Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), these events serve as a reminder that 42,000 women and 500 men die of the disease in the U.S. each year. While deaths from the disease have declined over time, breast cancer remains the second-leading cause of cancer death among women (second only to lung cancer). The disease disproportionately affects Black women, whose breast cancer mortality rate is higher than among white women (even though Black women have lower breast cancer incidence rates).

As the drums beat at each rally, PCRM organizers hope to deliver a message of hope, says Vanita Rahman, MD, clinic director at Barnard Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

“[People may feel] that breast cancer maybe is inevitable or it’s genetic or if they have a family history, there’s not much they can do about it,” says Rahman. “They may feel helpless or powerless to prevent it, and we’re really hoping that they’ll see that there are things we can do.”

She and her PCRM colleagues recommend a four-pronged approach to your individual risk: eating a whole-food, plant-based diet; exercising regularly; minimizing alcohol intake; and maintaining a healthy weight.

There’s plenty of research to back up these recommendations. One 2019 study associated a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains with a 21% reduced risk of death from breast cancer. Another, involving 51,928 women enrolled in the Black Women’s Health Study, found a link between increased vegetable consumption and lower risk of estrogen receptor-negative/progesterone receptor-negative breast cancer, which is one of the hardest-to-treat forms of the disease. The findings also suggested that higher intakes of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, and carotenoid-rich vegetables, such as carrots and other yellow-orange vegetables, may reduce the risk of breast cancer overall.

“There’s epidemiological evidence showing that high-fiber foods help decrease the risk of breast cancer,” says Rahman, referencing a 2016 study. “Most Americans do not get sufficient fiber in their diet … and fiber is only found in plant foods.”

Rally organizer and breast cancer survivor Donna Green-Goodman credits her diet as one reason that she is today, 27 years after her diagnosis, cancer-free. “The diagnosis and poor prognosis made me make some hard decisions,” Green-Goodman said. “They were giving me two to five years to live; I decided to go to a whole food, plant-based diet.”

Other lifestyle measures play a significant role, as well: Regular exercise, reduced alcohol intake, and weight control could reduce breast cancer risk by about 30%, according to a 2014 position paper published in Breast Cancer Research. The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle-strengthening exercises weekly and maintaining a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. Rahman recommends alcohol be avoided, as even one drink per day can elevate the risk of breast cancer, according to the 2015 results of two prospective U.S. cohort studies.

“Our goal is to really help women feel empowered that there are things they can do right now and continue to do to reduce their risk and to reduce the risks of the women that they care about,” says Rahman. “We are not just setting targets. … These are all tools that can help empower us.”

Find a Let’s Beat Breast Cancer rally to support near you.

Photo courtesy Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

The post Physicians, Survivors Rally Across U.S. to Demand Better Breast-Cancer Prevention Efforts appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

• Why are more young people being diagnosed with colon cancer?
• When should people get screening colonoscopies?
• Which foods are linked to colon cancer?
• What’s the connection between inflammation and cancer?
• How does exercise impact inflammation?
• What’s the No. 1 way to reduce your risk of colon cancer?

I want to start off by asking you about the rising rates of colon cancer in younger people. Is this just a matter of better screening?

Shilpa Ravella: This has been on my mind quite frequently lately, as I’m seeing more and more patients being diagnosed with not just colorectal cancer but other cancers, and patients in their 20s and 30s with no apparent risk factors being diagnosed with early-onset colon cancer, which is colon cancer that develops when one is less than 50. We’ve seen an increase in the incidence of early-onset cancer over the last few decades. It’s an emerging global epidemic. While there are genetic factors that affect cancer incidence, some of the recent research argues that early-onset cancer is largely related to diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors, including environmental exposures like pollutants, etc.

I came across a 2022 study by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston that was published in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology. The study stated that cancer cases among those under 50—including colon, breast, esophagus, kidney, liver, and pancreatic cancer—have risen worldwide since around 1990, likely due to the increasingly sedentary lifestyles and Western diets that are filled with processed foods, sugary beverages, and alcohol use. These researchers point out that enhanced screening alone doesn’t account for the noted increase in cancer incidence. So I do think that a large part of this is driven by our environment [and lifestyle].

Given the rising rates, should people start getting colonoscopies at a younger age than previously recommended?

SR: Currently, the guidelines support getting a screening colonoscopy at the age of 45. But I do recommend being vigilant about your body and trying to stay aware of any symptoms or signs that may be concerning. There was a new study published just a couple of months ago, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The researchers looked at over 5,000 early onset colon cancer cases to identify red flags that occurred before diagnosis.

