Fiber Helps Your Heart
Inflammation (swelling) is bad for your arteries, and it ups your odds of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. One way to dramatically curb inflammation is to eat more fiber, says a new study from the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
In fact, in the study of more than 500 people ages 20 to 70, the highest fiber consumers were 63% less apt to have high blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a measure of inflammation, than those who ate the least fiber.
How much fiber? Those who averaged 22 grams of fiber daily had the lowest CRP. The USDA recommends getting about 30 g a day; most Americans eat much less than that.
High-fiber foods: whole-grain cereals, including bran and oats (check labels), legumes, almonds, fruits and vegetables.
This EatSmart column is reprinted from USAWEEKEND Magazine and is copyrighted by Jean Carper. It cannot be reprinted without permission from Jean Carper.
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