Plant-Based Diets: Starving Tumors And Promoting Health

A plant-based diet may help prevent and slow the growth of tumours. Research has shown that a plant-based diet can lower the risk of developing various types of cancer, including breast, prostate, colorectal, pancreas, ovary, and uterine endometrium cancers. Plant-based diets are full of fruits, vegetables and legumes, with little or no meat or other animal products. Plant-based foods are full of phytochemicals, which protect the body from damage and interrupt processes in the body that encourage cancer production. Phytochemicals also decrease inflammation and have antioxidant properties, which can prevent cell damage.

Plant-based diets are associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer

Plant-based diets are full of fruits, vegetables, legumes, with little or no meat or other animal products. Research has shown that eating a plant-based diet may provide a healthier alternative to the Standard American Diet, which is typically high-calorie loaded with red meat, high-fat dairy products, heavily processed foods, fast foods, refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and salt. Plant-based diets are associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Phytochemicals

Plant-based foods are full of chemicals compounds, called phytochemicals, that protect the body from damage. Phytochemicals also interrupt processes in the body that encourage cancer production. Phytochemicals offer many benefits. In addition to protecting from damage, they decrease inflammation and interrupt processes in the body that encourages cancer production.

Antioxidants and Carotenoids

Two of the most helpful phytochemicals are antioxidants and carotenoids. Antioxidants protect the body from damage. Cancer develops when DNA in cells is damaged. This causes abnormal cells to divide uncontrollably, which can infiltrate and destroy normal body tissue. Carotenoids are naturally present in many fruits, grains, oils and vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, spinach, apricots, green peppers and leafy greens. They are highly pigmented, so look for natural foods that are red, orange, yellow and green.

Fibre

Plant-based diets are also high in natural fibre. This has been shown to reduce cancer risk and moderate insulin levels. Young women who ate the most fibre-rich diets were 25% less likely to get breast cancer later in life, a study found. Other research finds that each 10 grams of daily fibre could lower the risk of colorectal cancer by 10%.

Plant-based diets and breast cancer

Research has shown that eating a plant-based diet may provide a healthier alternative to the Standard American Diet, which is typically high-calorie loaded with red meat, high-fat dairy products, heavily processed foods, fast foods, refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and salt. Plant-based diets are associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

A recent study showed that a higher adherence to a plant-based diet was significantly inversely associated with breast cancer. The study found that a higher adherence to a plant-based diet was associated with a lower risk of total breast cancer, independent of total carotenoid intake, dietary fibre, and weight change, and specifically for ER-negative tumours.

Plant-based diets are associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer

The link between diet and cancer has been well-established, with research showing that nearly 25% of overall cancer cases could be prevented with diet and nutrition alone. Plant-based diets, in particular, have been found to be beneficial in cancer prevention and treatment. This article will explore the relationship between plant-based diets and prostate cancer, one of the most common cancers among men.

Plant-Based Diets and Prostate Cancer Risk

Several studies have shown that adopting a plant-based diet can significantly reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. A study by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) found that eating more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and olive oil, while reducing the consumption of animal products, was associated with a nearly 50% reduction in the risk of prostate cancer progression. This was further supported by another UCSF study, which showed that a plant-based diet was associated with a 47% lower risk of cancer progression compared to a diet high in animal products.

The Role of Antioxidants and Anti-Inflammatory Compounds

Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that have been shown to protect against prostate cancer. Antioxidants, such as those found in dark chocolate, avocados, and nuts, protect the body from damage caused by free radicals, which can lead to uncontrolled cell growth and cancer development. Anti-inflammatory compounds, on the other hand, help reduce inflammation, which is a known risk factor for cancer.

Plant-Based Diets and Prostate Cancer Treatment

In addition to reducing the risk of developing prostate cancer, plant-based diets have also been found to be beneficial for those already diagnosed with the disease. A study by Vivian Liu and Dr. Stacey Kenfield of UCSF showed that among people already diagnosed with prostate cancer, a plant-based diet was associated with a lower risk of the cancer progressing or recurring. This is supported by the Prostate Cancer Foundation, which states that a plant-based diet may be associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer getting worse or coming back.

Plant-Based Diets and Quality of Life

Not only do plant-based diets reduce the risk of prostate cancer, but they have also been linked to an improved quality of life for those with the disease. Dr. Stacey Kenfield of UCSF found that greater consumption of plant-based foods after a prostate cancer diagnosis was associated with better quality of life, including improved sexual function, urinary function, and vitality. This suggests that plant-based diets can not only help prevent prostate cancer but also improve the lives of those living with the disease.

Plant-based diets are associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer

The three plant-based diet indices are overall plant-based diet index (PDI), healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI). The hPDI was associated with a lower incidence of colorectal cancer, while the uPDI was associated with an increased incidence.

The inverse association between the hPDI and colorectal cancer was stronger for KRAS-wildtype CRC than KRAS-mutant CRC. Replacing refined grains with healthy plant foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables is associated with lower CRC incidence.

Plant-based diets are associated with a reduced risk of gastrointestinal cancer

Plant-based diets have been shown to have a positive effect on reducing the risk of reproductive cancers and potentially reducing rates of recurrence. Plant-based diets are associated with a lower incidence of many forms of cancer, including the two most common reproductive cancers, breast and prostate. Plant-based diets are also associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.

Plant-based diets are also associated with a reduced risk of other types of cancer, including ovarian, endometrial, and testicular cancer. Plant-based diets are high in natural fiber, which has been shown to reduce cancer risk and moderate insulin levels. Young women who ate the most fiber-rich diets were 25% less likely to get breast cancer later in life, and each 10 grams of daily fiber could lower the risk of colorectal cancer by 10%.

Plant-based diets are also associated with a reduced risk of pancreatic, ovarian, and lymphatic/hematopoietic cancers.

Plant-based diets are associated with a reduced risk of other cancers

A plant-based diet is one that focuses on minimally processed foods of plant origin, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. The majority of the diet comes from these foods, but it does not have to be entirely vegetarian or vegan.

The nutrients found in plant-based foods, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber, have been shown to reduce the risk of several types of cancer. For example, eating 6 ounces of whole-grain foods each day may decrease colorectal cancer risk by 21%. Plant-based diets are also associated with lower body and abdominal fatness, which can decrease the risk of six other types of cancer.

Plant-based diets have been shown to have a protective effect on the incidence of colorectal cancer. This is due in part to the exclusion of meat, which contains harmful substances such as saturated fats and carcinogens formed during cooking or processing. Plant-based diets may also aid in weight loss or weight maintenance, which may offer protection against the increased risk of colorectal cancer associated with obesity.

In terms of breast cancer, a plant-based diet may reduce the risk of breast cancer by decreasing levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a hormone crucial for cell growth. The more IGF-1 present in the bloodstream, the higher the risk of cancer development. Plant-based diets are also associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer due to the presence of fiber, greens, and flaxseeds.

In terms of prostate cancer, plant-based diets are associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer, particularly in Asian men who tend to consume more soy products and isoflavones than the typical Western/American diet. Plant-based diets are also associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer due to the exclusion of dairy products, which are often advertised as "natural" but contain high levels of sex steroid hormones, especially in dairy due to the fact that milk is taken from lactating female cows.

Plant-based diets have also been shown to offer protection against a myriad of other gastrointestinal (GI) and non-GI cancers, including gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer.

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