Tuesday Feb 23, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study published in Pediatrics suggests women eating a lot of dietary fiber during adolescence and early adulthood may significantly reduce their risk for breast cancer in late life.

The study shows women who had the highest intake of dietary fiber during early adulthood were at 19% reduced risk for breast cancer than those who had the lowest intake.   Intake of dietary fiber in adolescence also rendered a similar protective effect on breast cancer risk.

The study reveals both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber protected against breast cancer.

Those who ate the highest amounts of dietary fiber during both adolescence and early adulthood were 25% less likely to develop breast cancer compared to those who ate the lowest amounts.

Dietary fiber is found in fruit, vegetables and nuts.

The study was based on data from the Nurses' Health Study II which followed 90,534 premenopausal women for twenty years.  Participants were surveyed for their dietary habits at baseline. (David Liu)

Maryam S. Farvid, A. Heather Eliassen, Eunyoung Cho, Xiaomei Liao, Wendy Y. Chen, Walter C. Willett, Dietary Fiber Intake in Young Adults and Breast Cancer Risk, Pediatrics, March 2016.