Toast your health
Wholemean toast could have health benefits
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Wednesday, 24, Jan 2007 11:15
Eating wholemeal toast or bowls of wholegrain cereal in the mornings could help lower the risk of developing breast cancer, research has found.
Scientists at the University of Leeds (LU) discovered that fibre - particularly cereal fibre - reduces the chance of pre-menopausal women developing the cancer.
Previous research has suggested that there may be a link between a high fibre diet and a reduced risk of colon and prostate cancer.
This latest study, conducted at LU's centre for epidemiology and biostatistics and published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, tracked the eating habits and health of 35,000 women over the past seven years.
Among the pre-menopausal women, those who have the greatest intake of fibre were found to have cut their breast cancer risk in half.
No effect was found on post-menopausal women.
Lead researcher Professor Janet Cade said: "Previous research hasn't shown a convincing link between increased dietary fibre and a lower risk of breast cancer. But earlier studies didn't draw any distinction between pre- and post-menopausal women."
Of the group studied, 257 pre-menopausal women developed breast cancer. They were found to have a greater percentage of energy coming from protein, and lower intakes of vitamin C and dietary fibre.
The researchers believe that fibre could be beneficial against cancer as foods containing it are rich in zinc, vitamins and other micro nutrients which have protective anti-oxidant properties.
Fibre is also able to smooth out rises and falls in insulin levels in the body; research suggests that high levels of insulin could be a possible cause of cancer.
Finally, there is a link between breast cancer and the female hormone oestrogen. Dietary fibre has been shown to regulate this hormone in the body.
This would be particularly significant in pre-menopausal women as they naturally have higher levels of oestrogen.
Responding to the study, Ed Yong, cancer information officer at Cancer Research UK (CRU), said: "CRU already advises eating a diet rich in fibre to reduce the risk of bowel cancer. This study suggests that it could help protect against breast cancer in younger women too.
"Until now, the evidence that fibre could reduce the risk of breast cancer has been inconsistent. This study suggests that this is because any protective effects are limited to women before their menopause.
"The study further highlights the importance of eating a healthy diet for reducing the risk of cancer."