Hippocrates’ famous saying, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” shouldn’t be forgotten today. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that 40 percent of cancer types—including cancer of the breast, stomach, liver, esophagus, and colon—are linked to excess weight. In fact, in 2014, more than 630,000 Americans were diagnosed with types of cancer that were related to obesity or being overweight.
The good news is that eating vegan foods helps one maintain a healthy weight and avert cancer. Research shows that, on average, vegans have lower body mass indexes (or BMIs) than vegetarians and meat-eaters do, and vegans are considerably less likely to develop diabetes, cancer, and other obesity-related diseases. Eating meat, eggs, and dairy “products” doesn’t just put a strain on your waistband—it also takes years off your life: Vegans live, on average, six to 10 years longer than meat-eaters do.
Eating vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and fruits helps prevent cancer and helps deter its growth because these foods are packed with cancer-fighting nutrients, such as pectin and phytochemicals, which strengthen the immune system and destroy harmful substances before they can cause the disease. Fruits and vegetables are full of beneficial beta-carotene, flavones, and indoles. Vitamin C—which is found in many vegetables and citrus fruits—acts as an antioxidant, which neutralizes cancer-causing chemicals and blocks the conversion of nitrates into cancer-causing nitrosamines in the stomach. Vegan foods are also high in fiber, helping to eliminate carcinogens from the digestive tract.
One of the primary recommendations in the American Cancer Society’s Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention is to eat a diet “with an emphasis on plant foods”—and for good reason. Researchers have found that people who don’t eat meat are between 25 and 50 percent less likely to suffer from cancer, even after controlling for other factors, such as smoking. According to Dr. Jane Plant—a British scientist, a cancer survivor, and author of The No-Dairy Breast Cancer Prevention Program—”Undoubtedly, the best anti-cancer diet would be to go completely vegan.”
Make it a priority to get in shape and reduce your risk of developing cancer by eating healthy vegan foods rather than meat, eggs, and dairy “products.” PETA Prime is here to help you! Order PETA’s free vegan starter kit today for mouthwatering recipes, nutritional guides, and helpful tips on eating out and grocery shopping. Motivate your loved ones to help safeguard their health and stave off cancer by sharing this information with them and encouraging them to eat delicious vegan foods.
Help people you don’t know yet learn about the health, animal-welfare, and environmental benefits of being vegan by ordering PETA literature to leave in public places, such as the market, the doctor’s office, the library, or the local community center. You’ll inspire others to save lives—both human and animal.
