Fiber-rich diet doesn't up gastrointestinal woes

[Guest guest]

Fiber-rich diet doesn't up gastrointestinal woes

NEW YORK, Apr 18 (Reuters Health) - A diet bulked up with fiber from

vegetables, fruits and whole grains can bestow its benefits without

uncomfortable side effects like bloating and stomach pain, according to

researchers.

Fiber-rich diets are widely recommended for their health benefits,

including protection against heart disease and certain cancers. The US

National Cancer Institute has suggested Americans take in 20 to 30 grams

of fiber a day, from sources such as vegetables, fruits and whole

grains. At the same time, though, the institute recommended an upper

limit of 35 grams of fiber a day, out of concern that too much fiber

might be rough on the gastrointestinal system, the authors of the report

explain.

So the researchers, led by Dr. Archana Jaiswal McEligot of the

University of California, Irvine, looked at whether a diet laden with

fiber did tend to increase discomforts such as intestinal gas, bloating,

heartburn and upset stomach. They analyzed data on nearly 1,300 women

enrolled in a study on whether dietary changes reduced the risk of

breast cancer recurrence.

McEligot's team found that, over one year, women who bulked up their

diets with fiber--often beyond the recommended upper limit--were not

more prone to bloating, upset stomach or diarrhea. Increased fiber

intake was also linked to less constipation, according to findings

published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic

Association.

Study patients assigned to the fiber-rich diet were encouraged to

consume 30 grams of fiber a day, including five servings of vegetables,

three fruit servings and vegetable juice. More than one quarter of these

women took in more than 35 grams of fiber a day.

" It is feasible and perhaps beneficial, " the researchers write, " for at

least a sizable proportion of healthy women 18 to 70 years of age to

consume higher levels of fiber...than currently recommended. "

SOURCE: Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2002;102:549-551.