Carbohydrates and Health

Soluble fibre (g/day) and type 2 diabetes mellitus
• Association
• Limited evidence
• The direction of the association indicates higher consumption of soluble fibre is
beneficial to health
• The association is biologically relevant
Fruit fibre
Cardiovascular disease
8.45 One cohort study was identified that presented evidence on fruit fibre intake and
cardiovascular disease (Liu et al., 2002). Two cohort studies were subsequently
identified in the update search (Park et al., 2011; Chuang et al., 2012) (Cardiometabolic
review, cardiovascular disease chapter; Update search). A meta-analysis
was performed by the same research group that conducted the cardio-metabolic
health review (Threapleton et al., 2013d), which included one of the studies
found in the update search (Chuang et al., 2012) and also included one later study
(Buyken et al., 2010). One study could not be included in the meta-analysis as it did
not report the necessary data (Park et al., 2011). The results from this later metaanalysis
are presented below and were used to inform this report.
8.46 A non-significant borderline association is indicated between consumption of fruit
fibre and the incidence of coronary events (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93, 1.00 for each
4g/ day increase; p=0.06).
Fruit fibre (g/day) and cardiovascular disease
• No association
• Limited evidence
Coronary events
8.47 Six cohort studies were identified that presented evidence on fruit fibre intake
and coronary events, all of which were included in a meta-analysis (Pietinen et
al., 1996; Rimm et al., 1996; Wolk et al., 1999; Liu et al., 2002; Mozaffarian et al.,
2003; Streppel et al., 2008). One cohort study was subsequently identified in the
update search (Eshak et al., 2010) (Cardio-metabolic review, cardiovascular disease
chapter; Update search). An updated meta-analysis was performed by the same
research group that conducted the cardio-metabolic health review (Threapleton et
al., 2013d), which included the study found in the update search and also included
two later studies (Crowe et al., 2012; Threapleton et al., 2013a). The results from
this later meta-analysis are presented below and were used to inform this report.
8.48 No significant association is indicated between consumption of fruit fibre and the
incidence of coronary events (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.83, 1.01 for each 4g/day increase;
p=0.09).
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