Can You Lower Your Cholesterol By Increasing Your Fiber Intake?

 

See my results below plus sample meal plans

Yes, you can, but do this with the help of your doctor or a registered dietitian. I didn't get the okay from my doctor, but you should before making dietary changes.

In March, I went to the doctor to address another health issue I was dealing with. I needed my cholesterol medicine refilled and the pharmacy didn't refill it. I got frustrated and decided to see if I could lower my cholesterol by increasing my fiber intake. I had some old cholesterol pills left and decided to take one pill a week on Sundays.

By adhering to the nutrition guidelines of 25 grams of fiber a day for women, for men it is 30 grams a day, I figured that would help me lower my cholesterol. Twenty-five grams a day is not an easy task at first but it isn't very difficult once you get the hang of it. However, you must slowly introduce fiber to your diet or you may get stomach cramps and a lot of intestinal gas.

Start with breakfast or your first meal with your fiber journey. For example, oatmeal and an apple would be 6 grams of fiber. Raisin bran and an apple will be around 10 grams of fiber. Pears have more fiber than apples. Pears have 5-7 grams of fiber per serving, and apples have 3 grams of fiber. I would do this for two weeks before adding more fiber. *Be sure to wait two or three hours before taking any medication. Also, drink plenty of water 64 ounces of water to prevent stomach cramps.

If you need help with your fiber intake, you can add a high-fiber bar or Metamucil. These fiber bars can add up to 5 grams to 15 grams of fiber per bar. My favorites are Aloha bars, No Cow, and NuGo D'lish bars. You have to experiment with a bar that suits your taste.

High Fiber Sample Menu

Breakfast

Raisin Bran 7 grams

Pear 6 grams

Total grams = 13 grams

Water

Lunch

Southwest Salad with 1/4 cup black beans added 7 grams

Total grams = 7 grams

Water

Mid-afternoon snack

Carrot sticks 1/2 cup 1.5 grams

One tablespoon of Metamucil with 8 ounces of water 3 grams

Total grams = 4.5

Dinner

Grilled Chicken breast

1 cup of broccoli 3 grams

1/2 cup of white rice 1 gram

Water

Total Cholesterol 28.5 grams

High-Fiber Meal Two

Breakfast

Aloha bar 8 grams

Apple 3 grams

Total = 11 grams

Lunch

Peanut butter wheat bread sandwich with 

two tablespoons of peanut butter 4 grams

Small side salad 2 grams

Total 6 grams

Mid-afternoon drink

Metamucil 2 teaspoons with 16 ounces

of water 6 grams

Dinner

Trout with veggies recipe 2 grams

1/2 cup of brown rice 3.5 grams

Total Cholesterol = 27.5

High-Fiber Meal Three

Breakfast

Oatmeal = 3 grams

Cup of raspberries = 8 grams

Total grams = 11 grams

Water

Lunch

Cream of broccoli soup  = 2 grams

Side Salad = 2 grams

Total grams = 4 grams

Water

Mid-afternoon snack

Pear 7 grams

Total grams = 7

Water

Dinner

Pea and Spinach Carbonara = 8 grams

Water

Total Cholesterol = 30 grams

My high-fiber diet results

I started in March. I went back to my doctor in June. He wasn't pleased that I was trying to control my cholesterol with my diet. He called for labs, and I had my blood drawn in the office that day. After waiting five days, his office called me and said to continue what I had been doing because everything looked okay. They told me that my total cholesterol was 172, the good cholesterol (HDL) was 76, the bad cholesterol (LDL) was 90.

It's the lowest my cholesterol levels have been since 2016 before I started having high cholesterol problems. In 2019, when I was taking a 40 mg pill once a week, my cholesterol was as follows: Total Cholesterol 188, HDL 75, and LDL 99. 

I want to eliminate the once-a-week cholesterol pill and see if the high-fiber diet alone can control my cholesterol. I will give you an update in a couple of months.