Researchers at the University of Leeds tracked the eating habits of 35,000 women and concluded those who ate 30g of fiber per day, particularly wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereal - had half the risk of those who ate less than 20g.
Professor Janet Cade, who led the study, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, said, "Our research found no protective effect in the older group, but significant evidence of a link in the pre-menopausal women."
He also advised women of this age group to try to increase their fiber intake.
Dietary fiber is the part of a plant that provides and maintains the plant's structure. Cellulose, hemicellulose, polysaccharides, pectins, gums, mucilages, and lignins are dietary fibers. These fibers are unrelated chemically, however, they all have one thing in common -- they can't be digested by the human body.
Fiber (also called roughage or bulk) promotes the wavelike contractions that keep food moving through the intestine. Also, high-fiber foods expand the inside walls of the colon. This eases the passage of waste.
Additionally, the researchers also emphasized on the importance of vitamin C intake along with fiber. However, researchers believe that more work is needed in this field to draw conclusions.
The researchers believe that fiber affects the way the body processes and regulates the female hormone estrogen, which is present in high percentage in pre-menopausal women.
