The Big”C” - Can Fiber Beat Back Cancer?

By Alex white, MD

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We all know that fiber plays a very important role in our diets, but what most people don't realize is that getting enough fiber in their diet is essential to more than their digestive system. Many nutritionists, doctors and medical specialists claim that high-fiber diets can do everything from helping people lose weight, to regulating blood sugar levels.   There is even evidence that a high-fiber diet can help reduce the incidence and severity of allergies and asthma.  But what about other conditions and ailments?  Can fiber help fight cancer?

Although there is no conclusive evidence that fiber can cure cancer, there is evidence that fiber can assist in maintaining a healthy body that is better able to ward off the “Big C”. For more than 60 years, clinicians have realized that people who ingested a lot of fiber had a lower incidence of cancer. 

Case in point: In 1950, Irish surgeon Dr. Dennis Burkett traveled to Africa as a missionary to treat those in need of medical care. One of the things that Dr. Burkitt discovered was that the Africans he treated had a very low incidence of cancer.

“To my surprise, there was no need for concern for the Africans when it came to colon cancer because neither the women or the men had any of those diseases”

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The doctor also took it one step further when he also found no concern with any of African men young or old when it came to their prostate. Dr. Burkitt accounted this result to their high fiber diet. The point is that even as far back as the 1950’s fiber seemed to play an important role in warding off cancer.  The problem is that American’s as a rule eat a low-fiber, high fat diet, which some researchers believe could contribute to the development of cancer. 

There is a lot of information contained in modern medical literature about the relationship of fiber and cancer. For years, studies pointed to fiber speeding up the digestive tract. This decreased the amount of time carcinogens stayed in the body. These carcinogens have been known to contribute to colon cancer and rectal tumors. It turns out that certain types of bacteria in the gut breaks down the fiber in the lower intestine producing a substance called butyrate which in return may inhibit cancerous growths.

It also turns out that fiber can also help inhibit the chances for contracting breast cancer. A study published this year in Pediatrics, concluded that high school girls who ate a lot of fiber had a 24 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer before menopause than classmates that ate less fiber. (The study involved 44,000 women.) During this and other research, it was discovered that fiber helped lower estrogen levels.  Women with high estrogen levels are believed to be at a much higher risk of developing breast cancer.  http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/01/464854395/a-diet-high-in-fiber-may-help-protect-against-breast-cancer

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High-fiber diets have also been linked to a decreased incidence in everything from mouth, throat and esophageal cancer, to prostate cancer.  So why isn’t everybody eating more fiber?  The problem it turns out is cultural in nature.  Just as in the 50’s when Dr. Burkitt first made the connection between fiber and cancer, there is a big different between the diets of those living in Africa with those living in the US.  Africans then and now eat a lot of corn, beans and other high-fiber foods.  Meanwhile, Americans consume a lot of processed food.  A report by WebMD reported that,

“When the researchers zeroed in on study participants who really stuck to a high-fiber, low-fat diet, as opposed to those who were less consistent, they did find a link between eating lots of fiber and fewer tumors.”  Electra Paskett, PhD, director of cancer prevention and control at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.  http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/fiber-cancer#1

Currently, most Americans only ingest about 10 to 15 grams of fiber per day.   Physicians recommend that we should take in 30 to 35 grams a day. It’s easy to see why fiber is so important to our health. But doubling or tripling the amount of fiber you eat every day can prove to be problematic.(Think of how much fruit, veggies and nuts you would have to eat to get an extra 15-20 grams of fiber per day.)  For most people, this is simply not realistic. 

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That doesn’t mean that there isn’t an alternative.  One way to increase your intake of fiber without radically altering your diet is to use a fiber supplement.  Just make sure that the supplement you choose is free from additives and artificial sweeteners.

Whether it's aspartame, fillers or flavoring, many fiber supplements have additives. Microbefiber™ has NO additives! The contents of our product is designated by the FDA as GRAS, which is the FDA designation that a substance added to food is considered safe by experts and so is exempted from the usual Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). Try Microbefiber™ and you will see the difference!

In closing, I want to point out that even with all the articles, case studies and other information available, to date no study or any medical research has been able to conclusively prove that fiber prevents cancer.  However, there is a growing body of evidence that does point in that direction.

In order for any of us to realize the benefits of a high-fiber diet, we have to make a real commitment to modifying our eating habits. While I certainly recommend adding fiber to your diet, please check with your personal physician before making this kind of nutritional change. I also know that not everyone is ready to make this kind of a commitment right now, especially during the holidays. That’s another reason why I make sure I satisfy my daily fiber requirements through MicroFiber. 

Here’s to a safe and happy holiday season from me to you.

Alex White, MD is the Clinical Research Director of MicrobeFiber