Can a vegan diet prevent cancer? A vegan diet avoids all foods that come from animals, including meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy. The American Institute for Cancer Research states there is not enough evidence that a vegan diet is better at reducing your cancer risk than vegetarian or plant-based eating.
"Cancer-fighting foods"
The list is usually topped with berries, broccoli, tomatoes, walnuts, grapes and other vegetables, fruits and nuts. "If you look at the typical foods that reduce cancer risk, it's pretty much all plant foods that contain phytochemicals," says Wohlford.
Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, and cabbage, have been linked to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer, lung, and stomach cancers, while carotenoid-rich vegetables, such as carrots and sweet potatoes, have been associated with a reduced risk for breast cancer.
A vegan diet is safe during cancer treatment. However, there is no evidence that a strict vegan diet provides any advantages. There is some evidence that eating foods containing soy and fibre may reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence.
Plant-based diets are full of fruits, vegetables and legumes, with little or no meat or other animal products. In research studies, vegans, people who don't eat any animal products, including fish, dairy or eggs, appeared to have the lowest rates of cancer of any diet.
Some aspects to these diets may lower cancer risk. “Some of that is because plant-based foods have more fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals—lots of nutrients that could potentially keep cells healthy and decrease the risk of the type of DNA damage to cells that can become a problem,” Lammersfeld says.
Avoiding consumption of animal-sourced food may also be related to higher rates of depression and anxiety. Hair loss, weak bones, muscle wasting, skin rashes, hypothyroidism, and anemia are other issues that have been observed in those strictly following a vegan diet.
According the studies that you are referring to, heart disease in the US is a leading cause of death among vegans... but at a lower rate then meat eaters, and it happens later.
Researchers found in cells and in mice that a low-protein diet blocked the nutrient signaling pathway that fires up a master regulator of cancer growth.
EPIC-Oxford: Cancer Mortality (2016)
Vegans suffered from 67 deaths from cancer, with a rate not significantly different from regular meat-eaters (1.14, 0.88-1.47).
Simply, vegan face is a name for a slack, wasted look that is caused by an absence of protein in your diet.
The study, based on data from over 65,000 postmenopausal women who were tracked for more than two decades, found that a healthy plant-based diet was linked with a 14% lower risk of breast cancer while an unhealthy plant-based diet was linked with a 20% higher risk of breast cancer.
A vegan diet can be healthy as it is typically higher in fiber and lower in cholesterol than an omnivorous diet. As a result, some studies find a vegan diet lowers the risk of heart disease and premature death, helps manage type 2 diabetes and reduces the risk of cancer.
Additional Health Risks of Veganism
While it can be used on a short-term basis for weight loss or for other health reasons, it may result in significant nutritional deficiencies over the long term as well as other risks including eating disorders and isolation.
Some studies have shown that those on a plant-based diet are found to have lower plasma vitamin B12 levels and higher levels of vitamin B12 deficiency than those who consume animal products. Vitamin B12 is an important cofactor in DNA synthesis, and deficiency can lead to anemia and severe neurological dysfunction.
The vitamins, macro-, micro-, and phytonutrients in plant-based diets, such as fruits, nuts, legumes, and vegetables, have been proven to improve the quality of health and immune responses.
“No matter which way you slice it, plant-based meat has significantly more nutritional benefits than conventional meat,” says non-profit the Good Food Institute (GFI). “Whether it's introducing a new source of fiber to your diet or cutting down on cholesterol, plant-based products lead to better health outcomes.”
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) block chemical messengers (enzymes) called tyrosine kinases. Tyrosine kinases help to send growth signals in cells, so blocking them stops the cell growing and dividing. Cancer growth blockers can block one type of tyrosine kinase or more than one type.
There is strong evidence that higher levels of physical activity are linked to lower risk of several types of cancer (2–4).