Dietary Fiber Consumption Decreases the  Risks of Overweight and Hypercholesterolemia  in Japanese Children.
OBJECTIVE
It remains inconclusive whether high dietary fiber intake decreases the risk of obesity, hypercholesterolemia or high blood pressure during childhood. Therefore, this study investigated the relationships of dietary fiber intake with weight status and related clinical parameters among Japanese children.


METHODS
We analyzed the data of 5,600 subjects aged 10-11 years, between 2006 and 2010. Fiber intake was assessed using the Brief-type Diet History Questionnaire. Body height and weight and blood pressure were measured. Serum levels of total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides were analyzed. Fiber intake was categorized into quintiles, and multivariate models were used to adjust for lifestyle factors.


RESULTS
Total fiber intake decreased the risks of overweight and high total cholesterol (OR Quintile 5 vs. Quintile 1 overweight: 0.71 for boys, 0.40 for girls; total cholesterol: 0.60 for boys, 0.66 for girls). Water-soluble fiber intake was associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure, although the ORs were not significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Increasing the dietary fiber intake in Japanese children may have favorable effects on overweight and hypercholesterolemia.
Keiko
K
Shinozaki
Masayuki
M
Okuda
Satoshi
S
Sasaki
Ichiro
I
Kunitsugu
Mayumi
M
Shigeta
D044466:Asian People; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004034:Diet Surveys / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D004043:Dietary Fiber; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol