Natural Healing: Cereal Fiber Boosts Women's Health
Fiber plays a critical role in women's heart health.
By Herb Companion Staff
March/April 2000
A ten-year study reconfirms the role of fiber in women’s health, especially to reduce the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death among women.
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The study, in the June 2, 1999, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that women who ate about 23 g of fiber daily had 23 percent less chance of heart disease than women consuming less than 12 g of fiber daily. The nearly 70,000 women studied ranged in age from thirty-seven to sixty-four.
Cereal fiber was the noted champion in addition to other insoluble fiber found in brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and many fruits and vegetables. Soluble fiber—found in apples, oranges, oatmeal, barley, and beans—also plays an important role in preventing heart disease.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends consuming fiber from both groups, eating a well-balanced diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables, and plenty of exercise. In the study, the majority of women who ate more fiber also followed the AHA’s other recommendations.
Reference:
Wolk, A., et al. “Long-term intake of dietary fiber and decreased risk of coronary heart disease among women.” Journal of the American Medical Association June 2, 1999, 281(21): 1998–2004.