Going vegan could help prevent prostate cancer
The US study analysed data on over 26,000 men comparing how a meat-and-dairy diet and a vegan diet affect the chances of developing prostate cancer.
Around eight per cent of the men studied said they followed a vegan diet and 1,079 cases of prostate cancer were reported among the entire group. The researchers at Loma Linda University in California found a 35 per cent reduction in prostate cancer risk in men who followed a vegan diet.
Professor Gary Fraser, who led the study funded by the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “This new research makes a significant step in linking a vegan diet to reduced prostate cancer risk.
“What we now need is more research into this area to determine to the extent a vegan diet could reduce the number of men developing this cancer.”
In the UK, about one in nine men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. It affects more men in the UK than any other form of cancer with 47,000 new cases each year. Of these, over 10,000 men will die each year.
However, research show that switching to a vegan diet may also help men who already have the disease. Last year Viva! Health published the White Lies report which looked at the detrimental health effects of dairy. The chapter on prostate cancer covered many studies looking at how diet affects the disease with some studies showing how a vegan diet can slow prostate cancer progression and improve prognosis.
Finally it seems the press are catching on. Research linking meat and dairy products to numerous different types of cancer provides a convincing argument for eliminating all animal foods from the diet while increasing the intake of whole grains, pulses (including soya), fruit and vegetables.
Read more about diet and men’s health here: www.vivahealth.org.uk/menshealth
This news was reported in:
The Independent “Vegan diet ‘can cut risk of prostate cancer by 35 per cent’”
ITV News “Going vegan could help prevent prostate cancer, study finds”
Huffington Post “Vegan Diet ‘Cuts Prostate Cancer Risk By 35%’”
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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