These were the team’s findings Jaimie N. Davis, of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. The team was studying the abdominal fat, which is the most dangerous because it increases the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease.

The authors were asked to 85 men and women between 11 and 17 years are overweight to respond in an initial questionnaire and two years later on eating habits. At that age, “Davis said, the diet of some trends are worsening.

Consumption fell about 3 grams fiber per 1,000 calories in 46 participants and raised in the same proportion in another 35. Abdominal fat increased by 21 percent in those who ate less fiber, but declined by 4 percent in those who increased their consumption. The results were published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“Even a slight reduction of dietary fiber has a significant metabolic effect,” Davis said. The recommended fiber intake for young people is 14 grams per 1,000 calories consumed, or about 25-30 grams per day. From these results, Davis said, increasing 6 grams of fiber daily (half a cup of beans or wheat tortilla) tremendously alter the waist size of the young. “It is a possible target for children” he said.

People of any age who want to improve fiber intake must carefully read food labels. “That says ‘whole wheat‘ or ‘multigrain’ does not mean it is a good source of fiber. People think that if it is brown, is wheat is good, but not necessarily so,” she explained. Instead, Davis advised people to check the Nutrition Facts label for grams of fiber the food contains per serving.

The researcher said the findings would not be applicable to other ethnic young because Latinos were more likely than whites and blacks to accumulate fat in the abdominal area. “The increase in fiber intake would have positive effects in all cultures, but different,” Davis concluded.

Experts meeting in Madrid on the occasion of the presentation of the ‘White Paper Pan’ stated that, undoubtedly, the bread is the food that contributes to better nutritional balance, as it provides an important part of carbohydrate of dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins.

Not to mention that this is not a diet rich in fats or sugars, so that the bread itself is not fattening not only provided the diet and living habits are good, but contributes to a healthier diet.

The meeting, organized by the Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs, Professor of Medina and Public Health, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and one of the authors of the book, Dr. Luis Serra, recalled that he is missing Mediterranean diet largely because “it is losing one of its promoters is the bread, one of the core, along with olive oil, the Mediterranean diet. In his view we must try to reverse this process as their nutritional value makes it “indispensable” in the diet.

The countries that have increased the consumption of bread in the global context, are not the countries with highest rate of obesity, so it’s time to defend the Mediterranean diet and bread.

For its part, the other author of White Paper, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Dr. Angel Gil, recalled that “bread is a staple for children, and taken into adequate amounts is essential to our health. ”

In addition, bread consumption is associated with decreased risk of many diseases. “The scientific reality shows that consumption in adequate amounts, including breads, is the decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers such as colon and breast cancer,” he said.