Eating high fiber foods improves health and protects against serious illness

The study found that people with diets high in fiber and whole grains were less likely to develop heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other chronic diseases than those consuming poor foods fiber.

The study, commissioned by the World Health Organization, revealed that each increase of eight grams of fiber consumed per day was offset by a 5 to 27 percent decrease in the total number of deaths, heart disease , type 2 diabetes and colon cancer. The risk of stroke and breast cancer has also decreased.

The study found that fiber intake between 25 and 29 grams per day was a good target for those seeking to improve their health. But data published in the Lancet medical journal also suggests that consuming more fiber may offer better protection.

"Our findings provide compelling evidence of dietary guidelines focused on dietary fiber and the use of whole grains rather than refined," said Jim Mann, professor at the University of Otago , New Zealand, co-author of the research. "This reduces the risk of a wide range of serious illnesses and deaths."

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The study shows that the majority of people in the world consume less than 20 grams of dietary fiber a day. A nutrition advisory committee in Britain has recommended 2015 to increase dietary fiber to 30 grams per day, but only 9% of British adults could achieve this goal. In the United States, adults consume on average about 15 grams of fiber per day.

According to Mann, the health benefits of dietary fiber available in foods such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits come from their chemical composition, their natural properties and their impact on metabolism.

"High fiber foods that require a lot of sugar and retain much of their digestive structure increase the feeling of fullness and help control weight." Fibers in the large intestine of endemic bacteria have many other effects, including the prevention of colorectal cancer.