According to a new study, young ladies who eat foods high in fiber are at a decreased risk of suffering from breast cancer in the future. The study was published in the journal Pediatrics.

Researchers have disclosed that ladies who ate high amounts of fiber during adulthood had 12% to 19% lower risk of developing breast cancer compared with ladies who ate small amounts of fiber, EurekAlert reported.

Like Us on Facebook

Maryam Farvid, lead author of the study, said that earlier studies of breast cancer and fiber intake have almost been non-significant, and none of the studies examined diet during early adulthood or adolescence, a period when risk factors for breast cancer seem to be particularly important.

In the study, the scientists have examined data from 90,534 ladies aged between 27 and 44. Information about food intake was gathered through a dietary questionnaire at the starting of the study in 1991 and each four years after.

The study participants were followed for two decades. In 1998, scientists asked the ladies on what they were consuming in high school.

The researchers studied data on the fiber consumption of young ladies and their risk of breast cancer after the 20-year study. They found 16 % and 24 % decreased risks of overall breast cancer and breast cancer before menopause, respectively.

Researchers said that consuming more foods high in fiber may decrease the breast cancer risk by reducing high estrogen levels in the blood. Estrogen, primarily in females, is associated with the breast cancer development. Estrogen is a hormone that is vital for reproductive and sexual development.

Farvid said that they recommend that parents of young girls provide many high-fiber foods at home and ensure that their kids consume enough nuts, legumes, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, fruits and vegetables in their diet, Reuters reported.

There are other health benefits of eating high fiber foods. Research shows that people consuming a high-fiber diet have a 40% reduced risk of heart disease.

Dietary fiber (particularly insoluble) may decrease your risk of diverticulitis by 40%. Furthermore, a high-fiber diet may reduce your risk of hemorrhoids by preventing the requirement for straining.

Also, a high-fiber diet may decrease the risk of kidney stones and gallstones because of its ability to help control blood sugar levels.