Research

Mixed

Higher total dietary fiber intake is inversely associated with the risk of total myocardial infarction (MI) in men, with a 10-gram daily increase corresponding to an 19% reduction in relative risk.

To lower your risk of heart attack, aim to increase your daily dietary fiber intake by about 10 grams. This can be achieved by incorporating more cereal, fruits, and vegetables into your diet. The study suggests that cereal fiber, in particular, is strongly associated with reduced risk. You do not need to eliminate fat to get this benefit; simply adding fiber-rich foods provides independent protection.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
A 10-g increase in total dietary fiber corresponded to an RR for total MI of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.70 to 0.93).
Eric B. Rimm · JAMA · 1996

Why this rating

Large prospective cohort study (n=43,757) with long follow-up and rigorous adjustment for confounders, though observational design prevents causal certainty.

Source

Vegetable, Fruit, and Cereal Fiber Intake and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease Among Men

Eric B. Rimm · JAMA · 1996

DOI 10.1001/jama.1996.03530300031036

cohort · n=43757Cited 837×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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