Low Fiber Linked to Cardiovascular Disease Risks

Dietary fiber, which previous studies have shown may assist in lowering blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and inflammation, is thought to play an important role in reducing cardiovascular risk. Cheryl R. Clark, from Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues analyzed data collected on 23,168 subjects in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2010, assessing for the role dietary fiber plays in heart health. Observing that among a nationally representative sample of American adultsthe consumption of dietary fiber was consistently below the recommended total adequate intake levels across survey years, the researchers found that prevalence of the metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and obesity decreased with increasing quintiles of dietary fiber intake. Compared with participants in the lowest quintile of dietary fiber intake, participants in the highest quintile of dietary fiber intake had a statistically significant lower risk of having the metabolic syndrome, inflammation, and obesity. The study authors urge that: "Low dietary fiber intake from 1999-2010 in the US, and associations between higher dietary fiber and a lower prevalence of cardiometabolic risks suggest the need to develop new strategies and policies to increase dietary fiber intake."