Eating Less Meat May Reduce Risk Of Common Cancers

A plant-forward diet may be an effective way to reduce the risk of contracting several types of common cancers. Researchers from Oxford University conducted a large-scale analysis of diet and cancer risk using data from the UK Biobank study (a database of detailed genetic and health information from nearly 500,000 British people).

Compared with regular meat-eaters, they found the risk of developing any type of cancer was 2 percent lower for low meat-eaters, 10 percent lower in pescatarians and 14 percent lower in vegetarians. Most evidence showing an association between lower cancer risk and vegetarian or pescatarian diets seemed to suggest that greater consumption of vegetables, fruits and whole grains may explain this lower risk – indicating the important role of plant-based, whole foods in helping keep us healthy.

Read the whole article here, as well as a summary by the authors here, to learn more about the study and its implications.

Kristen Weiss is a PhD scientist and long time vegan with a background in ecology, natural resources, and socially-conscious conservation. She has been a science communicator with Stanford’s Center for Ocean Solutions and the NSF-funded Long Term Ecological Research Network, and continues to work at the intersection between science, society, wellness, environment, and ethics across a variety of media and platforms.

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