The Role of Fiber in Cancer Prevention

Add more fiber to your diet to boost your immune system against the risk of cancer.

Fiber, often called bulk or roughage is the part of grains, fruits, and vegetables that your body cannot digest. It helps move food through your digestive tract, playing a key role in keeping it clean and healthy by removing any cancer-causing compounds before they create harm.

Waste contains carcinogens and its best if it is removed as quickly as possible to decrease chances for any intestinal cells to be damaged and affected. Further studies reveal that a substance called butyrate is produced when the bacteria in the lower intestine breaks down fiber. This substance may inhibit the growth of tumors of the colon and rectum.

You won’t find fiber in meat, dairy, sugar or any products like white bread, white rice, donuts and pastries. Fiber is a product of nature and is found in fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The rule of thumb is the more natural and unprocessed the food is the higher the fiber content.

Unfortunately most North Americans only take in about 10-15 grams of fiber per day even though studies show that the optimal intake is 30-35 grams per day for cancer prevention.

In order to boost levels where you can experience real cancer prevention it is suggested that you replace high-fat, animal products such as fish, chicken, cheese and eggs with a variety of plant foods.

Fiber comes in both soluble and insoluble forms. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and is found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains. It helps to make you feel full and slows the release of sugars from the food into the blood reducing the risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes as well as cancer.

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and is found in most grains, bran, fruit pulp, vegetables skins and peels. This kind of fiber is most strongly linked to cancer protection and waste removal. Good sources are cereals made from bran or shredded wheat, crunchy veggies, grains, whole wheat products like pastas and rye flour.

Examples of high fiber foods that can easily be added to any diet:

Fruit: raspberries, pears, apples, strawberries, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, mango, apricots, citrus fruits, dried fruit, prunes and raisins are all high fiber.

Vegetables: dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, broccoli, peas, artichokes, carrots, corn, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes.

Whole grains: whole-wheat bread, pastas, whole grain breads, raisin bran, barley, oatmeal, oat bran muffins, brown rice, and popcorn.

Legumes: split peas, lentils, black beans, lima beans, baked beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, chick peas and black-eyed peas are all great sources of fiber.

Although you generally don’t see or taste fiber, it works wonders for the body and is a known cancer fighter found only in the cell walls of plant foods.

Although fiber supplements can help, it’s best to choose natural fiber-rich foods in order to get the full range of cancer fighting phytochemicals that fruits, veggies and grains contain.

When starting to increase your fiber intake, its best to do so gradually to avoid and intestinal discomfort. Be sure to drink plenty of water.

Replace any processed snacks with baby carrots, apples, oranges, strawberries and other fiber rich fruits and veggies.

This is just one step you can take to help your own defense against deadly diseases like cancer. To find out if you are at risk for cancer take my free 60 second test.