A study analyzed data from 1.8 million people over 16 years to examine diet and cancer risk<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Vegetarians had significantly lower risks of pancreatic, prostate, breast, kidney, and multiple myeloma cancers compared to meat eaters<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Researchers noted vegetarians had higher risk of esophageal cancer, possibly due to nutrient deficiencies, and called for further study<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Vegetarians have a significantly lower risk of developing cancer, according to a new study.<\/p>\n
The study \u2014 published Feb. 27 in the British Journal of Cancer<\/a> \u2014 analyzed data from more than 1.8 million people for 16 years. Researchers looked specifically at the diets they followed and any cancer diagnoses that they may have received.<\/p>\n They discovered that individuals who followed a vegetarian diet had a substantially lower risk of developing five types of cancers. The study found that vegetarians had a 21% lower risk of pancreatic cancer, a 12% lower risk of prostate cancer and a 9% lower risk of breast cancer compared with meat eaters.<\/p>\n Additionally, there was a lower risk of less common types of cancer, including a 28% lower risk of kidney cancer and a 31% lower risk of multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer.<\/p>\n Dr. Carrie Daniel, professor of epidemiology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, told Women\u2019s Health<\/a> that diets heavy with plants can support gut health.<\/p>\n \u201cDiets that emphasize plants also often replace processed or high-fat animal foods, which may further improve overall health patterns,” Daniel added.<\/p>\n Healthy foods![\"Healthy](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/b5dccd0c0ee91de46a2902e544aee986.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Getty Images<\/p>\n