Vegan Diet Correlates with Lower Rates of Cancer in New Research at Loma Linda University
by AT News Team
New research soon to be published shows a significant correlation with a vegan diet and lower rates of cancer. Also, lacto-ovo vegetarian diets “seem to confer protection from cancers of the gastrointestinal tract,” says an article by a research team at Loma Linda University (LLU) to be published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.
The article releases some of the early findings from the Adventist Health Study 2. “Cancer risk among vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians was statistically significant for both genders combined. Also, a statistically significant association was found between vegetarian diet and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.” When data for the two types of vegetarian diets were compared, “vegan diets showed statistically significant protection for overall cancer incidence in both genders combined and for female-specific cancers [and] lacto-ovo vegetarians [were] associated with decreased risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal system.”
Cancer is the number two cause of death in the United States and diet accounts for about a third of all cancers in Western nations. Because Seventh-day Adventists make up one of the largest populations in the U.S. following a vegetarian diet, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have funded ongoing research to understand how Adventist lifestyle relates to preventing disease and longer life. A total of 69,120 Adventists participated in this study.
The NIH recently renewed funding for the Adventist Health Study 2, extending the project for five more years with a grant of $5.5 million. "We're delighted by this," said Dr. Fraser, team leader for the study. The additional funding will not only allow the project to conduct ongoing research, but also begin analysis on questions it has not had the resources to examine to date, he stated.
The publication in which this article will appear is a peer-reviewed science journal sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research. The authors of the article include Drs. Yessenia Tantamango-Bartley, Karen Jaceldo-Siegl, Joseph Fan and Gary Fraser, faculty members at LLU.
If the vegetarian diet is significant for decreased GI cancers and the vegan diet is significant for all types of cancers, is the vegan diet less significant for GI cancers?
As a participant in the Adventist Health Study from the beginning, what were the age groups of the study? Knowing that certain cancers are more often found in the aging population, this is also quite significant.
Too bad that more SDAS who are able to do so are not following the vegan diet.
I was raised a veggie but not vegan. We lived on a farm so always had eggs plus dairy products. My dad lived to be a little over 100 years old. My dear mother lived a little over 93 but got alzhimers.
I am still eating the way I was raised so we will see what happens.
Yes in this area I am the only SDA in our church that is veggie.Im glad they do not bring meats to church meals. I would like better to be around more people that are veggie. It's not easy out here in cattle country as well as a growing number of large hog units. What I have witnessed in the production of large milk producers ( I do not use milk or ice cream but eat cheese and cottage cheese ) I am glad I do not use much of those products as many use hormones to stimulate more production. This is also true with meat producers.Proffit is the main concern.
I am also a farmer so those that eat meats and use lots of milk…be ware
As the available water diminishes there may be a call to produce food more effectively as meat production is by far the food most heavily using water for the same amount of protein. It's so wasteful that there may be more reason to promote vegetarianism.
A recent three-day series in the local paper (perhaps in others throughout the nation) pointed out the laxity of meat inspection and the resulting food poisoning each year, plus the hormone fed cattle and chicken produce antibiotic resistance in humans.
Elaine,
You are right about the antibiotic resistance. No shots are used here unless it's to save a life. Feed lots use antibiotic's of many kinds to keep animals from getting sick in those environments.
You speak of water usage. I'm in the well repair business as well as some other things. Water usage is very high in the ethanol production that people use in their cars. Technology has come a long way and now they try to spin out as much water as they can to reuse but it still takes a great deal of water.
Also the farmers who produce hogs use tremendous amounts of water to keep things clean but most reuse much of that back on fields for fertilizer and irrigation.
I think the least amount of water is used for cattle as it's used for drinking. Lot cleaning is done with out water for cattle. I'm not sure of what the enclosed dairys do for cleaning.
From what I have seen in the meat business I'm glad to be a veggie but realize it's hard for people to change. I have never sat down and eaten flesh food of any kind.
If you live in a community that frowns on being "whole foods plant based" (vegan) start making some good recipes and having people over for a meal thus showing them how good it tastes. Talk about general stuff unless asked about lifestyle and food etc. OR start a small group and show videos like Forks Over Knives or materials from McDougall, Chip, Barnard, Esselstyn, Campbell or any of the other dozens of professionals that show the benefits of the plant based lifestyle.
Mr Hieb,
A great idea about starting a group. Here is what one team of people did that included
a doctor, a nurse, a nutritionist, a former Firefighter/EMT, all who were whole food / plant based adherants. They prayed that God would lead them to a program to presnt to the general public. This team just finished one year presenting the Engine 2 Lifestyle through a support group venu available to the public and held at a local fire department.
This team now has two programs.
> One a monthly "members only" WF/PB Support Group
> One an online 60-day Lifestyle Transition Members Only Program. Testimonies by graduates are heart-warming. The FF/EMT team member took this 60-day course at 69-years of age and lost 42 pounds, 9 inches in the waist, 131 cholesterol, 110/65 bp, Glucose normal, etc.
God opened other doors. The 60-day program is soon to be on an Emergency Television Network that is available to 32,000 fire depts. nation-wide. This all started because a telephone call to California that God redirected to a destination in Arizona. The rest is history. People do not care how much we know until they inow how much we care… this includes their health!
I forgot to add… the reason to hold these health ed meetings at a frie department is to offer the program to FD members. Firefighters have a history of Line Of Duty Deaths (LODD) where the number one cause is not from fire, smoke or accidents, but from Heart Attacks and Strokes!!
