Effect of wheat bran on serum lipoproteins and biliary lipids.

In this study nine patients with gallstones and nine healthy volunteers were given a high bran diet for 4 weeks. At the outset and at 4 weeks bile specimens were obtained for determination of biliary lipid values, size of the bile-acid pool and bile-acid ratios, and blood specimens were drawn to determine the serum concentration of triglycerides and of lipoprotein-bound cholesterol. Three patients with gallstones remained on the high bran diet for 6 months or more and samples were analysed again. The high bran diet produced a substantial decrease in biliary cholesterol values in patients with gallstones after 4 weeks, and a significant increase in the concentration of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol in the serum of patients who course was followed for 6 months or longer.