It's an established fact that fiber is good for you. Fiber prevents constipation, lowers cholesterol and helps in weight loss. Research done at the University of Leeds in London has found yet another reason to eat fiber-rich foods.

According to a report in MaxHealth,

Researchers at the University's Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics have been tracking the eating habits and health of more than 35,000 women for the past seven years, and their latest findings are published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Their figures suggest that among the pre-menopausal women, those who have the greatest intake of fibre have cut their risk of breast cancer in half.

Unfortunately, the fiber is beneficial only in premenstrual women and doesn't have much effect on preventing breast cancer in post-menopausal women.

The reasons stated include:

• High fibre foods are rich in vitamins, zinc and other micro-nutrients which have protective anti-oxidant properties;
• Fibre can smooth out the peaks and troughs in insulin levels in the body. High levels of insulin may be one possible cause of cancer;
• There is a known link between breast cancer and the female hormone oestrogen, and dietary fibre has been demonstrated to regulate oestrogen levels in the body. This effect would be especially relevant to the pre-menopausal group who naturally have far higher levels of the hormone.

What foods should you eat to find fiber? Whole grain foods, including breads and cereals are rich in fiber. So are baked beans.