Increase in the frequency of fiber-rich foods may help to halt the onset of colorectal cancer.
This study assessed the correlation between the consumption of high-fiber diets and the incidence of colorectal cancer. With the aid of food frequency questionnaires, researchers collected and evaluated data on the diets of 519,978 men and women aged 25 to 70 years who participated in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. The colorectal cancer hazard ratios of all the subjects were also determined.
Researchers found out that the high dietary ingestion of fiber-containing foods correlated with lower risk of colorectal cancer. "In populations with low average intake of dietary fiber, an approximate doubling of total fiber intake from foods could reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 40%," the authors noted.