Dietary fiber in the prevention of obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases: From epidemiological evidence to potential molecular mechanisms

Figures & data

Table 1. Reductions in the risks of the various obesity-related diseases, when comparing higher and lower total dietary fiber intakes in epidemiological studies.

Study	Disease	Mean low total fiber intake (g/day)	Mean high total fiber intake (g/day)	Reduction in risk with high vs. low fiber intake (%)	P for trend
The InterAct Consortium (2015)	T2DM	16.30	29.70	18.00	0.02
Montonen et al. (2003)	T2DM	10.90	75.60	49.00	0.04
Martínez-González et al. (2002)	CVD	19.00	45.00	86.00	0.01
Bazzano et al. (2003)	CVD incidence	5.90	20.70	11.00	0.01
Bazzano et al. (2003)	CHD incidence	5.90	20.70	11.00	0.05
Wakai et al. (2007)	Colorectal cancer in men	6.70	13.40	31.00	0.02
Wakai et al. (2007)	Colon cancer in men	6.70	13.40	48.00	< 0.01
Cade, Burley, and Greenwood (2007)	Pre-menopausal breast cancer	< 20.00	> 30.00	52.00	0.01

Figure 1. Diagram summarizing potential mechanisms by which fiber reduces the risk of obesity and associated diseases.

The InterAct Consortium. 2015. Dietary fibre and incidence of type 2 diabetes in eight European countries: The EPIC-InterAct Study and a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Diabetologia 58 (7):1394–408.

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Bazzano, L. A., J. He, L. G. Ogden, C. M. Loria, P. K. Whelton, and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. 2003. Dietary fiber intake and reduced risk of coronary heart disease in US men and women: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Archives of Internal Medicine 163 (16):1897–904. doi: 10.1001/archinte.163.16.1897.

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Wakai, K., C. Date, M. Fukui, K. Tamakoshi, Y. Watanabe, N. Hayakawa, M. Kojima, M. Kawado, K. Suzuki, S. Hashimoto, et al. 2007. Dietary fiber and risk of colorectal cancer in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention: A Publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, Cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology 16 (4):668–75.

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Cade, J. E., V. J. Burley, D. C. Greenwood, and The UK Women’s Cohort Study Steering Group. 2007. Dietary fibre and risk of breast cancer in the UK Women’s Cohort Study. International Journal of Epidemiology 36 (2):431–8. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyl295.

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