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

Prescription medications: Prescription medications like statins, bile acid sequestrants, and fibrates lower cholesterol by facilitating its removal from the body. —Amy Brownstein, Verywell Health, 6 May 2025

Improve heart health Produce vitamin D Make bile acids, which play a role in the digestion and absorption of fats in the intestines. —Emmanuella Ogbonna, Health, 2 May 2025

So, the team decided to test whether these bile acid metabolites could actually slow tumor growth. —Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025

For example, calcium may protect against colorectal cancer by binding to potentially harmful substances in the gut, like bile acids, preventing them from damaging the gut lining and triggering cancer growth.3 2. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 28 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1881, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bile acid

• antacid
• placid

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