Increasing Dietary Fiber Does Not Prevent Recurrent Colon Polyps

The risk for colorectal cancer is low among populations with high fruit and vegetable intake but increases when dietary changes occur. Two U.S., prospective, randomized trials explored the question of whether a high-fiber diet can decrease the incidence of adenomatous polyps -- precursor lesions to colorectal cancers -- in individuals with recently resected, histologically confirmed colorectal adenomas.

Schatzkin and colleagues assigned an intervention group to a low-fat (20% of total calories) and high-fiber (18 gm per 1000 kcal) diet with 3.5 servings of fruits and vegetables per 1000 kcal, while the comparison group followed their usual diet. Alberts and colleagues assigned subjects to a supervised program of dietary supplementation with …