Vegetarian Diet Info
Cancer Information for Vegetarians
Information on Cancer & Vegetarian Diet Health for Vegetarians and Vegans

Vegetarian Healthy Diet Program
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Cancer and Vegetarian Diet Health

It is estimated that 30-70% of all cancers are related to diet. Research has indicated that vegetarian diets may offer protection against diet-related cancer.

Vegetarian Plant Foods, Phytochemicals and Cancer

Plant foods contain a number of micronutrients (phytochemicals) which are believed to protect against cancer. Indoles, lignans, isoflavones, protease inhibitors and others have all been shown to be potent anti-carcinogens and may play an important role in the lower cancer incidence among vegetarians.

In contrast, cooked meat and fish contains carcinogens known as heterocyclic amines (HA's). These are present at high levels in the urine of people consuming cooked meats and have been shown to be metabolically active in humans. Evidence suggests meat-derived HA's may play a role in breast, colon and pancreatic cancer.

Cancer and Vegetarian Diet - Findings

• Research shows that certain cancers, such as colon, breast and prostate are directly related to diet.
• The Oxford Vegetarian Study found cancer mortality to be 39% lower among vegetarians compared with meat-eaters.
• A study of 23,000 largely vegetarian Seventh Day Adventists found cancer mortality rates to be 50-70% of those of the general population for several cancer sites unrelated to smoking or alcohol.
• Professor Nick Day of the University of Cambridge and the European Prospective Study into Cancer has stated that vegetarians may suffer 40% fewer cancers than the general population.
• The World Cancer Research Fund's dietary advice to minimise cancer risk involve reducing the intake of dietary fat and increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables and wholegrains.
• Research has found pancreatic cancer to be associated with consumption of animal products. Increasing consumption of fruit, vegetables and pulses was shown to have a protective effect.
• Another study found a vegetarian diet to be protective against oesophageal cancer.

Sources include:

Cummings, J & Bingham, S. (1998) Diet and the Prevention of Cancer BMJ v.317 p.1636-1640.

Doll, R. (1990) Symposium on diet and cancer. Proc of the Nutrition Society v.49 p.119-31.

Mills P K et al. (1988) Dietary habits and past medical history as related to fatal pancreas cancer risk among Adventist men. Cancer v.61 (12). p.2578-85.

Mills, P K et al. (1989) Cohort study of diet, lifestyle and prostate cancer in Adventist men. Cancer v.64 (3) p.598-604.

Phillips, R L et al. (1985) Role of lifestyle and dietary habits in risk of cancer amongst Seventh Day Adventists. Cancer Research v.35 (Supplement) p.3513-22.

Phillips, R L et al. (1980) Mortality among California Seventh Day Adventists for selected cancer sites. Jnl National Cancer Institute v.65 p.1097-107.

Rao, P N et al. (1989) Epidemiology of oesophageal cancer. Seminars in Surgery & Oncology v.5 (5) p.351-4.

Thorogood, M et al. (1994) Risk from death from cancer and ischaemic heart disease in meat and non meat-eaters. BMJ v.308 p.1667-1671.

Vegetarian Healthy Diet Program