Protection against cancer by wheat bran: role of dietary fibre and phytochemicals

Abstract

Human intervention and animal studies have shown that supplementing the diet with wheat bran can protect against the development of a range of cancers, especially those of the colon and breast. Wheat bran is a rich source of dietary fibres (plant cell walls) that have structures and compositions which indicate that they may protect against cancer. Nevertheless, dietary fibre makes up less than half of wheat bran. Other nutrients and phytochemicals are present in wheat bran, some of which may also protect against cancer. These include phytic acid and various phenolic components such as phenolic acids, lignans and flavonoids. A major goal of future research on wheat bran should be to determine the relative roles in cancer prevention of the different components in wheat bran.