Resumo

CABRERA LLANO, Jorge Luis  e  CARDENAS FERRER, Mercedes. Importance of dietary fiber for human nutrition. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2006, vol.32, n.4, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3127.

The inclusion of the dietary fiber in the daily diet of human beings seems to play an important role in the prevention and/or treatment of some chronic diseases. The main objective of this paper is to offer an updating of the recent advances published about the usefulness of the dietary fiber in health and illness. Among the benefits of a proper intake of dietary fiber, one may find the lowering of blood pressure, reduction in colorrectal cancer risks, reduced cholesterol levels, less risks of cardiovascular diseases, and a better control of diabetes mellitus type 2. Although different mechanisms are discussed by which the dietary fiber produces these benefits, there is no conclussive results yet; however, it is stated that increased intake of grain, cereal, fruit and vegetable favours health preservation and the control of some chronic diseases

Palavras-chave : Dietary fiber; hypertension; cardiovascular disease; cancer; diabetes mellitus.