In addition to helping people lose weight and increase energy levels, fiber can be beneficial for reducing breast cancer.
The recent studies as released by the Pediatrics Journal reveals the surprising fact that high consumption of fiber rich foods in teenage will lower the risk of breast cancer in the pre-menopause periods.
Fibers and health have been interconnected from quite some time. High fiber in the diet means better digestion, less storage of fat and free bowel movement.
According to the studies conducted on a huge population of 44,000 women about their food diet using the questionnaires, the researchers have come up with the above conclusion. The follow up over the years with the same population has helped to narrow down the results.
Girls who took at least 24 g of fiber in their food diet during teenage are less affected by breast cancer than the girls who took less fiber (<19 g) at the same age.
"The more fiber you eat during your high school years, the lower your risk is in developing breast cancer," Kimberly Blackwell, a breast cancer specialist at the Duke Cancer Center, mentioned. "There is longstanding evidence that dietary fibers may reduce circulating estrogen levels."
Maryam Farvid, the lead author of the study and a fellow researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health mentioned that the relation between cancer risk and fiber intake is time-sensitive. The teenage is the age when the possible breast cancer risk factor appear in the body, says, Farvid.
However, it can be a tough job making the teenagers follow a specific diet pattern.
According to Kristi King, a dietician at Texas Children's hospital the solution for this is to explain the relationship between fiber diet and Breast cancer. As they would know at least one person with breast cancer, it will touch the nerve in the right way.
The fiber intake should be 25 g per day for women and 38 g per day for men. The best way is to add fiber to every meal, according to King. That can be done in the form of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and even beans including popcorn.
