Health
A Vegetarian Diet May Reduce Cancer Risk, New Research Suggests
There is a 2% reduction in cancer risk among those who consume less meat than regular meat-eaters.
Pescatarians – those who eat fish and vegetables – have a 10% reduced cancer risk, while vegetarians have a 14% lower risk.
Researchers from the University of Oxford analyzed data collected between 2006 and 2010 from 472,377 British adults participating in the UK Biobank study, which was published in the journal BMC Medicine and co-funded by World Cancer Research Fund and Cancer Research UK.
More than half (52%) ate meat more than five times per week, 44% ate meat fewer than five times per week, 2% ate fish but not meat, and 2% were vegetarian or vegan.
In a statement, Cody Watling, from Oxford Population Health’s Cancer Epidemiology Unit, said: “Previous research suggests vegetarians and pescatarians may have a lower risk of developing cancer, but that evidence isn’t conclusive for specific types of cancer.”.
The reduced risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in vegetarian women was not surprising because obesity after menopause is known to increase the risk, but we were surprised by the lower risk of prostate cancer in vegetarians.”
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A healthy diet ‘great way’ to lower the risk of cancer
According to Dr. Julie Sharp, head of health and patient information at Cancer Research UK: “Eating less processed meat lowers your risk of bowel cancer specifically.”.
“However, more research is needed to determine how red and processed meat relate to other cancer types.
Every once in a while, a little bacon or ham isn’t bad. Taking less meat is a good idea if you eat a lot of meat all the time, but being vegetarian does not mean eating healthily.
It is more important to eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and pulses, and low in processed and red meat, as well as foods high in salt, sugar, and fat.”