I subscribe to the monthly Nutrition published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The recent edition showed the amount of water needed to produce one pound of food. Beef is the largest, demaninding over 1,000 gal. for every edible pound, compared to veggies with usually less than 100. Vegetarianism will increase as water levels diminish, plus all the recent revelations of health problems with meat. An article in today's paper that the FDA wanted to increase from 35 to 175 chickens which should be examined along a processing line. This, in an effort to spot disease, but salmonella cannot be determined visually!
Steve, i'm non-veggie. please tell me what a typical 3 meal day ie: break-lunch-supper, including beverages, quantities. thanks.
A lot depends on whether you wish to begin a vegan or vegetarian diet. I will be happy to tell you how I have lived to be 88 and a lifetime vegetarian.
Wow Elaine,
Nice to hear someone else is a veggie. Earl, I'm not the cook..thank God for that but my wife is a very good veggie cook. I will see if she is interested in your question. Often I have asked my wife if she would be interested in starting a restraunt..always the answer is absolutely not. I think it would be fun.
Steve & Elaine, not seeking recipes, just a general description of each item. Understand it is all veggie, but is it mostly carbohydrate? Cereals and legumes for protein? i eat a lot of nuts & seeds, and my favorite food is peanut butter which i eat approx 4 tablespoons a day. i eat a variety of meats, but small quantities. i eat my greens and fruit almost daily, but also something sweet daily. i drink coffee, 2 cups daily. i could enjoy eating only carbos but question the efficacy. i prefer non-wet, but dry crunchy edibles.
For breakfast today-Glass of apple juice, honey nut cheerios with rice milk and toast. Other times it could be pancakes with juice and maybe even an egg scrambled or fried. Sometimes biscuts and gravy. Sometimes apple sauce on peanutt butter covered toast.
If I am out and go to McDonalds..it's pancakes, egg biscut and hashbrown with small oj.
Evening meals are small usually with fresh fruit of some kind..Right now we have pairs, apples,grapefruit and oranges on hand. Those were all purchased from local FFA fruit sales from the school.
I will report later on lunch today
Lunch totay 2 slices of pumpkin bread, vegge Bushes beans, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes made with lactose free milk and slice of pumpkin pie. Condensd milk was used in the pie I am told (mmgood)
Lunch menues vary from day to day.
If I am away from home maybe Subway vegge sandwich. Also Pixxa hut has veggie lovers pizza along with sallad bar.
Thanks Steve , some delicious items i can handle, except allergy in eggs alone, but no problem when added to other cooked foods ie: hotcakes. Rice milk? Never heard of it, will google it.
Taco Bell has inexpensive, healthful vegetarian choices. Their cantina bowl is either with beef, chicken or vegetarian and makes a delicious and quick meal.
We grab them after a Sat. movie matinee (heresy)!
While no longer on the menu, Taco Bell still offers bean tostatos when you aske for them.
For vegetarians Taco Bell offers the most nutritious and inexpensive. We all know beans are healthful and that is one of the main components of their quick meals. I buy canned refried beans and use them in tacos, burritos and added to Trader Joe's red pepper/tomato soup makes a delicious meal.
Roasted carrot chips, cauliflower florets and diced butternut squash brings out great flavors. Roast tomatoes: 7 hours @ 200 F. make a great pasta sauce when pureed.
Earl,
Rice milk is at most walmarts in the cooler around other milks. Some like almond milk or soy. Also rice milk can be purchased that does not have to be refrigerated untill opened.
I must admit that I am something of a cynic regarding some of the health claims for Adventist, vegetarian, and vegan diets. There probably are some statistical correlations, but it is hard to determine if they are direct or indirect correlations.
Although it is based on anecdotal evidence, I suspect that stress and anxiety has a lot to with the bodies vulnerability to disease. What type of disease we are most likely incur is probably based on genetic factors. But, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual stresses seem to be a significant precursor to ill health.
It appears to me that many of those who are vegan or who accept similarly radical restrictions on their diet often have a rather black and white perspective on morality. This seems to minimize some kinds of stress that morally conscientious people generally experience.
Another group, is much more inclined to see moral matters in shades of grade and consequently wrestles with daily decisions. These folks are more inclined to people pleasing and are subject to more distress as they try to reconcile their moral choices with the expectations and needs of others.
The black and white moralist may have significantly much less anxiety and stress as long as they are persuaded their behavior aligns in a sastisfactory way with their moral perspectives. Highly, speculative I know, but I wouldn't be surprised if these correlations were not as direct as is often presumed.
Another problem is determining which specific diet/life style factors might cause a correlation. I suspect those diet conscious enough to stick with a more radical diet probably limit their overall food intake and sugar intake as well. High glucose diets, stress and anxiety are known to have very negtive impacts on health.
Forget Adventist health reports. The Mediterranean diet has been recommended for years which has helped prevent disease. This is not a radical diet unless one has been used to daily red meat. Recommended are fish, particularly salmon and tuna and chicken in place of beef.
With the high cost beef rises, eat chicken.
When cost of chicken rises, eat cat food.
When cost of cat food rises, eat the cat.
Eat the cats and rats eat you.
vegan diets showed statistically significant protection for overall cancer incidence (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.72–0.99) in both genders combined and for female-specific cancers (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.47–0.92). Lacto-ovo-vegetarians appeared to be associated with decreased risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal system (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60–0.92). Conclusion: Vegetarian diets seem to confer protection against cancer.
Impact: Vegan diet seems to confer lower risk for overall and female-specific cancer than other dietary patterns. The lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets seem to confer protection from cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(2); 286–94. ©2012 AACR.
This is from the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention.
You can read the whole article online for yourself.