Friday Aug 22, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- Dietary fiber is not as welcome as sugar and meat. But eating high amounts of fiber can reduce the risk of premature death by as much as 23%, according to a recent meta-analysis.
The study shows that a 10-gram per day increment of dietary fiber intake was associated with 11% reduced risk of premature death.
The source of a fiber made some difference. The study reveals that cereal fiber and to a lesser extent vegetable fiber were associated with reduced total mortality. But the fiber from fruits was not found correlated with any reduced risk of premature death.
Dietary fiber has been associated in other studies with reduced risk of a number of chronic diseases, which is why dietary fiber is linked to decreased risk of total mortality.
The review study was based on data from previous studies of 908,135 participants published prior to Nov 3, 2014 in PubMed and Embase databases.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that men aged 50 years or younger should have intake of 38 grams of fiber per day while men aged 51 years or older should take 30 grams. For women aged 50 year or younger, 25 grams is needed and for women aged 51 years or older should take 20 grams. Dietary fiber supplements are available. (David Liu, PHD)
Kim Y, Je Y. Dietary Fiber Intake and Total Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Am J Epidemiol. 2014 Aug 20.
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