CAN INCREASING DIETARY FIBER REDUCE RISK OF BOWEL CANCER?
TWO SUPPORTIVE STUDIES ADD TO THE CONTROVERSY. (March 2004) In the 1970s, a high dietary fiber intake was thought to be responsible for a low occurrence of bowel cancer in certain populations. But, the majority of recent studies, including intervention studies with defined amounts of dietary fiber or fiber supplements, have shown no protection against either benign growths in the lower bowel that could become cancerous (polyps) or against bowel cancer. Those reports have dampened the enthusiasm even of avid fiber proponents. That enthusiasm may be rekindled by two articles in the May 3, 2003 issue of the respected British journal, The Lancet. In the first study, a large number of people with benign growths in the bowel (polyps) were compared with controls without polyps in regard to dietary fiber intake. Risk of polyp in the upper part of the large bowel (the colon) was reduced by 16 percent for those with average daily fiber intake (about 20 grams) as compared with those with low fibe
