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Fibre
Dietary fibre intake and all-cause mortality
Strong evidenceIndependentThe Lancet, 2019
Sample size
4,635,000
participants
Study duration
Varies (prospective cohorts)
Study type
Systematic review & meta-analysis
Plain English summary
A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis commissioned by the WHO analysed 185 prospective studies and 58 clinical trials, finding strong evidence that higher dietary fibre intake is associated with reduced risk of multiple chronic diseases and all-cause mortality.
Key findings
- People eating 25–29g of fibre daily had 15–30% lower rates of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and colorectal cancer compared to low-fibre consumers
- A dose-response relationship was observed — more fibre correlated with greater risk reduction
- Whole food sources of fibre showed stronger associations than fibre supplements
- Most adults in the UK consume only 18g daily, well below recommended levels