Vegetarians Have a Lower Risk of Colorectal Cancers

Eating a lot of fruit and vegetables has been observed to be protective against many types of cancer. The JAMA Network Journals reported on March 9, 2015, a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancers. In a study of Seventh-Day Adventist men and women eating a vegetarian diet was found to be associated with a decreased risk of colorectal cancers in comparison with nonvegetarians.

Vegetarian Diet can Lower our Risk for Colon Cancer

Source: HEALTH AND WELLNESS BLOG INDIA

This finding is significant in view of the fact that colorectal cancer has been found to be the second leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. Although there has been a focus on screening for cancer in recent years, primary prevention via decreasing risk factors remains a very important objective. There have been dietary factors which have been identified as a modifiable risk factors for colorectal cancer. Consider that red meat is associated with increased risk and food which is rich in dietary fiber is linked to decreased risk.

There were 77,659 participants in the study by Michael J. Orlich, M.D., Ph.D., and associates of Loma Linda University, California. In comparison with nonvegetarians, vegetarians had a 22 percent decreased risk for all colorectal cancers. Among the participants 19 percent had a lower risk for colon cancer and 29 percent had a lower risk for rectal cancer.

This study has been published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. The researchers studied vegetarian dietary patterns and the risk of colorectal cancers. Vegetarian diets were found to be associated with an overall decreased incidence of colorectal cancers. If the associations found are causal they may be important considerations for primary prevention of colorectal cancers.

Colorectal Cancer

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