High-Fiber Diet May Reduce Lifetime Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease


USA Today (3/23, Hellmich) reports, “A high-fiber diet appears to reduce your lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease, especially if you are consuming lots of fiber when you are young and middle-aged,” according to a study presented this week at the American Heart Association conference. After analyzing “dietary-recall data from more than 11,000 people, ages 20 and older, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,” researchers found that “people who are in the top 25% of dietary fiber intake — that is, they consume more than 22 grams of dietary fiber a day — are more likely to have a lower lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease.” HealthDay (3/22, Dotinga) also covered the story.
Eating Whole Grain Cereal May Reduce Risk For Developing Hypertension. HealthDay (3/22, Reinberg) reported that, according to a study presented Tuesday at the American Heart Association conference, “eating breakfast cereal — especially whole grain cereal — may reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure.” After examining “data on 13,368 male doctors who took part in the Physicians Health Study I,” researchers “found about a 20 percent decreased risk of developing hypertension in those who consumed whole grain breakfasts cereals at least seven times a week.”