The avoidance of meat consumption appears to correlate with a diminished likelihood of developing several types of cancer. Researchers from Oxford Population Health reached this conclusion after examining data encompassing over 1.8 million individuals. Their findings have been published in the British Journal of Cancer (BJC).
Participants were categorized based on their dietary patterns: meat-eaters, those consuming only poultry, pescatarians, vegetarians, and vegans. When contrasted with meat-eaters, vegetarians demonstrated a 21% lower incidence risk for pancreatic cancer, a 28% lower risk for kidney cancer, and a 31% lower risk for multiple myeloma. A modest reduction in the risk for both breast and prostate cancers was also observed.
Conversely, no significant differences were discerned for certain cancer types, and in a few instances, the risk was actually found to be elevated. Specifically, vegetarians exhibited a higher risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, while vegans showed an increased risk for colorectal cancer. The study’s authors caution that the number of diagnosed cases for some specific ailments within certain dietary groups was relatively low, which inherently limits the precision of the estimates.
The investigators point out that vegetarian diets typically incorporate greater quantities of fruits, vegetables, and dietary fiber, while excluding processed meats, factors that might account for some of the observed disparities. Nevertheless, they strongly emphasize that the present data illustrate statistical associations and do not conclusively establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
It is worth noting that previous scientific work has indicated that microplastics could serve as a contributing factor in the onset of prostate cancer.
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