The study of Adventist health revealed that vegetarian patients presented a lower risk of middle frequency cancer.
For patients who observe a vegetarian lifestyle, a lower risk of all combined cancers and average frequency cancers as a group was noted, according to the results of the Adventist Health Study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.1
By comparing vegetarians and non-Vegetarians, HR for total cancers were 0.88 (95%CI, 0.83-0.93; P <0.001), and the total for all average frequency cancers had an HR of 0.82 (95%CI, 0.76-0.89; P <0.001). Meaning has been obtained from specific cancers between vegetarians and non-Vegetarians, including stomach carcinoma (HR, 0.55; 95%CI, 0.32-0.93; P = 0.025), lymphoma (HR, 0.75; 95%CI, 0.59-0.97; P = 0.028), lymphoproliferative disorder (HR, 0.75; 95%CI, 0.60-0.93; P = 0.010) and colorectal cancers (HR, 0.79; 95%CI, 0.66-0.95; P = .011).
A null hypothesis has been tested on food subtypes, which food variables have not contributed additional information to the models. The hypothesis was rejected for breast cancer (P = 0.012), lymphoma (P = 0.031), all lymphoproliferative cancers (P = 0.004), prostate cancer (P = 0.030), colorectal cancers (P = 0.023), and possibly pancreatic cancer (P = .054). The hypotheses were also rejected for the average frequency (p <0.001) and all cancers (P <0.001).
Food models have also been assessed and vegetarians have continued to show lower estimates. Other models included vegans (HR, 0.76; 95%CI, 0.68-0.85) evaluated in 365 cancers, lacto-ovo-vegetarians (HR, 0.91; 95%CI, 0.85-0.97) evaluated in 1675 cancers and pesco-vegetarians (HR, 0.89; 95%CI 0.82-0.98) in the box in the 95% CI, 0.82-0. 560 cancers. Total average frequency cancers have also been studied in vegans (HR, 0.77; 95%CI, 0.66-0.89) in 192 cancers, lacto-ovo-vegetarians (HR, 0.82; 95%CI, 0.75-0.90) in 805 cancers and 0.76-0.99) (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.76-0.99) (9). in 273 cancers.
The cancer site and the combined diets were assessed and found that the 95% CI excluded the null hypothesis in several cancers and ages. These included prostate cancer in younger vegans (HR, 0.57; 95%CI, 0.41-0.80) but not older vegans (HR, 1.08; 95%CI, 0.71-1.65); Breast cancer in younger vegans (HR, 0.69; 95%CI, 0.51-0.92) and older (HR, 0.74; 95%CI, 0.46-1,19); Lymphoma in younger vegans (HR, 0.90; 95%CI, 0.56-1.46) and older (HR, 0.44; 95%CI, 0.20-0.98); Lymphoma in lacto-ovo-vegetarians (HR, 0.64; 95%CI, 0.46-0.91) and older lacto-ovo-vegetarians (HR, 0.61; 95%CI, 0.40-0.95).
It should be noted that colorectal cancers were less common in patients who were pesco-vegetarians (HR, 0.61; 95%CI, 0.44-0.86) and perhaps lacto-ovo-vegetarians (HR, 0.83; 95%CI, 0.68-1.02).
“These are all relatively unique and perhaps the most robust information that is concerned concerning cancers such as stomach and lymphoma. It can also point his finger on several other cancers – such as lung, ovary and pancré medicine, a distinguished professor at the public health school and distinguished professor of medicine at the University of Loma Linda, said in a press release on the results.2
The study analyzed 79,468 patients in the United States and Canada between 2002 and 2007. The study population was made up of available voluntary members of the seventh day Adventist Church in North America. Patients had to fill out a vast questionnaire sent by mail, which included a validated food frequency questionnaire, where patients could report eating habits focused in the previous year.
In total, 26% of patients were black and 65% were women.
“Compared to adventist non-vertices, modest reductions in the risk of cancer with total and average frequency among vegetarians were obvious, and this was true for vegans, lacto-ovo-vegetarians and pesco-vegetarians,” concluded study authors. “In all individual cancer sites, however, the results were much more variable. Vegetarians and lacto-ovo-vegetarians.
References
- Fraser GE, Butler FM, Shavlik DJ, et al. Longitudinal associations between vegetarian eating habits and cancers specific to the site in the cohort of the study of Adventist Health-2. Am the nutr clin. Posted online on June 9, 2025. DOI: 10.1016 / J.AJCNUT .2025.06.006
- The health study of the University of Loma Linda shows that vegetarian regimes have a reduction in the risk of middle frequency cancer. Press release. Pr Newswire. June 23, 2025. Accessed June 24, 2025. Https://tinyurl.com/5279vdnt