Don't Funk With My Fibre

Yesterday was a sad day for Health news. Scientists concluded that based on a number of studies, the current link between dietary fibre and colorectal cancer is weak or non-existent. I'll bet this report sent a lot of people running to White Spot for burgers and Triple O sauce.

But not so fast.....What they actually found was that "some studies show a benefit, some no effect, and some even an increased risk." In other words, fibre has nothing to do with colorectal cancer.

This publication first begs the question: "You fools! How could you publish this at a time when we're fighting to get folks to eat more vegetables?!" There are other questions, too. Such as "what type of fibre are we talking about?" I can't believe that vegetable fibre - what we are meant to eat for the most part - could not be protective against diseases. Now, I could see that wheat or rice bran in the diet might not have a protective effect. These are rough outer layers stripped off natural food that's then added to a meal. Our intestinal tracts were not designed to take bits of processed foods and then put them back together again at different meals for optimal health. And what other factors could be involved?

I can't believe that eating fruits and vegetables (uncontaminated by toxins and carcinogens of course) could lead to colorectal cancer. So what is the relationship? It's either the type of fibre that makes a difference in cancer outcomes, something on the fibre (pesticides?) that affects cancer, the foods people eat alongside fibre that cause cancer (sugar?), or something besides food is responsible.

Like stress perhaps? Living in cities? Working in offices? It may well be a complex combination of things that produce cancer in an individual. I often wonder how many of these things could be man-made. Although tumours have been around for thousands of years, widespread incidences of cancer are relatively recent to the last few hundred years.

I'm certainly no expert when it comes to knowing what causes cancer nor should I be postulating. But I do know one thing: I'm going to keep eating my recommended 5 to 10 servings per day of fruits and vegetables until there is unquestionable evidence that to do so is unhealthy.