There was a popular medical theory, which suggested that the high fiber diet is going to keep your colon healthy and will prevent any cancer from occurring of the colon. But a new research is denying this long believed therapy.

The researchers were unable to find the supportive evidence to suggest that risk of colorectal cancer is decreased by the regular use of fiber.

It is still being said by the researchers that there are many other beneficial reasons that one should eat the recommended five to ten servings per day of fruits, vegetables and plenty of whole grains, which have a lot of fiber in them.

The researchers said that in spite of the fact that they were unable to find any connection between fiber diet and prevention of colorectal cancer, they said that high fiber diets do reduce the risk of heart diseases and diabetes according to various studies conducted.

The European research added that people who eat high fiber diet are less likely to develop colorectal cancer in about 40% of the patients as compared to the people who do not consume fiber in their diets at all.

The things that contain fiber content in them are fruits, vegetables and cereals, but on the soluble form of fibers have the ability to give a stool bulking effect, which is a source of providing health benefits.

There was an estimate given by the Canadian Cancer Society that in 2005, about 19,600 Canadians will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 8,400 will die of the disease. This disease is the second leading cancer, which kills both women and men.

In a recent study, there was a group of studies that was combined and it was found that in a population of about 725,000 there was a total of about 8,081 colorectal cancer cases identified.
On the basis of the data that was gathered from these people, it was found that the participants consumed an average of 13 to 28 grams of fiber daily. It was found that those who consumed most fiber were the ones who had a 16 percent lower rate of colorectal cancer than those who ate the least fiber rich foods. On the other hand when they adjusted for non-dietary risk factors such as exercise and for dietary factors such as red meat consumption, milk intake and alcohol, which believe to increase the risk of colorectal cancer, the benefits of fiber faded away.

The president of the Canadian Cancer Society said, “If we seriously want to reduce the risk of dying from colorectal cancer, we must immediately implement screening programs across the country.”

It is also recommended that all men and women with ages 50 to 74 must be screened for colorectal cancer with the help of a test known as fecal occult blood test, which is a laboratory test done on a stool sample. The doctors say that this test should be done every two years, and the positive tests must be followed up with a colonoscopy.

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