Vegetarians And Cancer

Most individuals have a vague notion that eating meat is bad for you and that eating vegetables will prevent you from developing some serious illnesses such as cancer. Not everyone believes this, yet still there is an under current or popular belief that it is so.

It certainly is true that you will consume less animal fat if you become a vegetarian. However, even vegetarians usually eat some animal fats when they eat shop-bought cakes or meals in restaurants. There are in essence two schools of ideology on dietary fat.

The traditional view is that decreasing saturated fats is good for you yet there is the Atkins Diet notion that saturated fats will not hurt you but carbohydrates will. Regrettably, the average guy in the street who does not have a medical degree only has to go with his or her best judgment and hope for the best. After all, if the experts can not agree on what is good and what is not good for us, what prospect do we have of knowing?

It is probably quite true that eating less saturated fat and eating more fibre-rich vegetables and fruit is a good idea, yet there is no real need to cut out meat all together. Some studies in Europe have suggested that vegetarians are up to 40% less to be expected to develop cancer than meat-eaters.

Furthermore, studies into breast cancer rates all over the world suggest that there is less breast cancer in countries where they eat less meat like China and other eastern countries, whereas in Japan, where the American presence has meant that more people eat a la American, the incidence of breast cancer is eight times higher.

This tends to insinuate that the American diet of lots of saturated fat and processed meat like hamburgers and hot dogs is responsible for higher rates of cancer.

It is also said that meat and dairy products contribute to the development of a number of kinds of cancer including breast, colon, ovarian and prostate cancers. Colon cancer seems to be the most affected by a high consumption of meat and dairy with one report stating that it can increase the risk by a massive 300%.

One recognized problem for adults with drinking milk is that it can increase the body's levels of oestrogen which is the 'female' hormone. This can produce breasts in overweight men and arise the risk of breast cancer in both sexes.

It has been reported that one study into cancer in premenopausal women showed that those who consumed meat had a thirty-odd percent more chance of getting cancer. Eating dairy products has been linked with ovarian cancer, because it seems that breaking down lactose damages the ovaries somehow.

There is a equivalent trend in men. Men who eat meat each day have a higher danger of prostate cancer, some say up to three times as high and drinking milk may double the risk as well. Those men who do not eat vegetables at all or very occasionally quadruple their chances of prostate cancer.

It is very difficult to know what to do, because various studies by different bodies reveal different results. If you do not know who to follow, it appears best to attempt to follow a balanced diet in which fruit and vegetables make up the majority of the bulk and calories.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now involved with the stages of ovarian cancer. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Signs and Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer