Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (SPH) have found that fiber helps reduce the risk of heart disease, according to an article in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.

The results of the study stress the need for a properly balanced diet, according to Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and nutrition Eric B. Rimm, the lead author of the report in the Journal.

"Higher consumption of fiber is only one of the many important components of a healthy diet," Rimm said in an interview yesterday. "A high fiber diet will not compensate for the adverse health effects of a highly processed diet."

Rimm cautioned that "there has been a tremendous push to buy low-fat foods, but these foods are often highly processed."

Commercial low-fat foods often lose much of their fiber in the processing, according to Rimm.

Thus it is essential for people to follow a balanced diet that is high in fiber, he said.

The recommended daily intake for fiber is 20 to 25 grams, according to the article.

Most Americans consume about 15 grams of fiber per day, Rimm said in a press release. Consuming an additional ten grams per day will have a "substantial effect on reducing risk."

To a lesser extent, fiber from fruits and vegetables also help lower the risk of heart attack, according to the article.

The study occurred over a six year period, involving 43,757 men. Those studied included dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, and other health professionals.

What makes the results of such a large study unique, Rimm said, is that it considers influences by other factors such as fat intake and exercise, in addition to fiber intake.

"Most of the previous studies...have been in populations of 2,000 or less, so they weren't really measuring fiber [as opposed to] just lifestyle," Rimm said. "But in 44,000 men, you can tease out the differences...through statistical analysis."

The researchers studied various subgroups, including those with high-fat diets and low-fat diets, and noticed similar correlations of reduced heart disease to fiber intake, Rimm said.

He said he hopes that the study will "get people to think more of a complete diet rather than...just focusing on whether their diet is high in fat or low in fat."

"People should look to the 'food pyramid,'" Rimm said. "[It] helps you get away from focusing on just one component of the diet or another."

Rimm, who received his doctorate in 1991 from the SPH, said he completed his thesis based on material from an earlier portion of this study.