Research

Mixed

Cereal fiber intake is the most strongly associated source of dietary fiber with a reduced risk of total myocardial infarction, independent of fruit and vegetable fiber.

If you want to maximize heart disease prevention through fiber, prioritize cereal fiber. The study shows that increasing cereal fiber by 10 grams daily is most strongly linked to a reduced risk of heart attack. This can be achieved by eating cold breakfast cereals (like oat bran or whole grain cereals) regularly. While fruits and vegetables are healthy, cereal fiber showed a unique and stronger independent benefit in this population.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Within the three main food contributors to total fiber intake (vegetable, fruit, and cereal), cereal fiber was most strongly associated with a reduced risk of total MI (RR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55 to 0.91 for each 10-g increase in cereal fiber per day).
Eric B. Rimm · JAMA · 1996

Why this rating

Same large cohort study, with specific multivariate analysis isolating cereal fiber.

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×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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