Cancer of various types affects millions of people across the world. There are mild forms of cancer such as basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer of the skin, and more serious types of cancer, including lung cancer, colon cancer and breast cancer. Cancers have many different causes and, increasingly, scientists and researchers are noticing that a person’s dietary habits contribute to getting certain forms of cancer.
For example, both breast cancer and colon cancer are linked to diets containing high amounts of saturated fats from meat sources. They have found that vegetarians have lower rates of cancer from these sources when compared to meat-eaters. Those who are at an especially high risk for these cancers may have a therapeutic reason to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, such as avoiding the saturated fats found in meat and chicken.
Obesity And Cancer
Vegetarians tend to consume fewer calories than non-vegetarians do, and therefore are leaner than those people who eat meat. Obesity is linked to both breast cancer and colon cancer—something that can be avoided when a person adopts a vegetarian diet and maintains a healthy weight. It is believed that people who already have cancer may have a better chance for survival if they eat a vegetarian diet, although the data on this is somewhat scarce.
Vegetables and fruits are also high in antioxidants, which are molecules that neutralize oxygen free radicals in the body. Oxygen free radicals can damage all parts of a human cell, including the DNA from those cells. Damaged DNA translates to cellular death or a mutation in the cell that leads to cancer. Fruits such as blueberries and other berries are especially high in antioxidants and should be included as part of a therapeutic/preventative vegetarian diet.
There had initially been concerns on the part of scientists and doctors about women eating soy products if they have or are at risk for breast cancer. This is because soy products contain a great amount of plant oestrogens, which were thought to make cancer cells from the breasts grow and develop. Newer research on plant oestrogens such as those derived from soybeans have shown no effect of eating these types of foods or a possible slight benefit from eating soybean products while having breast cancer. This includes foods like tofu and soy milk, which can be mainstays of a vegetarian diet, providing good protein sources.
Adopting a Vegetarian Diet
There are many research articles showing the benefit of eating a vegetarian diet in the prevention of cancer. When you adopt a vegetarian diet, you get most of your nutrients from fruits and vegetables as well as soy products, whole grain foods, beans and legumes. No red meat, white meat, or poultry products are included in a vegetarian diet, and many vegetarians choose not to eat fish. This is an eating strategy that will especially benefit those who, by virtue of heredity or other lifestyle factors, find themselves at a higher than average risk of getting cancer.
Before adopting a strict vegetarian diet, such as a vegan diet, speak to your doctor about getting a referral to see a nutritionist who will help you find food guides that fit with a vegetarian diet. Purchase a vegan or vegetarian cookbook to help guide you toward recipes that are healthy, high in nutrients and contain no meat products. The research on things like eggs and milk or dairy products is less strong than it is on eating animal meat itself, so you can choose whether you want to include cheese, eggs, yogurt, and milk in your vegetarian diet.
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
