When nineteen "free-living" male students, who normally ate 231 (SEM 14) g white bread/d changed to wholemeal bread for a 19-week period, there was no significant change in body-weight, plasma cholesterol or plasma triglyceride levels. These values, as well as plasma concentrations of calcium, phosphate, urate and haemoglobin, remained essentially the same as those for a control group. 2. Increasing the wheat-fibre intake by eating wholemeal bread is not an effective method for reducing blood lipids levels, at least in healthy young men with a moderate bread intake.