Research commissioned by the World Health Organization reveals that “people who eat lots of high-fiber and whole grain foods have lower risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other chronic diseases than people whose diets are low in fiber.” The study found that for every eight-gram “increase in fiber eaten a day, total deaths and incidences of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer fell by” five “to 27 percent,” while also conferring “protection against stroke and breast cancer.”

Individuals “who ate between 25 grams and 29 grams a day of fiber were less likely to die during any given time period than people who ate less fiber,” researchers found. In addition, “people who eat that much fiber…weigh less, have lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar and lower cholesterol” in findings published online in The Lancet.