Read it and wheat!
We all know fiber is important to a healthy and nutritious weight-reduction plan, yet only 7% of Americans eat the beneficial every day amount. A recent study from Stanford Medicine underscores the importance of dietary fiber, as it could reduce the chance of cancer by altering gene activity.
After we eat fiber, the bacteria in our gut break it down into small molecules called short-chain fatty acids. Stanford researchers examined two of those byproducts — propionate and butyrate.
They found that these compounds can modify histones, the proteins that help package DNA, making DNA more accessible and influencing gene expression.
Because of this in certain situations, propionate and butyrate can suppress cancer-promoting genes and activate tumor-suppressor genes.
“We found a direct link between eating fiber and modulation of gene function that has anti-cancer effects,” Stanford genetics professor Michael Snyder explained. “We expect this is probably going a world mechanism since the short-chain fatty acids that result from fiber digestion can travel everywhere in the body.”
Snyder’s team tracked the results of propionate and butyrate on healthy and cancerous colon cells and cells within the intestines of mice fed fibrous diets.
Each fatty acids have been shown to suppress cell growth, encourage cellular specialization and trigger programmed cell death, especially in cancer cells. These processes are vital for disrupting or controlling the unchecked cell growth that’s the hallmark of cancer.
“By identifying the gene targets of those vital molecules we will understand how fiber exerts its helpful effects and what goes mistaken during cancer,” Snyder said.
His findings were published last week within the journal Nature Metabolism.
Considering the rise in colorectal cancer, especially amongst younger people, Snyder suggests optimizing diets with fiber to enhance health and diminish cancer risk.
Fiber is thought to advertise regular bowel movements, help stabilize blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and contribute to overall heart health.
The American Heart Association recommends getting at the least 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day from food — though most Americans only eat around 15 grams a day.
“It is usually the case that individuals’s weight-reduction plan may be very fiber-poor, and which means their microbiome will not be being fed properly and can’t make as many short-chain fatty acids because it should,” Snyder said. “This will not be doing our health any favors.”
Tips on how to incorporate fiber into your weight-reduction plan
Stephanie Schiff, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Northwell Huntington Hospital, shared five major ways to get more fiber into your weight-reduction plan.
- Whole grains — oatmeal, barley and bulgur wheat
- Beans, peas and legumes — black beans, navy beans, lentils and split peas
- Fruits — avocados, raspberries, blackberries, pears and apples
- Vegetables — broccoli, asparagus, artichokes and brussels sprouts
- Nuts and seeds — chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and almonds
Read it and wheat!
We all know fiber is important to a healthy and nutritious weight-reduction plan, yet only 7% of Americans eat the beneficial every day amount. A recent study from Stanford Medicine underscores the importance of dietary fiber, as it could reduce the chance of cancer by altering gene activity.
After we eat fiber, the bacteria in our gut break it down into small molecules called short-chain fatty acids. Stanford researchers examined two of those byproducts — propionate and butyrate.
They found that these compounds can modify histones, the proteins that help package DNA, making DNA more accessible and influencing gene expression.
Because of this in certain situations, propionate and butyrate can suppress cancer-promoting genes and activate tumor-suppressor genes.
“We found a direct link between eating fiber and modulation of gene function that has anti-cancer effects,” Stanford genetics professor Michael Snyder explained. “We expect this is probably going a world mechanism since the short-chain fatty acids that result from fiber digestion can travel everywhere in the body.”
Snyder’s team tracked the results of propionate and butyrate on healthy and cancerous colon cells and cells within the intestines of mice fed fibrous diets.
Each fatty acids have been shown to suppress cell growth, encourage cellular specialization and trigger programmed cell death, especially in cancer cells. These processes are vital for disrupting or controlling the unchecked cell growth that’s the hallmark of cancer.
“By identifying the gene targets of those vital molecules we will understand how fiber exerts its helpful effects and what goes mistaken during cancer,” Snyder said.
His findings were published last week within the journal Nature Metabolism.
Considering the rise in colorectal cancer, especially amongst younger people, Snyder suggests optimizing diets with fiber to enhance health and diminish cancer risk.
Fiber is thought to advertise regular bowel movements, help stabilize blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol and contribute to overall heart health.
The American Heart Association recommends getting at the least 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day from food — though most Americans only eat around 15 grams a day.
“It is usually the case that individuals’s weight-reduction plan may be very fiber-poor, and which means their microbiome will not be being fed properly and can’t make as many short-chain fatty acids because it should,” Snyder said. “This will not be doing our health any favors.”
Tips on how to incorporate fiber into your weight-reduction plan
Stephanie Schiff, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Northwell Huntington Hospital, shared five major ways to get more fiber into your weight-reduction plan.
- Whole grains — oatmeal, barley and bulgur wheat
- Beans, peas and legumes — black beans, navy beans, lentils and split peas
- Fruits — avocados, raspberries, blackberries, pears and apples
- Vegetables — broccoli, asparagus, artichokes and brussels sprouts
- Nuts and seeds — chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and almonds
