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bile acid
noun
plural bile acids
: any of several steroid acids (such as cholic acid) that occur in bile especially in the form of bile salts, are produced chiefly in the liver from cholesterol, and aid in the intestinal breakdown and absorption of fat
Approximately 500 mg of cholesterol is converted into bile acids each day in the adult human liver.—David W. Russell
Examples of bile acid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This involves medicines that contain bile acids that can break up small stones.
—Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 4 Sep. 2024
Lastly, all fibers altered the small-intestinal microbiota and portal bile acid composition.
—New Atlas, 22 July 2024
Decrease bile acids in the gastrointestinal tract Help to prevent obesity, which is associated with cancer risk
Screening Is Key to Prevent Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer typically affects older men, and Black men have a much higher risk than White men.
—Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 29 Feb. 2024
The reason, the team determined, was that their guts contained higher levels of bile acids, which would normally be broken down by gut microbes.
—Kenneth Miller, Discover Magazine, 11 Dec. 2023
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Word History
First Known Use
circa 1881, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near bile acid
Cite this Entry
“Bile acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bile%20acid. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
bile acid
noun
: any of several steroid acids (such as cholic acid) that occur in bile especially in the form of bile salts, are produced chiefly in the liver from cholesterol, and aid in the intestinal breakdown and absorption of fat
In the intestine, bile acids are essential for the absorption, transport, and metabolism of dietary fats and lipid-soluble vitamins.—Li Tiangang and John Y. L. Chiang, Pharmacological Reviews
More from Merriam-Webster on bile acid
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bile acid
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