Health is also achieved at the table and there are some foods that can help reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancers. For example, a diet rich in whole grains and fiber has shown to decrease the incidence of bladder cancer, as observed by a very recent scientific research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by a Dutch team (Yu et al, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2020).
Whole grains, precisely because they contain every part of the cereal, namely the bran, the germ and the endosperm, also provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and other substances that are valuable for health. The refining process removes the germ and the bran, depleting the cereal of its nutrients. Both whole grains and foods rich in fiber, such as fruit and vegetables, have been shown to be beneficial in lowering the risk of insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia and inflammation, which are all factors that can promote the onset of cancer. For this reason, the scientists tried to study a possible association between a high intake of whole grains and fiber and a reduction in the risk of bladder cancer. For this purpose, data related to the health conditions and diet of more than 570,000 people were analyzed. What emerged was that in people who consumed the highest amount of whole grains and, at the same time, the highest amount of foods rich in fiber, the incidence of bladder cancer was reduced significantly, by 28%, compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts of these foods. Not only that, this beneficial effect was more evident than the effects related to the intake of foods rich in fiber and whole grains taken individually, indicating a synergy between the two foods.
