A diet high in fiber and probiotics has been linked to several positive health outcomes. Adding to these benefits is a new study that says that consuming more fiber and yogurt could mean a reduced risk of lung cancer.
Dietary fiber and yogurt form a combination of healthy prebiotic and probiotic respectively, thus effectively modulating the gut microbiota and metabolic pathways towards better health. It is known to help against cardiovascular disease and gastrointestinal cancer. The new study, on the basis of data gathered from 1.4 million adults over three continents, concludes that yogurt and fiber-rich diet could also mean protection against lung cancer.
“Our study provides strong evidence supporting the U.S. 2015-2020 Dietary Guideline recommending a high fiber and yogurt diet,” said senior author Xiao-Ou Shu, MD, Ph.D., MPH, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, associate director for Global Health and co-leader of the Cancer Epidemiology Research Program at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. “This inverse association was robust, consistently seen across current, past and never smokers, as well as men, women, and individuals with different backgrounds.” [1]
The participants were divided into five groups on the basis of their fiber and yogurt consumption. The group with the highest consumption was observed to have a 33% lower risk of lung cancer as compared to the group with no yogurt and low fiber consumption.
