Dietary fiber associated with decreased mortality

January 01, 0001

Dietary fiber associated with decreased mortality

Dietary fiber has been hypothesized to lower the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. These US authors examined dietary fiber intake in relation to total mortality and death from specific causes in the NIH (National Institutes of Health)-AARP Diet and Health Study, a prospective cohort study. Diet was assessed using a food-frequency questionnaire at baseline. Cause of death was identified using the National Death Index Plus.

They found: "During an average of 9 years of follow-up, we identified 20,126 deaths in men and 11,330 deaths in women. Dietary fiber intake was associated with a significantly lowered risk of total death in both men and women (multivariate relative risk comparing the highest with the lowest quintile, 0.78 in men and 0.78 in women). Dietary fiber intake also lowered the risk of death from cardiovascular, infectious, and respiratory diseases by 24% to 56% in men and by 34% to 59% in women. Inverse association between dietary fiber intake and cancer death was observed in men but not in women. Dietary fiber from grains, but not from other sources, was significantly inversely related to total and cause-specific death in both men and women."

The authors concluded: "Dietary fiber may reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular, infectious, and respiratory diseases. Making fiber-rich food choices more often may provide significant health benefits."

Though this does not demonstrate causality it adds to our knowledge about the characteristics of a healthy diet.

For the full abstract, click here.

Arch Intern Med 171(12):1061-1068, 27 June 2011 © 2011 to the American
Dietary Fiber Intake and Mortality in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Yikyung Park, Amy F. Subar, Albert Hollenbeck, Arthur Schatzkin. Correspondence to Dr. Park: [email protected]

Category: T. Endcrine/Metabolic/Nutritional. Keywords: dietary fiber, mortality, cohort study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Linda French, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 15 July 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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