Beyond dietary fiber

Article Abstract:

A significant amount of research is underway to better understand the role diet plays in the treatment or prevention of disease. Much of this research has focused on the role of dietary fiber. However, it is difficult to combine the results of all of the studies that have been performed to form one clear picture. Part of the problem lies in the different types of dietary fiber. Basically, fiber can come in three different forms, which include purified polymers (pectin, cellulose), unpurified fibers that are highly concentrated (wheat bran, guar gum, psyllium-seed husk), and whole natural foods that are high in fiber (whole-grain breads, beans, vegetables). The results of a study designed to evaluate the role of fiber in diet and disease are likely to vary depending on the form of fiber that is used. For example, purified fiber contains only fiber, while natural high-fiber foods contain carbohydrates and a variety of other nutrients in addition to the fiber. These other compounds may exert different physiological effects. This makes it is difficult to compare the results of a study performed using purified fiber with one that used concentrated fiber or natural whole high-fiber foods. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between the different forms of fiber when trying to determine the role that fiber plays in the treatment of prevention of disease. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation

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Dietary habits, sexual maturation, and plasma hormones in pubertal girls: a longitudinal study

Article Abstract:

Several studies have reported that girls are reaching puberty and menarche (onset of menstruation) at a much younger age than they were several decades ago. This has been attributed to changes in dietary habits. Studies have reported that the amount and distribution of body fat may play an important role in determining menarche. Female sex steroids such as estrogen are required for sexual development and they are influenced by the distribution of body fat. Also, it has been reported that dietary fiber may reduce the amount of estrogen in the body by increasing the amount of estrogen that is lost from the body in feces. To investigate the relationship between diet, hormone levels and menarche, 63 pubertal girls were studied. The effects of dietary fiber and vegetable protein on menarche and breast development were determined. The girls who consumed less dietary fiber had higher blood levels of estrogen, had earlier breast development and reached menarche earlier than those who consumed more fiber in their diet. The results of this study suggest that a low-fiber diet may increase the rate of breast development and cause menarche to occur at an earlier age. These findings are significant because it has been reported that girls who mature earlier may have a greater risk of developing breast cancer. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Measurement, Physiological aspects, Growth, Growth (Physiology), Estrogen, Estrogens, Puberty, Breast, Menarche

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Diet and female sex hormone concentrations: an intervention study for the type of fat consumed

Article Abstract:

Consumption of fats with animal, but not vegetable or seafood, origin correlates with death rates from breast cancer. The mechanism by which dietary fat affects the occurrence of breast cancer is unclear. One theory is that consumption of animal-derived fats increases production of progesterones and estrogens, female sex hormones, which then may act on breast cells to encourage development of breast cancer. The effects of a diet containing chiefly fish, or a vegetarian diet, or a meat-based diet, in 39 premenopausal women (13 in each diet) over a three-month period were evaluated. Only women on the vegetarian diet had falls in levels of progesterone and estrogen. For all subjects, the levels of free estrogen significantly correlated with intake of complex carbohydrates, and levels of steroid hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), the protein that transports estrogen and similar hormones, decreased as fat consumption increased. In addition, levels of prolactin, a protein hormone, increased in proportion to dietary fat intake. Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between diet, hormonal status, and breast cancer. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Hormones, Sex, Sex hormones

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