Influence of increased fibre intake on biliary lipids

Influence of increased fibre intake on biliary lipids. The influence of dietary fibres (30 g wheat bran per day) on the lithogenicity of the bile was studied in ten healthy persons, whose body weight was 76.8 +/- 2.3 kg, height 189.9 +/- 2.1 cm, age 25.5 +/- 0.26 years. These 10 young male volunteers were given twice daily 15 g wheat bran additionally for six weeks in addition to their normal diet. The bile was obtained endoscopically prepapillarily following stimulation of the gallbladder with ceruletid. The contraction of the gallbladder was controlled sonographically. Increased dietary fibre intake resulted in significant lowering of cholesterol concentration in the bile from 3.27 +/- 0.89 mmol/1 to 2.50 +/- 0.67 mmol/1. The lithogenic index (Admirand and Small, 1968) decreased statistically significant from 1.01 +/- 0.14 to 0.67 +/- 0.11. Total cholesterol and HDL and LDL cholesterol remained unchanged; likewise, there was no change in serum triglyceride and phospholipid concentrations. Hence, an increased intake of dietary fibres of the wheat bran type should be the first dietary measure in both prevention and treatment of cholesterol gallstone disease.