The Cancer Project, an organization dedicated to advancing cancer prevention and survival through nutrition education and research, finds fiber to be essential to the body's ability to eliminate excess estrogens, which may contribute to the risk of breast cancer. As the liver filters estrogens from the blood, it sends them through the bile duct into the intestinal tract, where fiber effectively soaks them up and carries them out of the body.
A recent Swedish study found that women with higher fiber intake at the time of breast cancer diagnosis were more likely to have smaller tumors than women who consumed very little fiber. In the study, the "higher fiber" women averaged only about 19 grams of fiber per day; most authorities recommend at least 30 grams daily, and an optimal intake of over 40 grams per day.
