ABSTRACT
Considerable scientific data suggest that the risk of cancer, heart disease, and other chronic diseases of aging is reduced by diets high in fruits, whole grain products, and vegetables.
Several decades of research have focused on identification of food components and mechanisms to explain the positive health effect. Lignans have been the subject of considerable study,
but for grain products, most research centered on fiber as the efficacious agent. Such studies demonstrate the benefits of grain fiber, and sound mechanisms have been proposed to explain biological function.
