LACK OF FIBRE AS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS OF HIGH CHOLESTEROL

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LACK OF FIBRE AS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON REASONS OF HIGH CHOLESTEROL

The main way our body gets rid of excess cholesterol is through our bowel movements. The liver pumps excess cholesterol that is not needed into the bile, which is stored in the gallbladder. Bile then enters our intestines through an opening called Vater’s ampulla and leaves our body in bowel movements. If there is not much fibre in our diet, we don’t drink enough water and are constipated, cholesterol in bile can get reabsorbed back into our bloodstream and we end up with high cholesterol levels. Therefore, one of the best ways to lower your cholesterol is to ensure that you have regular bowel movements.

The best kind of fibre for lowering cholesterol is soluble fibre. This kind of fibre becomes a gel-like consistency in the intestines, and it is able to bind with cholesterol and other toxins in our intestines and carry them out of our body. Good sources of soluble fibre include oats, legumes such as kidney beans or chickpeas, rice, barley, apples, strawberries and citrus fruits.

Another benefit of fibre is that it slows the absorption of sugar into our bloodstream when we eat some in our meal. This means that fibre lowers the glycaemic index of a meal. This is good for reducing your risk of Syndrome X or diabetes, both major risk factors for heart disease.

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