If you want to protect yourself from multiple types of cancer, make it a habit to eat vegetables. This was revealed in a medical study conducted in the United Kingdom.
Research by the University of Oxford found that eating vegetables significantly reduces the risk of developing five types of cancer. More than 1.8 million people were included in the study, and their health and dietary habits were monitored over several years.
Participants in the study were divided into different groups. One group consisted of people who ate vegetables, while other separate groups included those who consumed poultry instead of red meat, fish eaters, and individuals who ate only vegetables.
Their health was monitored for 16 years, and factors that increase cancer risk such as body weight and smoking were taken into account. The study examined how dietary habits influenced 17 types of cancer. It found that regularly eating vegetables reduced the risk of pancreatic cancer by up to 21 percent.
Similarly, the risk of bladder cancer decreased by 12 percent and breast cancer by 9 percent. The study further reported that compared to meat eaters, individuals who preferred vegetables had a 28 percent lower risk of kidney cancer and a 31 percent lower risk of bone marrow cancer.
Researchers said the findings are good news for people who enjoy eating vegetables, as doing so lowers the risk of at least five types of cancer.
Although eating vegetables alone provides protection against some types of cancer, the study also found that consuming only vegetables may increase the risk of esophageal cancer. A possible reason could be the absence of essential nutrients such as B vitamins, which are obtained from meat.
Likewise, a vegetable only diet was associated with up to a 40 percent increased risk of colorectal cancer, possibly due to lower calcium intake. Researchers said further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
