While a diet high in fiber is not associated with an increased risk of colon cancer, that's no reason to avoid eating lots of high-fiber foods. A diet high in fiber is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and diverticulosis. If that weren't enough, a high fiber diet keeps the bowels regular by preventing constipation.
Fiber
Also called roughage, fiber is undigestible matter found in plants. While there are no vitamins or minerals in fiber, it adds bulk to your stool, making it easier to pass stool from the body. If you are trying to lose weight, try increasing your fiber intake. Fiber fills you up, making you less hungry.
Harvard Study
Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, nutritionists repeated the conventional wisdom that a diet high in fiber lowered the risk of colon cancer. This assertion was based on the observation that the incidence of colon cancer was lower among people who ate high-fiber diets. This supposition was stood on its head when Charles Fuchs, M.D., et al., of Harvard University published a landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine in January, 1999. Fuchs and his group studied 88,757 women between 34 to 59 years. After 16 years of study, Fuchs observed there was no correlation between fiber intake and colon cancer. Unlike earlier studies in which other factors confounded the data, the Fuchs study controlled for many different factors.
Confirmatory Study
Fuchs' findings were confirmed in a December 2005 by a study by Yikyung Park, et al., that appeared in the "Journal of the American Medical Association." Park studied 725,628 men and women and followed their diet and health for between 6 to 20 years. This study is considered very credible because it involved such a large number of subjects and many different factors were analyzed. Park concluded "fiber intake from cereals, fruits, and vegetables was not associated with risk of colorectal cancer."
Requirements
The Harvard School of Public Health recommends that you consume 14 g of fiber for every 1,000 calories you eat. Since some healthy foods, such as cheese and yogurt, have no fiber, eating a diet high in vegetables and whole grains, is a good way to get enough fiber. Eating fruit instead of drinking fruit juice is an easy way to boost your fiber intake.
References
- New England Journal of Medicine; Dietary Fiber and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer and Adenoma in Women; Charles S. Fuchs, M.D. et al.; Jan. 1999
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source Fiber: Start Roughing It!
- Journal of the American Medical Association; Dietary Fiber Intake and Risk of Colorectal Cancer; Yikyung Park, ScD. et al.; Dec. 2005
- Medical News Today; Whole Grain, Not "Fiber" June 2007, Lowers Colorectal Cancer Risk;
