A new, large population-based study supports the current recommendations for women to increase their consumption of fiber-rich whole grains, fruits and vegetables to protect against heart disease.

In the study, researchers asked female health professionals participating in the Women's Health Study to answer questions on their eating habits. None of the women had a history of cardiovascular disease. The researchers then tracked the nearly 40,000 respondents for an average of six years to see which had heart attacks, strokes, or other signs of heart disease.

They found that the women who ate the most fiber were the least likely to have developed heart disease. Because there was very little difference in the amounts of fiber eaten by the women in this study -- the equivalent of less than one bowl of high-fiber cereal -- the authors suggested that these results may actually be a underestimation of the role of fiber in protecting the heart.

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Source:  American College of Cardiology. Study adds support to idea that high-fiber diets protect women's hearts. Highlights from the Jan. 2, 2002 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Jan. 4, 2002.