Greater consumption of whole grains and dietary fiber is associated with lower risks for several noncommunicable diseases, according to a Lancet meta-analysis.
Researchers analyzed just under 135 million person-years of data from 185 prospective studies and 58 clinical trials with 4635 adult participants . The highest dietary fiber intake was associated with a 15% to 31% reduction in mortality, coronary heart disease (CHD), colorectal cancer, and type 2 diabetes, compared with the lowest intake. This meant 13 fewer deaths and 6 fewer cases of CHD per 1000 adults over the course of the studies. The authors report that consuming 25–29 g of fiber daily conferred the greatest benefits.
Higher whole grain intake provided similar benefits, while a low-glycemic-index diet did not.
The authors say their work provides “convincing evidence for nutrition recommendations to replace refined grains with whole grains and increase dietary fiber to at least 25–29 g per day.” Findings from prospective studies and clinical trials associated with relatively high intakes of dietary fiber and whole grains were complementary, and striking dose-response evidence indicates that the relationships to several non-communicable diseases could be causal
Read the article here.
Source: NEJM Journal Watch
