A decade-long study in the United Kingdom has found that cancer is less common among vegetarians. Health experts have always thought that a vegetarian diet is healthier than one that includes meat. This latest research is one of the biggest studies to compare cancers in vegetarians and non-vegetarians. The researchers tracked the health of 63,550 men and women aged between 20 and 89. They separated people into different groups – meat-eaters, fish-eaters, and vegetarians. The research team reported a “significantly lower” number of cancers among the fish-eaters and vegetarians compared with those who ate meat. The study suggests being vegetarian could protect people against cancer.
The findings of the research have been published in the March 2009 edition of the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’. Lead researcher Professor Timothy Key said his study was the first major research to look at the link between diet and cancer. "It suggests there might be some reduction in cancers in vegetarians and fish-eaters and we need to look carefully at that," he said. Vegetarianism is on the increase around the world. People are becoming more and more health conscious and are eating less meat, or cutting it out altogether. Some people choose a strict vegetarian diet that excludes all animal products. This means no dairy products or honey. Less strict vegetarians eat eggs and fish.
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