Health News Update: Plant Based Lowers Cancer Risk
Hello everyone:
More good news about going plant-based. In case you did not know this, being overweight or obese is the second leading risk factor / cause of cancer behind smoking and alcohol is the third leading risk factor / cause. This paper shows how consuming a predominantly plant-based food plan can lower your risk.
“Key Takeaways:
· Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a 6% lower risk of obesity-related cancer over 15 years.
· Risks for colorectal, liver, and kidney cancers were significantly reduced in people with medium or high adherence to the top-ranked diet.
· Obesity-related cancer risk reduction was even greater among current and former smokers.
But as detailed in JAMA Network Open, high adherence was linked with up to a 48% lower risk of site-specific obesity-related cancers:
- Colorectal cancer: HR 0.92 (95% CI 0.85-0.99)
- Hepatocellular carcinoma: HR 0.52 (95% CI 0.33-0.83)
- Kidney cancer: HR 0.67 (95% CI 0.55-0.82)
Medium adherence to the diet was also associated with significantly lower risks for colorectal, kidney, and liver cancers, along with a lower risk of esophageal cancer (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.48-0.93).
"According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, excess body weight is convincingly linked to a heightened cancer risk at 13 anatomic sites, including cancers of the endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, liver, and breast, among others," Aguilera-Buenosvinos' group noted. Currently, about 43% of the global adult population and over 70% of U.S. adults have overweight or obesity.”
Bottom Line:
For many reasons, including if there is a history of cancer in your family, adopting a plant-based whole food unprocessed approach to nutrition continues to lead the way towards health promotion and prevention. Not only does it lower inflammation and promote optimal and healthy aging, but you will also look and feel better. As you make the move into plants, your taste buds will slowly go back to being delighted with the tastes and textures of a more natural diet and you will wonder how you ever ate any other way. If you want to optimize your health, this is where you should start.
PS: Research shows that most of us eat the same 12 to 15 foods day in and day out. Diversity of food choices is essential to get all of the nutrients we need, so change it up at least every week…add a new vegetable, fruit, nut, seed, mushroom or bean!
