Dietary Fiber May Help Reduce Risk of Death in Older Americans

We are not getting enough fiber in our diets. The “Standard American Diet” (SAD) is not a fiber-rich diet. Yet, a new study concludes that dietary fiber is beneficial, especially to older Americans.

Dietary Fiber Intake and Mortality in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study

In an article in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the conclusion of the study said, “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.”

Dietary Fiber: Study’s Findings Suggest High Fiber Diets May Increase Lifespan

“Dietary fiber, particularly those from whole grains, has been shown by a recent study published online in the Archives of Internal Medicine and reported by Webmd.com, to help reduce the risk of deaths caused by heart and respiratory diseases.

‘Our analysis adds to the literature and suggests that dietary fiber is associated with a decreased likelihood of death,’ says study researcher Yikyung Park, ScD, a staff scientist at the National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Md.

The study found that men and women who consumed the most dietary fiber ‘were 22% less likely to die from any cause when compared to study participants who ate the least amount of fiber,’ according to Webmd, which added that ‘the protective effect came mainly from cereal fiber in grains, not other sources of fiber such as fruits and vegetables.’

Diets rich in fiber tended to have the effect of decreasing high blood-sugar and cholesterol levels. Experts also suspect that fibers may possess some anti-inflammatory properties which may help explain their positive effect on diseases originating from or linked to inflammation, although more studies need to be performed in order to confirm this theory.”