Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Soluble Fiber Lowers CholesterolFruitsVegetables and MushroomsNuts and SeedsWhole GrainsLegumesFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How Soluble Fiber Lowers Cholesterol
Fruits
Vegetables and Mushrooms
Nuts and Seeds
Whole Grains
Legumes
Frequently Asked Questions
Soluble fiber can help to lower cholesterol levels, primarily yourlow density lipoprotein(LDL) or “bad” cholesterol. It also may offer benefits in controlling blood glucose (sugar) levels for those living withdiabetes, managing digestive disorders, and limiting risk of some cancer types.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and changes to a gel consistency in the intestines. Although there are widely availablesupplementsthat contain soluble fiber, many food sources offer pectin, psyllium, and other types of soluble fiber to lower cholesterol.
This article explains how soluble fiber can lower cholesterol and the types of soluble fiber found in food sources. It lists a number of foods you can choose to help reduce your cholesterol levels.
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Soluble fiber works to bindbile acidsin your small intestine, causing them to be excreted from the body through your feces. Since cholesterol is needed to make bile acids to aid in the digestion of fats, additional cholesterol may be kept from the blood stream and lower the level in the blood.
Consuming soluble fiber mainly affects your LDLcholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends that you should maintain a diet with at least 28 grams (g) of totaldietary fibereach day, sourced from food rather than supplements.
Soluble fiber and insoluble fiber are the two main types of dietary fiber. Soluble fiber tends to slowdigestionand nutrient absorption, while insoluble fiber—which doesn’t attract and absorb water— tends to speed it up.
There are several different forms of soluble fiber found in foods, including:
Soluble fiber absorbs liquid, so keep in mind that when you add it to your diet you’ll want to boost your fluid intake, too.
All types of fruit — including berries, bananas, and citrus fruit — contain varying amounts of soluble fiber. Types of soluble fiber seen in fruits include pectin and certain hemicelluloses.
So whether you are grabbing fruit as a snack or blending it into a smoothie, it’s one way to get your soluble fiber. Some options include:
Keep in mind that people living with diabetes may need to be more careful about their fruit choices.
Can You Eat Fruit With Diabetes?
Vegetables are good sources of fiber, but they contain significant amounts of insoluble fiber too.
The amount of soluble fiber found in veggies ranges widely. Whereas a cup of raw cucumbers may contain about 0.2 g of soluble fiber, the same amount of broccoli or turnips may contain more than 3 g of soluble fiber.
Mushrooms can also serve as a source of soluble fiber and are higher in beta-glucan. One cup of uncooked mushrooms may contain about 0.1 g of soluble fiber. However, this can vary according to the type of mushroom.
Even still, vegetables are high in many types of nutrients while being low in fat and calories, so feel free to pile them on your plate while avoiding dips, spreads, and other dressings high in cholesterol and fats.
Research has shown that plant-based diets are linked to lower cholesterol levels.Vegan diets may offer benefits because of the higher fiber intake, but vegetables vary widely in terms of how much soluble fiber they offer.
Can Vegans Have High Cholesterol?
Not only arenutshigh in omega-3 fats, protein, and minerals, they also contain varying amounts of soluble fiber. Studies have shown that a handful of nuts—including walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or pecans—can modestly improve your lipid profile.
Two whole walnuts contain 0.1 g of soluble fiber, whereas 10 large peanuts can contain up to 0.6 g. Seeds—and their husks—contain soluble fiber as well. A tablespoon of sunflower or sesame seeds contains about 0.1 g of soluble fiber; the same amount of flaxseeds contains up to 1.1 g of soluble fiber.
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Somewhole grainsare chock-full of soluble fiber—including types such as beta-glucan and psyllium. If you are looking for whole grains to include in your low-fat diet, make sure to include these whole grains to maximize your soluble fiber intake.
Whole grains contain varying amounts of soluble fiber per serving. For example, one-half cup of cooked barley may contain roughly 0.8 g of soluble fiber whereas a three-fourths cup of oat bran can contain up to 2.2 g of soluble fiber per serving.
How Oatmeal Lowers Cholesterol for Heart Health
Legumes are another surprising source of soluble fiber. This food group includes:
One-half cup of your favorite legume may contain anywhere between 0.5 to 2.4 g of soluble fiber. Legumes are very versatile and can be added to almost any dish—so feel free to add otherhigh fiber foodsto your legumes to maximize your soluble fiber intake for the day.
Yes. There’s evidence that soluble fiber improves blood glucose control, and can help with weight loss.It also offers heart health benefits to those who may be more at risk for stroke and other cardiovascular conditions due to living with diabetes.Learn MoreHow Fiber Helps Manage Diabetes
Yes. There’s evidence that soluble fiber improves blood glucose control, and can help with weight loss.It also offers heart health benefits to those who may be more at risk for stroke and other cardiovascular conditions due to living with diabetes.
Learn MoreHow Fiber Helps Manage Diabetes
Learn MoreHigh Cholesterol Diet: What to Eat and Avoid
Fiber supplements might help with cholesterol but it depends on which ones. Keep in mind that only supplements containing soluble fiber, like psyllium, act to reduce cholesterol in the body.Some products only help with digestion, so be sure to read the label if you want soluble fiber.Learn MoreDo Fiber Supplements Lower Cholesterol Levels?
Fiber supplements might help with cholesterol but it depends on which ones. Keep in mind that only supplements containing soluble fiber, like psyllium, act to reduce cholesterol in the body.Some products only help with digestion, so be sure to read the label if you want soluble fiber.
Learn MoreDo Fiber Supplements Lower Cholesterol Levels?