They found that between three months and two years before the diagnosis date, there were four red flags that stood out—signs and symptoms that were tied to an increased risk of early onset colon cancer. One is rectal bleeding. Anytime you have blood in the stool, or rectal bleeding, you should definitely see a physician. The others are diarrhea, iron-deficiency anemia, and abdominal pain. Of course, some of those are a little vague—many of us have abdominal pain at times—but it’s a reminder to keep an eye on your body. Don’t dismiss any of these gastrointestinal symptoms, because they could point to something more insidious. The early recognition of red flags can potentially help with early detection and a timely diagnosis of early onset colon cancer.

If younger patients are concerned about their colorectal health—say, because they’re experiencing one of those red flags—how would you recommend they talk to their health care provider?

SR: I think it’s important to establish what your baseline is. Know your own body, so that when something is off from your baseline, you can advocate for yourself as a patient and say, “Hey, I really feel like something’s off,” and push to have your symptoms taken seriously. If your symptoms are concerning, you should obtain a referral to see a gastroenterologist.

Which foods and dietary patterns have been linked to colorectal cancers?

SR: One of the big ones is red and processed meats, which have been tied to increased colorectal cancer risk in epidemiologic studies. Those should definitely be minimized or entirely avoided. And cooking any sort of meat at high temperatures can create chemicals that raise your cancer risk.

Also, diets that are low in fruits and vegetables and fiber. We are a fiber-deficient nation: 95% of Americans don’t meet the RDAs of fiber in this country. That’s stunning, because we need to go beyond the RDAs, and yet most of us are not even meeting RDAs. Fiber has been tied to so many different positive health outcomes, [including] decreased risk of colorectal cancer and other cancers. Fiber is also one of the most important nutrients that helps to manipulate our immune system. It calms inflammation in the body. It can do this directly, or it can do this through the germs in our gut. So inflammation is one potential mechanistic pathway by which a high-fiber diet can actually influence chronic disease.

Food is so much more than fuel. There is a language being spoken at the intestinal border and also throughout the body that relates to your immune system. Your immune cells are conversing with your [gut] microbes at all hours of the day. Eating the right types of foods helps to fuel those conversations that are essential for your health.

What is the connection between inflammation and cancer?

SR: Normally, our immune system tries to get rid of cancer as it would germs. But inflammation—whether it’s low-level, hidden inflammation or overt inflammation—can actually fuel cancer. It can affect all of its life stages, from the initial genetic or epigenetic influences that transform normal cells into malignant ones, to the continued growth and spread of cancer throughout the body. For example, my patients with inflammatory bowel disease who have chronic, uncontrolled inflammation also carry a higher risk of developing cancer.

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that not all areas of the body with an increase in inflammation have a marked increase in cancer risk. For example, increased inflammation in joints or the brain carries little increased cancer risk. But generally, being inflamed … is tied to a higher risk of various cancers.

Inflammation is an important component of the tumor microenvironment, as well. Whether [inflammation] shows up before or after the cancer, it can affect all its life stages, from helping to initiate cancer in the body to fueling the cancer’s continued growth and spread.

How does exercise impact inflammation?

SR: We have dozens of clinical trials across age groups that show that exercise can help to dampen chronic, hidden inflammation. It does this in a variety of ways. One of the most important and obvious ways is to melt belly fat, which is a marker for visceral fat—the highly inflammatory fat that surrounds our inner abdominal organs. But even in the absence of weight loss, exercise can decrease the number of immune cells that infiltrate fat tissue. So it’s not just about losing weight. When you exercise, you initiate beneficial physiological processes that decrease inflammation and decrease the risk of chronic disease. Exercise is very important.

What’s the No. 1 step young people can take to reduce their risk of colon cancer?

SR: Increase the quantity and the diversity of plant foods in the diet. In addition to fiber, plants contain many other nutrients that can help to manage inflammation. … You want to be eating whole and minimally processed plant foods. Whole and intact grains tend to be much better for the gut microbes than heavily processed flours. … There are studies that show that simply altering the diversity of plants in your diet without changes in quantity can actually help to decrease inflammation. … We really need to push ourselves to explore the supermarket and to fill our plates with a variety of plant foods.

Ravella’s debut book, A Silent Fire: The Story of Inflammation, Diet and Disease, is available here.

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

The post Why Are More Young People Getting Colon Cancer? Gastroenterologist Shilpa Ravella Explains appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

When I turned 65 and qualified for Medicare, my sister suggested I get a physical to see where my health stood. Thank goodness I took her advice. My doctors ended up finding out that I have metastatic prostate cancer. For my wife and me, this was the shock of our lives.

The Turning Point

The doctors recommended a regimen of chemotherapy drugs, warning me of side effects including fatigue and weight gain. When I asked what would happen if I didn’t take the drugs, they said most likely I’d be bed-ridden and in lots of pain within 12 to 18 months. It was a grim picture either way. Of course, I chose to take the drugs. I also underwent radiation for cancer in my ribs and prostate.

