For two decades, researchers in France have tracked the eating habits of more than 65,000 women. Their careful analysis led them to conclude that those who ate the healthiest plant-based foods were far less likely to suffer from breast cancer. Post-menopausal women who ate mostly healthy vegan food saw a roughly 14% lower risk of developing any type of breast cancer.
As exciting as this news is, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Studies have repeatedly shown that animal-based foods contribute to the development of several types of cancer. This new research reaffirms some of the findings of the landmark Women’s Health Initiative study involving more than 48,000 postmenopausal women, which found that those who ate lots of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains were around 20% less likely to die from breast cancer.
And a study that was commissioned by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health and the World Cancer Research Fund found that women who drink cow’s milk could increase their risk of developing breast cancer by as much as 80% compared with women who drink soy milk.
Everyone—of any gender identity and age—can reduce their risk of developing cancer and other life-threatening diseases by eating healthy and delicious vegan foods. Plant-based foods tend to be high in fiber and phytochemicals, which knock out carcinogens and fight inflammation. On average, vegans have lower body mass indexes than vegetarians and meat-eaters—which is significant, considering that being overweight can contribute to the development of at least 13 types of cancer, including postmenopausal breast cancer.
Vegans are less prone to suffer from heart disease, diabetes, strokes, and other life-threatening illnesses, too. PETA offers free vegan starter kits for anyone who wants to live healthily, help stop animal suffering, conserve resources, and combat the climate catastrophe.
