Direct link found between eating fiber and anti-cancer effects which foods are best
Read it and wheat!We know fiber is essential to a healthy and nutritious diet, yet only 7% of Americans eat the recommended daily amount.A new study from Stanford Medicine underscores the importance of dietary fiber, as it may reduce the risk of cancer by altering gene activity.When we consume fiber, the bacteria in our gut break it down into small molecules called short-chain fatty acids.
Stanford researchers examined two of these 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.This means that 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 think this is likely a global mechanism because the short-chain fatty acids that result from fiber digestion can travel all over the body.”Snyder’s team tracked the effects of propionate and butyrate on healthy and cancerous colon cells and cells in the intestines of mice fed fibrous diets.Both fatty acids have been shown to suppress cell growth, encourage cellular specialization and trigger programmed cell death, especially in cancer cells.
These processes are important for disrupting or controlling the unchecked cell growth that is the hallmark of cancer.“By identifying the gene targets of these important molecules we can understand how fiber exerts its beneficial effects and what goes wrong during cancer,” Snyder said.His findings were published last week in the journal Nature Metabolism.Subscribe to our weekly Post Care newsletter! Please provide a valid email address.
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