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Evans CEL.Dietary fibre and cardiovascular health: a review of current evidence and policy.Proc Nutr Soc. 2020;79(1):61-67. doi:10.1017/S0029665119000673American Heart Association.Sound the fiber alarm! Most of us need more of it in our diet.National Institutes of Health.Soluble vs. insoluble fiber.Yokoyama Y, Levin SM, Barnard ND.Association between plant-based diets and plasma lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nutr Rev. 2017;75(9):683-698. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nux030Weickert MO, Pfeiffer AFH.Impact of dietary fiber consumption on insulin resistance and the prevention of type 2 diabetes.J Nutr. 2018;148(1):7-12. doi:10.1093/jn/nxx008Torres E, Goicoechea M, Hernández A, Rodríguez Ferrero ML, García A, Macías N,et al.Efficacy of Evolocumab vs low-density lipoprotein cholesterol apheresis in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and high cardiovascular risk (EVOLAFER01).J Clin Apher.2020 Jan;35(1):9-17. doi: 10.1002/jca.21752.Lambeau KV, McRorie JW.Fiber supplements and clinically proven health benefits: How to recognize and recommend an effective fiber therapy.Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. 2017;29(4):216-223. doi:10.1002/2327-6924.12447Additional ReadingRolfes SR, Whitney E.Understanding Nutrition.13th ed. Cengage Learning; 2013.Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (PDF), July 2004, The National Institutes of Health: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Evans CEL.Dietary fibre and cardiovascular health: a review of current evidence and policy.Proc Nutr Soc. 2020;79(1):61-67. doi:10.1017/S0029665119000673American Heart Association.Sound the fiber alarm! Most of us need more of it in our diet.National Institutes of Health.Soluble vs. insoluble fiber.Yokoyama Y, Levin SM, Barnard ND.Association between plant-based diets and plasma lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nutr Rev. 2017;75(9):683-698. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nux030Weickert MO, Pfeiffer AFH.Impact of dietary fiber consumption on insulin resistance and the prevention of type 2 diabetes.J Nutr. 2018;148(1):7-12. doi:10.1093/jn/nxx008Torres E, Goicoechea M, Hernández A, Rodríguez Ferrero ML, García A, Macías N,et al.Efficacy of Evolocumab vs low-density lipoprotein cholesterol apheresis in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and high cardiovascular risk (EVOLAFER01).J Clin Apher.2020 Jan;35(1):9-17. doi: 10.1002/jca.21752.Lambeau KV, McRorie JW.Fiber supplements and clinically proven health benefits: How to recognize and recommend an effective fiber therapy.Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. 2017;29(4):216-223. doi:10.1002/2327-6924.12447Additional ReadingRolfes SR, Whitney E.Understanding Nutrition.13th ed. Cengage Learning; 2013.Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (PDF), July 2004, The National Institutes of Health: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Evans CEL.Dietary fibre and cardiovascular health: a review of current evidence and policy.Proc Nutr Soc. 2020;79(1):61-67. doi:10.1017/S0029665119000673American Heart Association.Sound the fiber alarm! Most of us need more of it in our diet.National Institutes of Health.Soluble vs. insoluble fiber.Yokoyama Y, Levin SM, Barnard ND.Association between plant-based diets and plasma lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nutr Rev. 2017;75(9):683-698. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nux030Weickert MO, Pfeiffer AFH.Impact of dietary fiber consumption on insulin resistance and the prevention of type 2 diabetes.J Nutr. 2018;148(1):7-12. doi:10.1093/jn/nxx008Torres E, Goicoechea M, Hernández A, Rodríguez Ferrero ML, García A, Macías N,et al.Efficacy of Evolocumab vs low-density lipoprotein cholesterol apheresis in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and high cardiovascular risk (EVOLAFER01).J Clin Apher.2020 Jan;35(1):9-17. doi: 10.1002/jca.21752.Lambeau KV, McRorie JW.Fiber supplements and clinically proven health benefits: How to recognize and recommend an effective fiber therapy.Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. 2017;29(4):216-223. doi:10.1002/2327-6924.12447
Evans CEL.Dietary fibre and cardiovascular health: a review of current evidence and policy.Proc Nutr Soc. 2020;79(1):61-67. doi:10.1017/S0029665119000673
American Heart Association.Sound the fiber alarm! Most of us need more of it in our diet.
National Institutes of Health.Soluble vs. insoluble fiber.
Yokoyama Y, Levin SM, Barnard ND.Association between plant-based diets and plasma lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nutr Rev. 2017;75(9):683-698. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nux030
Weickert MO, Pfeiffer AFH.Impact of dietary fiber consumption on insulin resistance and the prevention of type 2 diabetes.J Nutr. 2018;148(1):7-12. doi:10.1093/jn/nxx008
Torres E, Goicoechea M, Hernández A, Rodríguez Ferrero ML, García A, Macías N,et al.Efficacy of Evolocumab vs low-density lipoprotein cholesterol apheresis in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and high cardiovascular risk (EVOLAFER01).J Clin Apher.2020 Jan;35(1):9-17. doi: 10.1002/jca.21752.
Lambeau KV, McRorie JW.Fiber supplements and clinically proven health benefits: How to recognize and recommend an effective fiber therapy.Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. 2017;29(4):216-223. doi:10.1002/2327-6924.12447
Rolfes SR, Whitney E.Understanding Nutrition.13th ed. Cengage Learning; 2013.Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (PDF), July 2004, The National Institutes of Health: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Rolfes SR, Whitney E.Understanding Nutrition.13th ed. Cengage Learning; 2013.
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