To prevent a heart attack, or to survive longer after one, increase cereal fiber intake.
When the researchers looked at the three different fiber types -- cereal, fruit and vegetable -- only higher cereal fiber intake was strongly associated with an increased chance of long-term survival after a heart attack. Breakfast cereal was the main source of dietary fiber.
Those who ate most fiber had a 25% lower chance of dying in the nine years after their heart attack compared with those who ate least fiber, the researchers found. Every 10g per day increase in fiber intake was associated with a 15% lower risk of dying over the nine-year follow-up period.
Less than 5% of Americans consume the minimum recommended fiber intake of 25g per day for women and 38g per day for men. In the UK, adults are recommended to eat at least 18g of fiber daily but dietary surveys suggest people eat an average of only 14g. [emphasis mine]