Impact of nondigestible carbohydrates on serum lipoproteins and risk for cardiovascular disease

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is the leading cause of deat h in the U.S. and in most developed countries. Many nutritional factors con tribute to risk for ASCVD including total and saturated fat consumption, fr uits and vegetables in the diet and dietary fiber intake. This review will focus on the relationship of dietary fiber intake to risk for coronary hear t disease (CHD) and ASCVD (which includes, principally, CHD, cerebral vascu lar disease and peripheral vascular disease). Fiber-rich foods such as vege tables, fruits, whole-grain cereals and legumes are rich sources of nutrien ts, phytochemicals and antioxidants. For example, most high fiber foods con tain soluble and insoluble fiber, minerals, vitamins, other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Cereals and legumes also contain complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fatty acids. Some high fiber foods are rich in monounsatura ted fatty acids, whereas others provide (n-3) fatty acids. Legumes and cert ain vegetables provide oligosaccharides. When assessing the health benefits of dietary fiber, one should consider the potential effects of: associated nutrients, micronutrients and phytochemicals. These interactions will be r eviewed as we discuss relationships of dietary fiber to ASCVD.