Worriers Against Cancer -- Fiber

Very few specific foods or drinks have been shown to significantly increase or reduce the risk of cancer. EPIC studies have found that eating foods high in fiber can reduce the risk of bowel cancer.  Some other large studies also support these findings. But few found that fiber does not affect bowel cancer risk, these studies don’t represent large populations.

Fiber could protect against colorectal cancer in different ways like

• It triggers the production of helpful chemicals. Bacteria in the bowel interact with fiber to produce several chemicals including butyrate.
• Soluble fibers increases the frequency of bowel movements, hence reducing the residence time of harmful chemicals in the body.
• Bioactive compounds in fiber sources also play important role in cancer prevention.

Cardiovascular diseases, Cancer And Bile Acid Binding

In vitro bile acid binding can be used as tool to evaluate cholesterol lowering and cancer risk reduction ability of food. Bile acid are end product of cholesterol metabolism, synthesized in liver and required for fat absorption in gastrointestinal tract. Absorbed fat metabolism leads to cholesterol production in body. Bile acid binding of food prevents their reabsorption and stimulates blood and liver cholesterol conversion into bile acid. Secondary bile acids increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Excretion of bile acid is the major route cholesterol removal from the body. Bile acid binding values determined relative to Cholestrymine ( Bile acid binding, cholesterol lowering drug) binding is a cost effective method for screening foods and food fractions to evaluate their health promoting potential.

Studies suggest that cooked whole grain hard, red winter and hard white winter wheat have significantly higher health promoting potential than their cooked pearled grain counter-parts. It shows red colour associated with whole grain may not necessarily indicate high health benefits.  

Rice and wheat brans have significantly higher Bile acid binding capability than corn and oat bran.Wheat fiber and bran binds bile acid, provides bulk in feces hence prevent colon cancer. Studies show milling improves Bile acid binding. It could be concluded that finer particle size whole grain flour have higher health beneficial effects.

It's been found that process technologies (extruding, shredding, toasting and flaking) and fortification could be used to enhance bile acid binding capability of ready to eat cereals.

"Whole grains and cereals made from whole grains and bran (rice, oat and barley) and legumes, when consumed regularly, can help lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers and improve public health."

Reference:
Health promoting potential of Cereals, Grain fractions, and beans as determined bu their in vitro bile acid binding by T.S Khalon
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