Things felt out of my control, which was a hard reality to face, especially for a successful self-employed guy. When it came to my construction business, my finances, or anything else, I always felt that I could solve any problem.

It was during this time of facing the unknown that my cousin Amy called me. She recommended a book called How Not to Die by Michael Greger, MD. She’d read it and it changed her life. Being an avid reader, I downloaded the e-book and devoured it, learning a great deal about nutrition and plant-based eating. It was the beginning of a dramatic change in my life.

I shared with my wife what I’d learned about the health benefits of a plant-based diet—the significant impact it can have in fighting disease, lowering blood pressure, managing weight, and helping the body to heal. She agreed to try it with me. In July 2022, we decided to jump in, full bore, on a plant-based diet. We cut out all animal products, as well as alcohol.

We didn’t find it all that hard to change our eating habits, which, based on what I read and other people I talked to, was unusual. I continued reading books on plant-based nutrition and educating myself. Early on we ate a lot of highly processed vegan options, but within a few months, we transitioned to a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet.

A Surprising Surge in Energy

I’ll be honest: I didn’t notice any changes at first. I continued my chemo regimen and had several months of radiation treatments. My mental state wasn’t great. But I did lose some weight, despite being on chemo drugs known to cause weight gain, and my son and I took up running together, training to do a half-marathon.

In early April 2022, my wife and I flew to Washington, D.C., to see the cherry blossoms. We stayed downtown and rode bikes all over the city. The weather was perfect. I found myself feeling more energized than I had in years. As we biked around one afternoon, I remember asking my wife, “Why do you think I have so much energy?” I figured it was a fluke. But as weeks went by, my energy remained high.

Around this time, someone suggested I watch the documentary The Game Changers. As I heard athletes in the film describe their increased energy levels from going plant-based, it occurred to me that my surge in energy might be due to the WFPB diet I’d been following for a few months at that point.

Feeling Unstoppable

Today I’m going on two years of plant-based eating. My labs have steadily improved. My PSA (prostate-specific antigen, a blood test used to screen for prostate cancer) is down to zero, and the cancer in my ribs is in remission. The doctors are taking me off of all drugs in August. After that, I’ll have bloodwork done every three months, but otherwise I’m a free man. I just turned 67, and I feel great.

I love cooking plant-based dishes, and everyone loves my tofu scramble! My friends ask me about my lifestyle—how I like it, how I feel. I tell them that I feel like the Energizer Bunny. I have all kinds of energy. I can out-work anybody. I can run. I can do 100 pushups. My friends might not really believe all that, but my family does. They see it.

I don’t know how much time I have left or what’s in the cards for me, but plant-based eating will continue to be a part of my life. I’m always advocating for it. I’ve gotten my sister and my son onto a plant-based path, and many of my friends have changed their eating habits for the better, too.

Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.

The post After a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Spurred Me to Go Plant-Based, I Feel Like the Energizer Bunny appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

Researchers led by Vivian Liu, a clinical research coordinator for the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the university, examined men who had already been diagnosed with prostate cancer and remained at risk for the cancer growing or returning following treatment. Liu and her team observed more than 2,000 participants to determine how diet might influence prostate cancer outcomes, finding that participants eating more plant-based foods displayed a 52% lower risk of disease progression and a 53% lower risk of recurrence compared with those whose diets contained the least amounts of plants.

Eating to Beat Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is currently the second-most common cancer among men, with an estimated 288,300 new diagnoses and 34,700 deaths expected this year. Risk factors include age and certain gene mutations. Additionally, African Americans are disproportionately impacted by the disease. Despite the risks, Liu notes that this study provides evidence that men can protect themselves from prostate cancer with a simple dietary solution.

“This is something men can do for themselves with a healthy grocery shopping list,” Liu told The Washington Post. “And it doesn’t require drugs or other medical interventions.”

The researchers observed 2,038 men with early to midstage prostate cancer, observing how plant-based diets correlated with cancer survivorship by using data from the CaPSURE Diet and Lifestyle (CDL) sub-study. The plant-based sub-study research started in 2004 to allow researchers to track changes in prostate cancer patients. To conduct the study, the participants were asked to complete questionnaires about the foods they ate. Participants weren’t provided any information about the study’s designated purpose.

Using the data, Liu and her team observed how dietary patterns affected prostate cancer recurrence and progression for a median period of 7.4 years. During the study period, only 10% of participants (204) experienced advances in prostate cancer, which Liu emphasizes is a low number. Liu also noted this study provides clear evidence that eating more plant-based foods offers significant benefits for those fighting prostate cancer.

