NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A fiber-rich diet may help control level
of
a blood protein linked to an increased risk of heart disease, new
research suggests.

In a study of 524 healthy adults, investigators found that those wit
the
highest fiber intake had lower blood levels of C-reactive protei
(CRP)
than those who ate the least fiber. CRP is a marker of ongoing
inflammation in the body, and consistently high levels of this protei

have been identified in previous studies as a risk factor for future
heart disease

The new findings support the general recommendation that adults get 2
to
35 grams of fiber per day, in the form of fruits, vegetables, bean
and
whole grains

Unfortunately, they note in their report in the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, the average American consumes only half tha
amount,
lead investigator Dr. Yunsheng Ma of the University of Massachusetts
Medical School in Worcester and colleagues point out

For their study, the researchers measured the participants' CRP level

five times over the course of a year and collected information o
diet,
exercise habits and other health factors

About 18 percent of men and women had elevated CRP levels, above 3
milligrams per liter of blood. But CRP levels generally dipped a
fiber
intake increased. Compared with subjects who ate the least fiber
those
who ate the most were 63 percent less likely to have an elevated CRP
number

It did not take a ton of roughage to reap the benefit, the researcher

found. Study participants with the highest fiber intake typically got
about 22 grams per day, or just within the recommended range

Ongoing, low-level inflammation in the body is thought to contribut
to a
range of ills, including clogged arteries and heart disease

It's not clear why fiber may reduce inflammation, according to Ma'
team,
but it may lower cholesterol and blood sugar, both of which can
contribute to inflammation

"This study," the researchers write, "suggests that a diet high i
fiber
may play a role in reducing inflammation and, thus, the risk of
cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

In addition, both of the main forms of fiber, soluble and insoluble
were
related to lower CRP levels. Soluble fiber is found in foods like
oatmeal, beans, berries and apples, while whole grains and many
vegetables are good sources of insoluble fiber

All of these foods, the study authors write, should become the
"foundation of America's diet to combat heart disease and diabetes.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 2006