Adherence to a diet rich in fiber and whole grains reduces up to one-third the risk of premature mortality. This is the finding of the systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 years of scientific studies, conducted on behalf of the World Health Organization and published on 10.1.19 at The Lancet. (1)
Dietary fiber and health, 243 studies compared
Researchers at the University of Otago (New Zealand), in one study commissioned dat ‘World Health Organization‘, reviewed 185 prospective studies of 135 million individuals and 58 clinical trials of 4635 adults, conducted over nearly 40 years. Aiming to assess the role of fiber and whole grains, glycemic index and glycemic load on human health.
Clinical studies considered show a significant reduction (-15-30%) in premature deaths and incidence of cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer for those who consume significant levels of dietary fiber and whole grains.
The increased intake of fiber and food full is also associated with a body mass index (Body Mass Index, BMI) and lower total blood cholesterol content.
The lead author of the research, Dr. Andrew Reynolds, explains that the findings offer compelling evidence of the desirability for individuals to increase dietary fiber intakes and replace refined grains with whole grains or otherwise ‘less refined‘. Emphasizing the value of this approach from a physiological, metabolic and gut microbiotic perspective.
The results vice versa do not allow specific benefits to be associated with reducing index and glycemic load. Professor Jim Mann, co-director of the Obesity Research Centre, New Zealand, attributes this to the fact that ‘foods with a low glycemic index or low glycemic load may also contain added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, which could reduce beneficial health effects‘.
How much fiber in the daily diet?
The daily intake of fiber WHO recommended ranges between 25 and 30 grams. However, the average consumption, globally, is less than 20 g of fiber per day. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in turn, indicated in 25 g the recommended daily requirement.
Increasing fiber in the diet is simple. In essence, you have to base the own meals and snacks on vegetables and whole fruits, whole grains and legumes. Hiring every day five servings of whole fruit and/or vegetable, replace bread pasta and rice with the integral versions or semi-greed, choose breakfast cereals with quality fiber such as oats, rye e buckwheat. Insert legumes into the diet 2-3 times a week, take moderate amounts of dried fruits and/or oilseeds.
Dario Dongo and Carlotta Suardi
Notes
(1) Cf. Andrew Reynolds et al., corn ‘High intake of dietary fiber and whole grain foods reduces risk of non-communicable diseases‘ (2019), on The Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31809-9
INRAN Guidelines for a healthy Italian diet. 2003.
Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU) LARN: Reference Intake Levels of Nutrients and Energy for the Italian Population, 4th revision, 2014.
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Nutritionist biologist, ADA II level master at the University of Milan Bicocca. External lecturer at LUNEX University, Luxembourg.
