Vegetarian diet linked to lower risk of five cancers

A large international analysis reported that vegetarians had lower risks for five cancers — including pancreatic and breast — while also finding a higher risk of the common type of oesophageal cancer in vegetarians.

A major international analysis found associations between vegetarian diets and lower risks for several cancers. The work combined data from multiple studies and involved participants mainly from the UK and US. The research was led by Oxford Population Health, published in the British Journal of Cancer, and funded by the World Cancer Research Fund. Interest in the topic reflects growing public attention to dietary patterns. Key findings: - Vegetarians showed a 21% lower risk of pancreatic cancer and a 9% lower risk of breast cancer compared with meat eaters. - The analysis also found a 12% reduced risk of prostate cancer, 28% lower risk of kidney cancer and 31% lower risk of multiple myeloma in vegetarians. - Vegetarians were reported to have nearly double the risk of the most common type of oesophageal cancer compared with meat eaters. - The pooled data included about 1.64 million meat eaters, 63,147 vegetarians, 8,849 vegans, 42,910 people who ate fish but not meat, and 57,016 poultry eaters. - Food intake was assessed by questionnaires covering roughly a 12‑month or typical diet period, and researchers noted vegans had higher bowel cancer cases in this study and a lower average calcium intake (reported at about 590 mg/day versus a 700 mg recommendation). Summary: The study reports differing cancer risks across dietary groups but does not establish cause and effect. Authors and commentators said further research is needed to understand whether observed differences are driven by meat itself, by nutrients more common in animal foods, or by other factors. Undetermined at this time.