W

Water-Soluble Fiber Food fiber (e.g., oat fiber, barley fiber, carob fiber, soybean fiber, guar gum fiber) that dissolves in water. Watersoluble fiber apparently absorbs low-density lipoproteins (LDLP) in the intestine before the fiber passes from the body; also these fibers inhibit absorption of LDLP by the body’s intestinal walls by increasing the viscosity of the intestinal contents. These two effects thus lower the amount of “bad” cholesterol (i.e., LDLP can lead to hardening or blockage of arteries) in the body and thereby lower the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Additional to those two effects, water-soluble fiber also absorbs or binds bile acid and causes it to be excreted with the fiber. This helps to lower cholesterol levels in the body (bloodstream) because the liver synthesizes (“manufactures”) more bile acids (to replace those absorbed and removed by the fiber) from cholesterol.