High-Fiber Diet Helps Prevent Colon Cancer
Published: August 1, 2005
According to new studies, a high-fiber diet helps protect against colon cancer. Colon cancer is now considered to be the second-leading cancer killer, taking the lives of nearly 28,540 men and almost as many women in the United States each year. However, deaths related to colon cancer have been declining thanks to early detection.
The Institutes of Medicine have set new daily fiber intake targets at nearly double the amount of a normal diet. They recommend men under the age of 50 eat as much as 38 grams daily and men older than 50 eat 30 grams. According to scientists, this could reduce the risk of colon cancer by nearly 40 percent.
Various studies have shown fiber is helpful in reducing the risk of other diseases such as diabetes, intestinal problems and heart disease. Studies have linked a high-fiber diet to a 41-percent lower risk of heart attack in men.
“You stand to gain a lot from dietary fiber, but to get all these benefits, you need to eat a good mix of high-fiber foods,” says Harvey Simon, M.D., editor in chief of the Harvard’s Men’s Health Watch.
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, the bran of whole grains, and the leaves and stems of plants all offer an abundance of fiber.
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