Cover via AmazonEating a plant-based diet not only is a huge preventative of cancer, but according to some scientists, switching to a strict plant-based diet can reverse or even cure some types of cancer. According to a study in the British Journal of Cancer, vegetarians are overall 12% less likely to develop cancer; however with some cancers, such as leukemia, they are far more protected (45%).This British study is significant because currently there are very few published reports that substantiate the dietary-cancer connection. The powerful cancer industry is very reluctant to fund any research for a nutrition-based cure, and significant alternative-cure cancer studies have a difficult time getting published and publicized. However, there are some significant studies that are beginning to get attention.
One such study that made headlines in 2009 shows that ingredients found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, when combined with selenium, had a curative effect on melanoma. In fact, this combination was 30% to 70% effective in inhibiting human cancer cells. Of course, these scientists are trying to harness these ingredients into a money-making drug, however, it can be reasonably concluded that eating a diet rich in cruciferous veggies would have a definite cancer-preventative, if not curative effect.
Is the reason that vegetarians have less cancer strictly because of the protective effect of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables? Another possible reason is that animal protein actually promotes the development of cancer cells. In an interview by Kathy Freston with T. Colin Campbell (Professor Emeritus of Cornell University and author of the groundbreaking The China Study), he states that in particular, casein is the most relevant cancer promoter ever discovered. His studies show that casein makes the body more acidic, alters the mix of hormones and modifies important enzyme activities which can promote cancer growth. He also points out that other animal-based proteins are likely to have the same effect as casein.
Recent studies are indicating the cancer-protecting benefits of a high-fiber diet, especially with colorectal cancer, which is the most common cancer of nonsmoking adults. It is important to point out that the beneficial effects are received only when the fiber comes from fruits and vegetables. When study participants received fiber from supplements, the beneficial effects were not evident.
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Vegetarian Diets Offer Protection from Cancer
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