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Vegetarian diet: an Advantage over Colorectal Cancer
Eating a
vegetarian diet has been associated with a lower risk of
colorectal cancer compared with non-vegetarians in a study of Seventh-Day
Adventist men and women, according to an article published online by JAMA
Internal Medicine.
Dietary factors have been identified as a modifiable risk factor for
colorectal cancer, including red meat which is linked to increased risk and food
rich in dietary
fiber
which is linked to reduced risk, according to the study background. Red meat may
also contribute to colon cancer by virtue of its high iron content. Both high
dietary iron and high serum (blood) iron have been associated with increased
risk to colon cancer. Iron and fat both decrease manganese superoxide dismutase
(SOD) activity in the cells lining the colon.
Manganese SOD has tumor suppressive activity and has been found lacking in
most colon tumors.
Low-fiber diets have also been associated with increased risk of colorectal
cancer. The National Cancer Institute recommends a high-fiber diet that includes
at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. To increase the amount of
fiber in your diet, eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain breads and
cereals.
Among 77,659 study participants in the study, Michael J. Orlich, M.D.,
Ph.D., of Loma Linda University, California, and coauthors identified 380 cases
of colon cancer and 110 cases of rectal cancer. Compared with nonvegetarians,
vegetarians had a 22 percent lower risk for all colorectal cancers, 19 percent
lower risk for colon cancer and 29 percent lower risk for rectal cancer.
Compared with non-vegetarians, vegans had a 16 percent lower risk of colorectal
cancer, 18 percent less for lacto-ovo (eat milk and eggs) vegetarians, 43
percent less in pesco-vegetarians (eat fish) and 8 percent less in
semi-vegetarians, according to study results.
A Vegetarian Diet
Vegetarian eating patterns are defined as those that exclude all meats (beef,
pork, lamb, poultry, fish, etc). Some vegetarians also exclude eggs but not
dairy products, lacto vegetarians, some exclude dairy products but not eggs, ovo
vegetarians, and some exclude all foods from animal sources (all meats, dairy,
eggs, and other animal derived foods including gelatin, honey, casein, lactose,
etc), vegans.
Diets rich in plant foods decrease the risk of many types of cancer;
specifically, beneficial effects have been shown for fiber, fruits, vegetables,
legumes including
soy foods,
and whole grains. Intake of legumes is negatively associated with risk of colon
cancer.
Specific constituents in whole foods such as soluble fiber, carotenoids,
indoles, isoflavones, among hundreds of others have been linked to protection
against specific cancers. Vegetarian and vegan diets tend to be higher in these
protective plant foods and plant constituents than omnivorous diets. Vegetarian
and other diets built mainly from plant foods would also be expected to support
higher immune function, largely because they tend to be richer in cancer
protective
phyto-chemicals.
Protective elements in a cancer-preventive diet include selenium, folic acid,
vitamin B12, vitamin D, chlorophyll and antioxidants such as carotenoids
(alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, cryptoxanthin). Make sure your
diet contains these nutrients.
Ref:
Dated 20 March 2015
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