Abstract
Ten years ago Burkitt (1971) suggested, on the basis of his observations of the lifestyle of western and of rural African peoples, that increased large bowel cancer risk was due in part to lack of dietary fiber. He went on to postulate a mechanism whereby fiber might protect against the development of this cancer. The suggestion was that fiber, by increasing the amount of feces passed, led to a reduction in the concentration of potentially carcinogenic substances in the bowel, to a reduced transit time through the colon and therefore reduced contact time between the carcinogen and the mucosa, and to alterations in bacterial metabolism by fiber in favor of less carcinogen production.
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Cummings, J.H., Branch, W.J. (1982). Postulated Mechanisms whereby Fiber May Protect against Large Bowel Cancer. In: Vahouny, G.V., Kritchevsky, D. (eds) Dietary Fiber in Health and Disease. GWUMC Department of Biochemistry Annual Spring Symposia. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6850-6_26
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6850-6_26
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