> in 2012 found that, among more than 300,000 European men and women, those who ate more fibre were less likely to die from a heart attack<\/a> after approximately 11 years.<\/p>\n

Specifically, every 10g of fibre that a participant ate per day on average was associated with a 15 per cent lower risk of dying from a heart attack \u2013 and it didn\u2019t seem to matter whether that fibre came from wholegrains, vegetables or fruit.<\/p>\n

\"largeDifferent types of fibre \u2013 from oats to beans to berries \u2013 can team up to trap cholesterol in your gut and help flush it away – Image credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

This was just based on observational data, so we can\u2019t be sure about whether fibre caused that difference in risk \u2013 but the study\u2019s findings have been backed up again and again.<\/p>\n

For example, a 2019 review<\/a> of a variety of studies \u2013 including randomised controlled trials (the scientific gold standard for nutrition research) \u2013 found similar results.<\/p>\n

According to the results of 58 trials, people who ate more fibre improved their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which are key risk factors for heart disease.<\/p>\n

Fibre optics<\/p>\n

So, it\u2019s clear that there\u2019s a link between fibre and heart health. But to understand why fibre has this effect, it\u2019s useful to know what the nutrient actually is.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dr Federica Amati<\/a>, a medical scientist and health nutritionist currently working with wellness company ZOE, says: \u201cFibre is a type of carbohydrate formed of long strings of sugar molecules. But unlike other carbs, your body can\u2019t break it down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of being digested, fibre passes all the way through your gut to your large intestine (otherwise known as your colon), where your gut microbes start to break it down.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the gut, fibre feeds beneficial microbes, encourages those microbes to produce helpful compounds, and bulks up digested food so we do healthy and regular poops.<\/p>\n

\"MicrobiotaYour gut microbiome is home to over 1,000 different species of microbes, making it one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth – Image credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

But Amati explains that there are several types of fibre, each of which acts differently inside us. There\u2019s insoluble fibre, which stays solid as it passes through, and soluble fibre, which dissolves in liquid.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A specific kind of soluble fibre, called viscous fibre<\/a>, forms a gel-like substance when it dissolves in the gut.<\/p>\n

Oats are a good source of viscous fibre. Leave them in water or milk, and they\u2019ll turn slimy and gooey over time \u2013 exactly what they\u2019ll do in your belly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s this viscous fibre that seems to have particular heart health benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to fibre and heart health, we\u2019re really talking about the ones that have viscous characteristics,\u201d says Leeming. \u201cThis gel formation traps bile acids in the gut.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bile acids are substances that the body releases into the gut to help digest fat. And \u2013 here\u2019s the important bit \u2013 bile acids are made from cholesterol.<\/p>\n

Once bile acids have done their job, the body reabsorbs them in the small intestine, to be recycled \u2013 unless the acids encounter viscous fibre.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat this viscous fibre does is trap the bile acids and then takes them out of the system so they can\u2019t be reabsorbed,\u201d explains Leeming. \u201cThen your body has to make new bile acids out of the cholesterol that\u2019s in your blood.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

In other words, viscous fibre catches bile acids and makes them leave the body via poop. In turn, our body must make more \u2013 and it does this by pulling LDL (low-density lipoprotein), known as \u2018bad\u2019 cholesterol, from our blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, by capturing these bile acids, fibre is great at bringing down your cholesterol levels.<\/p>\n

Having too much LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream is a key risk factor for heart disease, because it increases the likelihood that cholesterol will crash into the lining of blood vessels, leading to plaque build-up in our arteries.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/p>\n

Cholesterol busters in your gut<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not the only reason that eating fibre is such a great way to protect your heart. Our gut microbes, which are boosted by fibre, may play a role too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to a recent study<\/a> from Harvard University, in the US, some microbes may feed directly on cholesterol from the food we eat, preventing it from being absorbed into the body.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Specifically, scientists found that having more Oscillobacter bacteria in the gut was linked with lower levels of cholesterol in poop and blood plasma, suggesting they might be breaking dietary cholesterol down in the gut.<\/p>\n

\"IllustrationAt any moment, your blood carries around 5g of cholesterol \u2013 all shuttled through the body inside tiny lipoproteins – Image credit: Alamy<\/p>\n

Leeming says the study is interesting as part of an emerging area of research. But it\u2019s important to note that the vast majority \u2013 80 per cent \u2013 of the cholesterol in our blood is made by the liver, not absorbed directly from food.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, even if further research confirms the cholesterol-munching properties of these bacteria, they would still have a limited effect.<\/p>\n

Pump up the fibre<\/p>\n

For both your gut and your heart, fibre-rich foods are crucial for staying healthy. But does that mean we should cram way more of it into our meals? For most of us, the answer is probably \u2018yes\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we all need to eat more fibre,\u201d says Leeming. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the best things that we can be doing for overall well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n

She explains that, in the UK, 93 per cent of us aren\u2019t eating enough fibre. On average, we\u2019re eating 20g<\/a> rather than the recommended 30g per day \u2013 and across the pond, the average US adult is eating even less<\/a> than this, at only 16g per day.<\/p>\n

\"SmilingA high-fibre breakfast can help lower cholesterol and boost heart health – Image credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n

In Leeming\u2019s words, this \u201chuge fibre deficit\u201d means that adding more fibre to our plates is likely to improve our health in a big way.<\/p>\n

That doesn\u2019t mean we should all bellyflop into the fibremaxxing deep end. Eating very large quantities of fibre \u2013 especially suddenly, when your body isn\u2019t used to it \u2013 can lead to a range of gut issues, including bloating, diarrhoea, abdominal pains<\/a>, and even trouble absorbing nutrients.\u00a0So, it may be better to add fibrous foods gradually, to give your body a chance to adjust.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re concerned about your heart health, it might make sense to prioritise sources of viscous fibre in your diet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Oats are the classic example, but plenty of other foods contain viscous fibre, including barley, psyllium husk (a common fibre supplement) and beans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Call it fibremaxxing, call it porridge for breakfast \u2013 either way, your cholesterol levels will thank you.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/p>\n