Vegetarians 31% Less Likely to Develop Certain Cancers

Removing meat products from one’s plate seems to once again prove its health benefits, this time according to an in-depth study published on February 27 in the British Journal of Cancer. Researchers followed and collected data from nine different cohorts for over 15 years.

1.8 million people on three continents from the UK, US, Taiwan, and India participated. The study included 1,645,555 meat eaters, 57,016 poultry eaters, 42,910 pesco-vegetarians (“pescatarians”), 63,147 vegetarians (excluding meat and fish), and 8,849 vegans (excluding dairy and eggs).

Up to 31% Less Chance of Developing Cancer

The study revealed substantial reductions in risks: compared to red meat consumers (beef, lamb, pork, etc.), studied vegetarians had a lower risk of multiple myeloma (-31%), kidney (-28%), pancreatic (-21%), prostate (-12%), and breast (-9%) cancers.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies red meat as a “probable carcinogen”. Processed meats (after salting, curing, fermentation, etc.) are in the “definite carcinogen” category.

“This study is excellent news for people following a vegetarian diet, as they have a lower risk of developing five types of cancer, some of which are very common in the population,” said Aurora Pérez-Cornago, lead researcher of the study, to the Guardian.

The British Journal of Cancer study, however, noted that vegetarians had a higher risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, a form of esophageal cancer (+93%). However, this only concerns 31 cases in vegetarians in 3 UK studies, and Le Monde notes that this disease remains rare.

One question remains unanswered: is the reduced cancer risk directly linked to meat consumption (which increases cancer risk) or to other specific elements of vegetarian diets (which reduce it)?

Researchers warn against generalizing the results. “Diets and nutritional intakes of vegetarians and non-vegetarians can vary considerably within and between populations,” they said.

Article References:

Le Monde, Some cancers may be less common in vegetarians: prostate, breast, pancreas…

British Journal of Cancer, Vegetarian diets and cancer risk: pooled analysis of 1.8 million women and men in nine prospective studies on three continents