Eating a diet that contains high amounts of fiber and yogurt may help prevent lung cancer, according to a new study out of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The results build upon a growing body of research on the health benefits associated with eating both products, particularly the positive changes fiber and yogurt have on gut health.
Yogurt is a fermented food product, meaning it contains a large number of beneficial bacteria. Dietary fiber, meanwhile, is essentially fuel for the bacteria found in one’s gut, helping support one’s gut microbiome and, as a consequence, overall health. Regularly eating fermented foods and high amounts of dietary fiber have been linked to many health benefits.
In addition to supporting the gut microbiome and digestion, studies have found that yogurt and high fiber foods may help protect against gastrointestinal cancer and cardiovascular disease. The latest study also suggests that consuming these two foods may also help protect against lung cancer.
The findings result from an analysis of data from past studies that collectively involved around 1.4 million people in Europe, Asia, and the US. Breaking down the numbers, the researchers found that people who ate the largest quantities of dietary fiber and yogurt had a huge 33-percent drop in lung cancer risk compared to the people who ate the lowest quantities.
The link between this diet and lowered lung cancer risk was found in men and women from different backgrounds, including people who had never smoked all the way through to people who were current smokers. It’s thought that the prebiotic (dietary fiber) and probiotics (fermented yogurt) combination is driving this benefit.
