Study Finds Kellogg's All-Bran Cereal Protective Against Colon Cancer

A new study finds Kellogg's All-Bran cereal to be a more effective form of wheat bran fiber in reducing the risk of developing colon cancer than unprocessed (raw) wheat bran.

``This research is the first to show that the processed form offers greater colon cancer protection than unprocessed (raw) wheat bran in animal models,'' said Wallace Yokoyama, Ph.D., research chemist with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service.

Human and animal studies have consistently associated the consumption of wheat bran fiber with decreased risk of colon cancer. This latest study suggests that the efficacy of wheat bran in the prevention of colon cancer is enhanced when it is processed into ready-to-eat cereals when compared to unprocessed (raw) wheat bran.

The six and half-month study measured the number of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) cells, a type of cell linked to colon cancer, in the colons of laboratory rats, where the source of wheat bran was the variable factor. The numbers of ACF cells were significantly lower, more than 30%, in those fed Kellogg's All-Bran cereal versus those fed unprocessed (raw) wheat bran.

According to the American Journal of Medicine, during the past 25 years, many population studies have strongly suggested that foods low in fat and rich in fiber help protect against colorectal cancer. In a recent well-controlled clinical trial, a low-fat diet supplemented by wheat bran prevented the development of large polyps (greater than/or equal to 10 mm.)

Colon cancer is a major public health problem claiming the lives of nearly 55,000 men and women annually. The disease ranks second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in this country.