Vegetarian diet lowers risk of colorectal cancer

Washington: A new study has revealed that vegetarian diet lowers the risk of colorectal cancers compared to non-vegetarian diet.

The study explained that diet of an individual plays a vital role in causing colorectal cancer, like red meat had been linked to increase the risk whereas fiber rich food reduces the cancer risk.

The researchers examined almost 380 cases of colon i.e. rectum cancer and 110 cases of rectal cancer and analysed that 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.

The study showed the diet factors on cancer risks as they found 18 percent less risk in lacto-ovo (eat milk and eggs) vegetarians, 43 percent less in pesco-vegetarians (eat fish) and 8 percent less in semi-vegetarians.

The study concluded that dietary factors not only reduces risk of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and mortality, but also decreases the risk of colorectal cancer, so one should carefully make dietary choices and give dietary guidance.

The study is published online by JAMA Internal Medicine.