What Is Cholesterol Reabsorption?

The liver and intestines synthesize cholesterol each day. This substance is also recycled, with about half being reabsorbed in the intestinal tract and small bowel.

Function

• Cholesterol is necessary to produce hormones, bile acid, and vitamin D, and to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A and E. Once these tasks have been carried out, some of the cholesterol is transported back to the liver for disposal, while the rest is reabsorbed and re-enters the bloodstream.

Reabsorption Reduction

• Fiber plays a major role in deterring cholesterol reabsorption by bile acid sequestration. This means that plant-based fibers in the gut bind to bile acids, thereby preventing the release of cholesterol into the intestines for reabsorption.

Soluble Fiber

• Soluble fiber has a broom effect in the intestines. Specifically, it helps to prevent cholesterol reabsorption by "sweeping" away low-density lipopoteins (LDL) that cholesterol uses as a vehicle to navigate the bloodstream. LDL is commonly known as the "bad" kind of cholesterol since it promotes arterial blockages.

Plant Sterols

• Plant sterols reduce cholesterol reabsorption by competing with cholesterol molecules in the intestines.

Drug Intervention

• Ezetimibe (Zetia) is a medication that interrupts cholesterol reabsorption by binding to specialized proteins in the cells of the small intestine.