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Cancer
Reducing Cancer Risk With a Plant-Based Diet
More than 1.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year.
The Physicians Committee has two cancer-fighting goals. First, we aim to make cancer prevention a top priority. Second, and just as important, we want to improve survival after cancer has been diagnosed by offering comprehensive information about the role of dietary factors in keeping people healthy.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and there is an urgent need for a new direction in battling this disease. That’s why the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has created materials specifically for cancer prevention and survival.
The more naturally colorful your diet is, the more likely it is to have an abundance of cancer-fighting compounds. The pigments that give fruits and vegetables their bright colors—like beta-carotene in sweet potatoes or lycopene in tomatoes—help you fight cancer.
Plant foods also contain fiber, which helps remove excess hormones that could lead to breast and prostate cancer. Fiber also quickly removes waste from the digestive system, which helps prevent colorectal cancer.
Avoiding meat and dairy products allows you to sidestep potential risks. Grilling meat—including chicken and fish—produces carcinogens. Red and processed meats—like bacon and hot dogs—contain harmful substances that lead to colorectal cancer. Dairy products have been linked to prostate, breast, and ovarian cancers.
Vegan diets focus on plant foods.
Research shows a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes can prevent certain types of cancer.
Fill up on fiber.
Plant-based foods rich in fiber help remove excess hormones through the intestine and out the door as wastes.
Boost immunity with beta-carotene.
Foods rich in beta-carotene like carrots, winter squash, spinach, and kale improve immunity.
Limit high-fat foods.
High-fat diets increase estrogen levels linked to cancer growth.
Avoid meat and dairy.
Animal-products like meat and dairy lack fiber and may contain cancer-promoting compounds.
Low-fat, plant-based diets improve survival.
Vegan diets limit saturated fat linked to shorter survival after diagnosis.
Basing our diets around plant foods (like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans), which contain fiber and other nutrients, can reduce our risk of cancer.
World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, Cancer Prevention Recommendations
