Cholesterol Supplements: What Works? Soluble fiber

Below, we break down what the research does—and doesn’t—say about the benefits of the most popular supplements for lowering cholesterol.

Soluble fiber

What it is: A type of dietary fiber found in oats, barley, bran, peas, and citrus fruits.

The evidence: Each gram of soluble fiber that you add to your daily diet will lower your LDL by about 2 points, according to a 1999 review of the research conducted at the Harvard Medical School. The amount of fiber you’d need to eat to significantly lower your LDL is a bit unwieldy, however. Three bowls of oatmeal a day will only yield about 3 grams of soluble fiber, and fiber supplements can cause some gastrointestinal side effects.

The bottom line: A diet high in soluble fiber can lower your LDL. But the effect is likely to be relatively modest, and loading up on soluble fiber may be impractical.

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306863_4,00.html

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com

http://back2basicnutrition.com/