A vegetarian diet is associated with a significantly lower risk of developing five common cancers, according to a landmark study published today in the British Journal of Cancer. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that individuals following a vegetarian diet experienced a reduced risk of pancreatic, prostate, breast, kidney cancers and multiple myeloma compared to those who consume meat.
The study, which analyzed data from over 1.8 million people, revealed a 21% lower risk of pancreatic cancer among vegetarians, alongside a 9% reduction in breast cancer risk. Vegetarians also demonstrated a 12% lower risk of prostate cancer, a 28% lower risk of kidney cancer, and a 31% lower risk of multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells. The research incorporated data from various global studies, with a primary focus on populations in the UK and the US.
The findings are the result of the largest study of its kind to date, encompassing 1.64 million meat eaters, 57,016 poultry eaters, 42,910 pescatarians, 63,147 vegetarians, and 8,849 vegans. Dr. Aurora Pérez-Cornago, the principal investigator who conducted the research whereas at the University of Oxford, stated that the results were “really good news for those who follow a vegetarian diet because they have a lower risk of five cancer types, some of which are very prevalent in the population.”
But, the study also identified a potential increased risk associated with vegetarian diets. Vegetarians exhibited nearly double the risk of squamous cell carcinoma, the most common type of esophageal cancer, compared to meat eaters. Researchers hypothesize this may be linked to deficiencies in key nutrients, such as B vitamins. Vegans, specifically, showed a 40% higher risk of bowel cancer, potentially due to lower average calcium intake – 590mg per day, below the UK recommendation of 700mg – and other nutrient deficiencies.
Tim Key, a co-author of the study and emeritus professor of epidemiology at the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford, cautioned that the observed differences are “more likely to be related to meat itself than to simply vegetarians eating more healthy foods,” though he acknowledged this remains an opinion not yet directly investigated.
Cancer Research UK’s health information manager, Amy Hirst, described the study as “high-quality” and offering “interesting insights,” but emphasized that the findings are not conclusive enough to draw definitive conclusions. “More research in larger, more diverse populations is needed to better understand these patterns and what’s causing them,” Hirst said. “When it comes to reducing cancer risk, keeping a healthy, balanced diet overall matters more than individual foods.”
The Cancer Risk in Vegetarians Consortium, which facilitated the pooled analyses, continues to investigate the complex relationship between dietary patterns and cancer risk.