Among 79,952 American men, those who ate the healthiest plant foods had a 22% lower risk of colon cancer than those who ate the least. On the other hand, no association was found between a vegan diet and the risk of colon cancer in women.

Jaehye Kim of Kyung Hee University in South Korea said: “Colon cancer is the third most common type of cancer worldwide. The lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is 1 in 23 for men and 1 in 25 for women. Our results indicate that diet “A healthy plant-based diet is associated with a lower risk of colon cancer. We believe that antioxidants in foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains help reduce the risk of colon cancer by suppressing chronic inflammation that can lead to cancer.”

The research team noted differences in this association depending on gender and ancestry: A healthy vegetarian diet was associated with a lower risk of colon cancer, especially in white men and Japanese Americans. The association was not observed in women and males of African American, Hispanic, or Native Hawaiian descent.

Jaehye Kim said, “We suspect that the association between a vegetarian diet and colorectal cancer risk may be stronger in Japanese-American and white men due to differences in colorectal cancer risk factors. However, more research is needed to confirm this.”

Which: DOI 10.1186 / s12916-022-02623-7