Other Health Conditions

Fiber's Effect on Steroid Homones and Breast Cancer

Rock, C. L., S. W. Flatt, et al. (2004). "Effects of a high-fiber, low-fat diet intervention on serum concentrations of reproductive steroid hormones in women with a history of breast cancer." J Clin Oncol 22(12): 2379-87.

A high-fiber, low-fat diet intervention is associated with reduced serum bioavailable estradiol concentration in women diagnosed with breast cancer, in whom the majority did not exhibit weight loss.

Effect of Prune Consumption on the Ratio of 2-hydroxyestrone to 16a-hydroxyestrone

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 76 (2002): 1422–1427
Kasim-Karakas, S.E., Almario, R.U., Gregory, L., Todd, H., Wong, R. and Lasley, B.L.

High fiber intake has been associated with a decreased breast cancer risk. This study investigated the effects of prunes as a source of fiber on the concentrations and ratios of two estrogen metabolites: 2OHE1 and 16aOHE1. A higher urinary ratio of 2OHE1 to 16aOHE1 may be associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. Healthy premenopausal women ate their usual diet for three menstrual cycles and then consumed 100 grams (10–12 prunes) for the next three cycles. Urinary 2OHE1 and 16aOHE1 were determined during the follicular and luteal phases. Prune supplementation significantly decreased excretion of 16aOHE1 during the follicular phase of the first menstrual cycle and during the luteal phases of the first and third menstrual cycles. The 2OHE1 to 16aOHE1 ratio did not change significantly. The significance of the decrease in 16aOHE1 without a change in ratio of the two estrogen metabolites on the prevention of estrogen-dependent cancers remains to be determined.

A Diet Rich in Soluble and Insoluble Fiber Improves Glycemic Control and Reduces Hyperlipidemia Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

McIntosh, M. and C. Miller (2001). “A diet containing food rich in soluble and insoluble fiber improves glycemic control and reduces hyperlipidemia among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.” Nutr Rev 59(2): 52-5.

Subjects with type 2 diabetes who consumed a diet containing food naturally rich in fiber (e.g., 50 g fiber/day, 50% soluble) for 6 weeks had significant improvements in glycemic control and lipid levels when compared with patients who consumed a diet with moderate amounts of fiber (e.g., 25 g fiber/day, 50% soluble).