How To Reduce Cholesterol in 30 Days: The Power of Fiber

This article contains practical tips on how to reduce cholesterol in 30 days.

How Does Fiber Lower Cholesterol?

Fiber helps lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and can even reduce triglycerides. How? It essentially grabs onto cholesterol in your body, removing some of it through your stool and blocking it from being absorbed. This process not only lowers cholesterol but also improves your heart health, reducing your risk of heart disease.

Another BONUS of fiber is that it can help with weight management. We know that people who eat more fiber are slimmer than those who don’t. It's a dose-response relationship, which means the more fiber you eat, the slimmer you are likely to be. For some, if they have weight to lose, losing the extra weight can also help lower their cholesterol.

How Much Fiber Should You Eat?

Different Types of Fiber

There are over 100 different types of fiber, but to keep things simple we generally categorize them into either soluble or insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber is the "softer" type of fiber that absorbs water in the gut. It’s found in:

• Oats
• Barley
• Pulses (such as beans, peas and lentils)
• Some fruits and vegetables.

On the other hand, insoluble fiber is the "roughage" found in plant foods that our body can’t break down. It helps add bulk to your stool. You can find it in:

• Whole grains (especially the bran part of the grain)
• Vegetables
• Seeds and the skin of fruits and nuts

While the terms 'soluble' and 'insoluble' are still commonly used, they’re starting to fall out of favor. That's because we now know that other factors, like whether soluble fiber forms a gel in the gut or if a fiber is fermentable (meaning it can be broken down by gut bacteria), are also important. But for simplicity's sake, this way of categorizing fiber still works well.

The Best Type of Fiber For Lowering Cholesterol

Soluble fiber has really strong cholesterol-lowering effects. So it's your BFF if you have high cholesterol.

How does soluble fiber lower cholesterol?

Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a "thick gel" in the stomach, absorbing and pulling in water as it moves through your digestive tract. Think about oats, Weetabix, or chia seeds left on the kitchen counter. After 30 minutes, they soak up all the liquid and turn into a solid, pudding-like consistency.

So, how does this gel-like substance help lower cholesterol?

Well, it acts like a magnet or a mop. As it moves through your small and large intestines, it grabs onto cholesterol and sweeps it all the way through your digestive system, eventually flushing it out in your stool. Basically, you poo out the extra cholesterol!

Oats and barley are especially great at this because they contain a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which has a strong gel-forming effect. This is why I have listed oats and barley as one of my top four cholesterol lowering foods! You can even see this gel form on top of your oats if you leave them sitting for long enough!

But it gets even better. This gel also grabs and removes bile in your digestive tract.

Here’s where the science comes in: to make bile, your body uses cholesterol as one of the ingredients. So, when the gel removes bile, your body has to make more bile to replace what was lost. To do this, it uses cholesterol from your bloodstream, which lowers your cholesterol levels.

And finally, soluble fiber isn’t digested by your body. When it reaches your large intestine, it ferments, creating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These SCFAs are incredibly beneficial because they can help prevent your body from making new cholesterol.

Studies show that eating 10 to 25 grams of soluble fiber per day can reduce cholesterol by 5 to 10%—and that’s a significant reduction!

Let's Get Practical - How To Increase Soluble Fiber Intake

No need to stress about counting every single gram of fiber you eat—if you make these small tweaks you will easily hit your fiber needs.

• Make beans, peas, and pulses your new go-to foods. They’re absolute fiber champions! Toss them into salads, soups, or even your favorite pasta dishes. Try to use these as the base of your main dishes at least 1-2 times a week.
• Aim for at least five servings of fruits and veggies daily. Bonus points if you go for more! Here’s what counts as a portion:
  • 1 medium fruit (apple, orange, banana, or pear)
  • 2 small fruits (like kiwis or plums)
  • 1 cup of salad
  • 1 cup (80g) of cooked veggies
• Switch to whole grains. Think whole-meal bread, pasta, rice, and cereals.
• Sprinkle in some nuts and seeds. Add them to salads, yogurt, oatmeal, or even on top of your toast for an extra fiber boost. These foods can be very versatile, you just need to get creative!

If you want to take it a step further, focus on beta-glucans—a special type of soluble fiber that actively helps lower cholesterol. Studies show that just 3g of beta-glucans daily can make a real difference.

Cholesterol Lowering FAQS

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