Compound In High-Fiber Foods Could Slow Prostate Cancer Progression

A compound found in fiber could play a part in stopping the progression of cancer, according to a new study in mice.

The findings, published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research, highlight the ability of the compound inositol hexaphosphate (also known as IP6) to prevent progression of prostate cancer in mice.

"The study's results were really rather profound. We saw dramatically reduced tumor volumes, primarily due to the anti-angiogenic effects of IP6," study researcher Komal Raina, Ph.D., a research instructor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, said in a statement.

Specifically, researchers found that giving mice this compound -- which is found in high-fiber diets -- prevented new blood vessels from being formed. Without these blood vessels, the tumors were unable to gain the energy needed to grow and progress.

Even though this finding was in animals, other studies in humans have also suggested that fiber has anti-cancer powers. A large review of studies, published in 2011 in the British Medical Journal, showed an association between eating a high-fiber diet and having a lower risk of colorectal cancer, WebMD reported.

For more ways a high-fiber diet can do your body good, click through the slideshow: