Fiber Up

A new study published in the British Medical Journal Review revels that getting your fill of fiber from whole grains could help ward off colorectal cancer.

Researchers found that the more total dietary fiber and cereal fiber people consumed, the lower their colorectal cancer risk. For example, people who consumed an extra 90 grams of whole grains a day also had a 20 percent lower risk of colorectal cancer.

Researchers reviewed the results of 25 studies that included nearly 2 million people. They found that for each additional 10 grams of total dietary fiber and cereal fiber consumed a day, the person's colorectal cancer risk decreased by 10 percent.

This study highlights the importance of a diet rich in fiber. Soluble fiber is most helpful in improving the digestive process. As the contents of the colon move at a better rate, there is thought to be less toxic exposure to the interior of the colon thereby reducing risk of developing colon cancer.

And beyond decreasing the risk for developing colorectal cancer, eating fiber has other health perks. A government study earlier this year suggested that the more fiber a person eats, the longer they will live. That's because of a lowered risk of death from heart, respiratory and infectious disease for men and women, as well as a lowered risk of dying from cancer for men.

The findings, which appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that people who ate the most fiber in the study had a 22 percent lower risk of death than people who ate the least fiber.

Americans don't usually get enough fiber each day, with most consuming about 15 grams -- the recommended daily dose of fiber for women is 25 grams a day, and 38 grams a day for men.

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