Fiber is Your Friend
In a recent research study published in The Lancet, investigators pooled the results from 243 studies looking at health effects of dietary fiber. They excluded any studies about fiber supplements — this was all about fiber from food. They ended up with data from over 4,600 people, and found a very strong relationship between higher dietary fiber intake and better health outcomes. Basically, intake of at least 25 grams of food fiber a day is associated with a lower weight, blood pressure, blood sugars, cholesterol, as well as lower risk of developing (or dying from) diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and breast or colon cancer. Study results were extremely consistent, and the dose-response curve was very linear, meaning the more fiber, the better the outcomes. This makes us believe the results are very real and not due to some other factor related to study participants’ diet or lifestyle.