Overview

• A cohort of nearly 80,000 Seventh-day Adventists followed for eight years showed vegetarians had a 12% lower overall cancer risk and vegans a 24% reduction compared with meat eaters.
• Vegans exhibited the largest site-specific risk drops, including about 25% lower breast and younger-men prostate cancer rates, while vegetarians saw roughly 21% fewer colorectal, 45% fewer stomach and 25% fewer lymphoproliferative cancers.
• Researchers adjusted for differences such as BMI, smoking, alcohol use, exercise and education but noted that residual confounding and the cohort’s health-conscious profile may influence results.
• Independent experts highlighted that the study’s observational design and undefined mechanisms for certain cancers, notably lymphoma, prevent definitive causal conclusions.
• The findings strengthen evidence for diet-cancer associations yet emphasize the need for randomized and mechanistic research before broader public health recommendations.