It’s no secret that we, the education team at the Skinny Gene Project, LOVE FIBER!\u00a0 Not only can fiber-rich diets help lower your blood cholesterol level and blood sugar level, but it’s also essential for maintaining a healthy weight.\u00a0 We’ve always known that fiber was fabulous, but it just keeps getting better!<\/p>\n
\u00a0A new study shows that eating fiber from whole grain my reduce\u00a0your risk of dying from heart disease, infections, and respiratory disease!!!<\/p>\n
Study: Fiber From Whole Grains Reducing Risk Of Dying From Heart Disease, Infections, and Lung Disease<\/p>\n
By Denise Mann, WebMD Health News<\/p>\n
Reviewed by Elizabeth Klodas, MD, FACC<\/p>\n
Feb. 14, 2011 — Filling up on fiber — particularly fiber from whole grains — may reduce your risk of dying from heart disease<\/a>, infections, and respiratory diseases, says a new study published online in the Archives of Internal Medicine.<\/em><\/p>\n Men and women who ate the most dietary fiber<\/a>\u00a0were 22% less likely to die from any cause when compared to study participants who ate the least amount of fiber. The protective effect came mainly from cereal fiber in grains, not other sources of fiber such as fruits and vegetables<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cPrior studies have focused on the relationship between fiber intake and cardiovascular disease, but few have examined the link between dietary fiber and mortality,\u201d study researcher Yikyung Park, ScD, a staff scientist at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Md., says in an email. \u201cOur analysis adds to the literature and suggests that dietary fiber is associated with a decreased likelihood of death.\u201d<\/p>\n Fiber-rich diets help lower blood cholesterol levels<\/a> and blood sugar levels<\/a>, which may explain why it is considered heart-healthy. Exactly how fiber may reduce risk of death from lung disease and infections is not known, but these diseases tend to be inflammatory in origin, and fiber may have certain anti-inflammatory properties. Heart disease is also believed to be linked to inflammation.<\/p>\n Still, study authors caution, it could be that people who eat more fiber are healthier overall, and that this may be why they are less likely to die from all causes in the new study.<\/p>\n Park and colleagues analyzed data on 219,123 men and 168,999 women who completed a food frequency questionnaire in 1995 and 1996. During nine years of follow-up, 20,126 men and 11,330 women died. Risk of death was lower among study participants who ate the most fiber.<\/p>\n On average, men ate 13 to 29 grams of fiber per day, and women ate 11 to 26 grams. Overall, the risk of death from heart disease, infections, and respiratory diseases was reduced by 24% to 56% in men and by 34% to 59% in women who got the highest amounts of fiber in the study.<\/p>\n People who ate the most fiber tended to have higher education, a self-rated health status of good-excellent, a lower BMI, be physically active, and use menopausal hormone therapy (in women). They were also less likely to smoke, drink alcohol, or eat red meat. Nevertheless, even after adjusting for many of these factors, the association between survival and fiber intake remained significant.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most interesting result was that dietary fiber was protective for respiratory disease and infections,\u201d he tells WebMD in an email. \u201cThis was a big surprise. It was even more surprising that the effect appeared larger than for heart attack and stroke.\u201d<\/p>\n “Eating more fiber, particularly fiber from grains, may be related to reduced risk of dying from many different types of diseases — not just cardiovascular disease,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n The new U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that at least half of all grains consumed be whole and unrefined. The refining process removes all the bran, which contains the fiber. The goal for fiber is 25 grams per day for women 28 grams per day for men, and as it stands, most of us fall short.<\/p>\n So how can you get more fiber in your diet<\/a>?<\/p>\n \u201cThe easiest way to accomplish this would be to always choose ‘whole grain’ breads, cereals, and baked goods over ‘white’ or refined varieties,\u201d De Koning says. Specifically, breads that list “100% whole wheat flour” as the first ingredient would be a good choice over ones that list \u201cwheat flour” as the first ingredient, as this is likely refined white flour, he says.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother nice way to increase cereal fiber would be to eat cooked cereals such as steel cut oats at breakfast<\/a> instead of cold ones,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n‘Big Suprise’<\/span><\/h3>\n
Boost Fiber Now: Here\u2019s How<\/span><\/h3>\n