Written By: N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe | Published : March 1, 2026 8:31 AM IST
Medically Verified By: Dr. Arun Kumar Giri
It's good news for all those individuals who have been on a vegetarian diet because a landmark study on the role of diet revealed that abstaining from animal-based products has a substantially lower risk of five types of cancer. Despite its positive impact, this study also showed that vegetarians are more susceptible to the common cancer form. Let's delve deeper and understand how food habits can impact our health.
A study published in the British Journal of Cancer titled 'Vegetarian Diets And Cancer Risk' found that vegetarians had a 21 per cent lower risk of pancreatic cancer, 12 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer and 9 per cent lower risk of breast cancer when compared with meat eaters. After tracking 1.8 million people for many years, researchers also note that vegetarians had a 28 per cent lower risk of kidney cancer and 31 per cent lower risk of multiple myeloma.
"This study is really good news for those who follow a vegetarian diet because they have a lower risk of five cancer types, some of which are very prevalent in the population," said Dr. Aurora P rez-Cornago, the principal investigator on the study.
Although being vegetarian appeared to be preventive of certain types of cancer, scientists at the University of Oxford found that individuals who follow a vegetarian diet had a higher chance of developing squamous cell carcinoma, when compared with meat eaters. According to researchers, this may occur to vegetarians due to deficiency in key nutrients such as B vitamins. Additionally, they had a 40 per cent risk of developing bowel cancer due to the low average intake of calcium and other nutrients.
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) 'no single food can protect you against cancer by itself'. However, studies have found that consuming a diet filled with a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and other plant foods can have a positive impact in lowering risk for many cancers. Here are some healthy fruits and vegetables you can incorporate into your daily diet moderately:
"Ancient accruing knowledge on cancer continues to point out the feasibility of daily eating patterns in establishing a substantial effect on cancer risk over the long term, and several basic interventions have been found to have a strong effect on cancer prevention," Dr. Arun Kumar Giri, Director of Surgical Oncology, Aakash Healthcare explained. "By maintaining a healthy diet that gives priority to whole foods and minimally processed foods, inflammation of cells lessens, metabolic stability is maintained and a habitat that cancer cells enjoy developing in is made less favourable."
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