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The Effect of Water in Reducing Cholesterol

Drinking more water---or eating foods that contain water (like fruits and vegetables)---can help to reduce cholesterol in your body. The reason for this is a little complex and requires understanding how water works in the body once it is consumed, and the role it plays on eliminating cholesterol from the body.

  1. Cholesterol

    • When you hear the term cholesterol, you may think of low-density lipoproteins (LDL, or "bad" cholesterol), high-density lipoproteins (HDL, or "good" cholesterol), or triglycerides. You may even relate the term to heart disease. However, cholesterol is an important---and needed---component of our bodies. The problem arises when our LDL and triglyceride cholesterol levels are too high. If we are not getting enough water intake daily---and also have too much cholesterol---we are at risk for not being able to rid our body of excess cholesterol.

    Cholesterol and Water

    • Water, of course, is the most vital part of our bodies. We depend on it more than any other thing we ingest, including food. If we don't have an adequate amount of water in our bodies each day, organs cannot properly operate (including the kidneys, which remove excess cholesterol) and our body functions are slowed (including the removal of excess cholesterol from arteries).

      Since we excrete excess fluids from our body throughout the day, water must be replenished daily, regardless of our water intake the day before, if we want our bodies to function well.

    Water-Rich Foods and Cholesterol

    • The body can ingest water in two different ways: through foods or liquids. Eating fruits and vegetables is one way to meet daily water needs. Fruits in particular contain a lot of water. They are also rich in fiber. And fiber-rich foods help decrease cholesterol levels, according to Harvard University Health Services (see link in Resources Section below).

    Fiber and Cholesterol

    • Our body breaks down the foods we eat during the digestive phase and sends these particles through the blood to be absorbed by cells in the body. This includes cholesterol and all other needed nutrients that we ingest. If we have an excess of cholesterol or vitamins or fat, these are sent back to the kidneys for storage, reabsorption (put back into the blood stream), or eliminated from the body.

      Interestingly, bile acid excreted from the gallbladder---which enters the kidneys during this weeding-out phase---is more effective in decreasing excess cholesterol in the kidneys if we have eaten fiber-rich foods than if we had eaten foods high in saturated fat. This is because the fiber binds to the bile acid, preventing the cholesterol from being reabsorbed or sent back into the body. Instead, it is excreted from the body.

    Water

    • While fiber-rich (water-rich) foods play a big role in reducing cholesterol, the important role of liquid water in reducing cholesterol cannot be overstated. Water, or other liquids containing water, are needed to keep the bloodstream from becoming bogged down (especially after meals, when food nutrients are flowing to cells), and its plentiful presence ensures that normal cholesterol absorption is maintained and excess cholesterol can be better---and more frequently---eliminated.

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