It’s long been known that a fiber rich diet is good for your health. It promotes healthy digestion, reduces cholesterol, and helps you to lose weight. It is also known that a fiber plays an important part in the prevention of diseases such as diabetes, gallstones and heart disease.

Now, yet another disease can be added to the list. Researchers at the University of Leeds have found that a high fiber diet helps to reduce the risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. The results were based on a seven year study of over 35,000 women whose diets and health were monitored during this period.

Of the women, aged 39 to 65, those who consumed a minimum of 30 grams of fiber per day had their risk of breast cancer reduced by up to 50% in comparison to those whose intake was less than 20 grams. The researchers noted several factors that contributed to this positive effect:

·       High fiber foods are rich in vitamins and antioxidants.

·       A high fiber diet is key to maintaining healthy insulin levels.

·       Fiber plays a major role in the regulation of estrogen.

According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 178,000 women and over 2,000 men in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone. With statistics like these it can only benefit us to increase the fiber in our diets. If you haven’t done so already, switching to whole grain breads, pastas and breakfast cereals and adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet can do a great deal to improve your health and increase your longevity.