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Review
. 2022 Jun;11(2):354-369.
doi: 10.1007/s13668-022-00409-0. Epub 2022 Mar 25.

Plant-Based Diets and Cancer Risk: What is the Evidence?

Vanessa DeClercq  1   2 , Jacob T Nearing  3 , Ellen Sweeney  4
Affiliations
Review

Plant-Based Diets and Cancer Risk: What is the Evidence?

Vanessa DeClercq et al. Curr Nutr Rep. 2022 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose of review: The purpose of this review is to summarize the recent (past 5 years) available evidence regarding the association between plant-based diets on cancer risk from clinical trials and observational studies. Biological mechanisms and gaps in the current literature will also be discussed.

Recent findings: There is a lack of intervention studies but there are abundant observational studies assessing the association between plant-based diets and cancer risk, including multiple longitudinal cohort studies and similar data from case-control studies that demonstrate a decreased overall cancer risk with plant-based diets. Case-control studies support a decreased risk of colorectal and breast cancers with plant-based diets, but results for specific cancers remain inconsistent in cohort studies. Current evidence from observational studies indicates an inverse association between plant-based diets and overall cancer risk. Future research should include intervention studies, address inconsistencies in dietary assessment methods and provide greater detail on underrepresented groups.

Keywords: Cancer risk; Plant-based diet; Vegan; Vegetarian.

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