Study: Plant-based diet reduces colorectal cancer risk
Men with a healthy plant-based diet develop colorectal cancer 22 percent less often. This is shown by a study with nearly 80,000 participants.
22 percent lower colorectal cancer risk
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world.
Recent research has found that men who consume plenty of “healthy” plant-based foods have a lower risk of developing colorectal cancer.
The study, published in the journal BMC Medicine, examined 79’952 men from the United States. It found that those who consumed the most vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes had a 22% lower risk of developing colorectal cancer than those who consumed the least.
As part of the investigation, study participants were asked how often they consumed foods and beverages from a list of more than 180 products. They were also asked about portion sizes.
Foods were categorised into healthy plant-based foods (including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and coffee), less healthy plant-based foods (refined grains, potatoes and fruit juices) and animal-based foods (animal fats, dairy products, eggs and meat, including fish).
As part of the study, the researchers also examined 93’475 women. However, they were unable to identify a similar association.
Antioxidants as the key
The authors of the study suspect that it is the antioxidants in plant-based foods that may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. This is attributed to their ability to suppress chronic inflammation.
“Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide, and the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is one in 23 for men and one in 25 for women,” said Jihye Kim, the corresponding author of the study from Kyung Hee University in South Korea.
Although earlier research suggests that a plant-based diet can play a role in the prevention of colorectal cancer, the influence of the dietary quality of plant-based foods on this relationship had previously been unclear. These findings suggest that consuming a healthy plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer.
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