DIETARY FIBERS FOUND TO LOWER THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) AND CHRONIC HEART DISEASE(CHD)

 Aside from keeping you "regular," eating fiber also appears to be good for your heart. A new review has shown that increased consumption of dietary fiber is associated with a significantly lower risk of CVD and CHD.
   

 For every 7 g of dietary fiber eaten daily—which can be achieved by eating two to four servings of fruits and vegetables or a serving of whole grains plus a portion of beans or lentils—the risks of CVD and CHD were each lowered by 9%, according to a new meta-analysis published December 19, 2013 in BMJ.

  

    "Lower risk of cardiovascular disease was also seen with greater intakes of insoluble, cereal, fruit, and vegetable fiber," write Diane Threapleton (University of Leeds, UK), a PhD student, and colleagues. "In addition, reduced risk for CHD was associated with greater intake of insoluble fiber and fiber from cereal or vegetable food.

    In the present meta-analysis, Threapleton et al analyzed 22 cohort studies that reported total dietary-fiber intake, fiber subtypes, and fiber from food sources and CVD or CHD events. CVD events included CHD along with fatal and incident stroke. Five studies suggested that each 7-g/day increase in insoluble fiber lowered the risk of CVD and CHD by 18%, respectively. Fiber consumption from cereals lowered the risk of CVD and CHD, as did fiber from vegetables. Fiber sourced from fruit lowered the risk of CVD only.

   

   Putting these results in perspective, Dr Robert Baron (University of California, San Francisco) gets straight to the point in his editorial, "Eat More Fiber". Although the study is limited by the potential for confounding—there is the possibility of an association between high fiber intake and other healthy behaviors—"clinicians should enthusiastically and skilfully recommend that patients consume more dietary fiber," writes Baron. This includes a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber and fiber from multiple food sources, he adds.

   SOURCES OF SOLUBLE FIBRES INCLUDE:

•   legumes (peas, soybeans,  beans)

•  oats, rye, chia, and barley

•  some fruits (including prunes, plums, avocados, berries, ripe bananas, and the skin of apples, pears)

•   certain vegetables such as broccoli, carrots

        root tubers and root vegetables such as sweet potatoes and onions (skins         of these are sources of insoluble fiber also)

•  flax seeds

• nuts, with almonds being the highest in dietary fiber

     

   SOURCES OF INSOLUBLE FIBRES INCLUDE:

• whole grain foods

• wheat and corn bran

• legumes such as beans and peas

• nuts and seeds

• vegetables such as green beans, cauliflower, zucchini, celery

• some fruits including avocado, and unripe bananas

• the skins of some fruits, including kiwifruit, grapes and tomatoes

SO PLEASE EAT HEALTHY AND STAY HEALTHY!
culled from medscape news