Vegetarians have a 22% lower risk of colorectal cancer than non-vegetarians

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Tuesday, January 10, 2017 11:42 am Email this article

Vegetarians had a 22% lower risk of colorectal cancer during a 7.3 year follow-up compared to non-vegetarians according to a study from researchers at Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California, USA.

There was a 19% lower risk of colon cancer and a 29% lower risk of rectal cancer in vegetarians versus non-vegetarians.

“Vegetarian diets are associated with an overall lower incidence of colorectal cancers,” the authors of the study concluded.

Semivegetarians

Semivegetarians: 8% lower risk of colorectal cancer

Semivegetarians—vegetarians who occasionally eat animal products—had a 8% lower risk of colorectal cancer than non-vegetarians.

Vegans

Vegans: 16% lower risk of colorectal cancer

Vegans—those eating no animal products at all—had a 16% lower risk of colorectal cancer than non-vegetarians.

Lacto-Ovo vegetarians

Lacto-Ovo vegetarians: 18% lower risk of colorectal cancer

Lacto-Ovo vegetarians—those eating vegetables, eggs and milk, but no meat—had a 18% lower risk of colorectal cancer than non-vegetarians.

Pescovegetarians

Pescovegetarians (who eat fish and seafood): 43% lower risk of colorectal cancer

Pescovegetarians—vegetarians who eat fish and seafood—had a 43% lower risk of colorectal cancer than non-vegetarians.

“Pescovegetarians in particular have a much lower risk compared with non vegetarians,” the authors of the study noted.

Subjects

Subjects: 77,659 people followed for 7 years

The study involved 77,659 Seventh-Day Adventist men and women from The Adventist Health Study 2 (AHS-2), a large, prospective, North American cohort trial who were recruited between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2007.

Reference

Orlich MJ, Singh PN, Sabate J, Fan J, Sveen L, Bennett H, Knutsen SF, Beeson WL, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Butler TL, Herring RP, and Fraser GE. Vegetarian dietary patterns and the risk of colorectal cancers. JAMA Intern Med, 2015 May; 175(5): 767-776.

Author’s Contact Info

Michael J. Orlich, MD, PhD
School of Public Health
Loma Linda University
24951 N Circle Dr, NH 2031
Loma Linda, CA 92350 USA
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Articles on the same subject can be found here:

• Cancer

• Cancer, Colorectal

• Vegetable-based Diet

• Vegetarians