Dietary fiber intake is associated with reduced risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease among Japanese men and women.

Frequent consumers of fiber-rich foods, especially cereals and fruits, are less likely to die from cardiovascular ailments, such as coronary heart disease.

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between regular consumption of fiber-rich foods and the incidence of cardiovascular mortality among Japanese men and women. Using self-administered food frequency questionnaires, researchers collated and analyzed data on the dietary fiber consumption rate of 58,730 Japanese men and women within the age bracket of 40-79 years. The cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio of each participant in this study was also ascertained.

Researchers observed a lower incidence of deaths from cardiovascular ailments, such as coronary heart disease, among habitual consumers of high fiber diets rich in cereals and fruits. The cardiovascular mortality risk-lowering effect of dietary fiber was found to be stronger in women than in men in this study. The results of this study show support the growing body of evidence that high fiber diets may be vital in the prevention of deaths from cardiovascular-related diseases.