“While not all diets are equal in terms of modifiable risk factors for prostate cancer progression, we hope these results guide people at risk to make better, more healthful choices across their entire diet,” Liu said in a statement.“We’ve known that diets that include vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains are associated with numerous health benefits, including a reduction in diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and overall mortality. We can now add benefits in reducing prostate cancer progression to that list.”

The study was presented last week at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. The team aims to continue this research in the coming years. Liu plans to analyze how plant-based diets affect prostate cancer mortality rates and quality of life following a cancer diagnosis.

Animal Products Associated With Higher Risk of Prostate Cancer

This recent study joins a growing body of research showing that plant-based diets can help reduce cancer risks, whereas diets high in animal products significantly increase the risk of cancer. For example, a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2016 found that men who followed a vegan diet had a 35% lower risk of prostate cancer.

One study published in 2022 found that men who consume dairy on a regular basis have a 60% greater risk of developing prostate cancer than men who completely avoid dairy. However, dairy is not the only culprit. Several studies have linked the consumption of meat—and in particular, processed meat—with prostate cancer risk.

Liu and her team’s research supports previous evidence that a healthier diet can slow or stop several types of cancer. A 2011 study showed that a low-fat, plant-based diet positively impacts survival rates for those diagnosed with breast, colon, skin, and prostate cancers.

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

The post Plant-Based Foods May Slow the Spread of Prostate Cancer, Reduce Recurrence: New Study appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

As my mom’s treatment plan began to fall into place, I couldn’t help but worry that conventional medicine wouldn’t be enough. The statistics for stage 4 lung cancer survival were dismal, and I refused to accept them. I racked my brain for something I could do to help her gear up for this battle. There had to be a way to help boost her immunity and discourage the cancer’s growth.

Friendly Advice

I knew nutrition was important, but I had no idea which way of eating would be most beneficial. I was overwhelmed by conflicting studies, differing opinions, and the sheer number of different so-called “cancer-fighting” diets. In a moment of complete frustration, I turned to my friend Jane Esselstyn and her father and plant-based expert, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, for advice.

Jane explained in great detail how a plant-based diet has been proven to not only prevent but in many cases reverse certain diseases such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and even some cancers Her argument resonated with me, and I immediately dove headfirst into all the documentaries, books, and research I could find. The stories were powerful, and the research was undeniable. I began to feel a spark of hope deep down inside and was motivated to do whatever it took to help my mom fight this cancer. At that point, I knew in my heart that a plant-based diet was the best way forward for both of us.

Throughout our journey, my mom and I have had our share of struggles and successes in the kitchen, frustration while dining out, and difficulty explaining our beliefs to friends, family, and even doctors. We supported each other, stuck with it, and ultimately succeeded, but the experience taught me that getting started and sticking to a plant-based diet is not an easy transition for everybody—especially those who might be dealing with a new, life-threatening diagnosis.

After a year of treatment coupled with a plant-based diet, we were told my mom’s cancer had completely stabilized. During one of her appointments, I asked her doctor if she could pause treatment and give her body some time to recuperate from the chemotherapy. He agreed, but was visibly perplexed, since most stage 4 cancer patients don’t experience this outcome. I couldn’t help but blurt out, “You should tell all your patients to eat a plant-based diet.” He grinned and shook his head slightly, but seemed to consider my request, which I counted as a win!

Sharing the Power of a Plant-Based Diet

Here we are, five years later, having just celebrated my mom’s 80th birthday. Over the years, she has had some targeted radiation therapy, and she’s now taking a maintenance immunotherapy drug that had not been approved by the FDA when she was first diagnosed. There is no doubt in my mind that this diet has prolonged her life. She has beaten the odds by a long shot and is enjoying every second of her busy and fulfilling life.

Ever since this life-changing experience, I have been searching for a way to get involved and help spread the word about the power of a plant-based diet. Early last year, my husband and I decided to partner up with Jane Esselstyn and her husband, Brian Hart, on Plants Only, a brand that had started with Brian’s live-edge chopping blocks and cookbook stands, which were wildly popular among Jane’s conference attendees. Since then, our shop has grown to include a wide variety of gifts and gear designed for the plant-passionate community.

Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.

The post 5 Years After a Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis, My Mom Is Thriving on a Plant-Based Diet appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

The August 2022 study analyzed data from three major surveys of healthcare professionals conducted between 1986 and 2015, including the Nurses’ Health Study I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline and every two years thereafter to gather information on their eating habits, lifestyle, cancer diagnoses, and demographics. After excluding those with incomplete responses or a previous cancer diagnosis, the new analysis included 159,907 women and 46,341 men.

Participants were then divided into quintiles based on their consumption of ultra-processed foods—ranging from the lowest intake to the highest—and researchers adjusted for race, family cancer history, smoking status, physical fitness, and menopausal status. Their findings: Men in the highest fifth of processed-food consumption were 29% more likely to develop colorectal cancer than men in the lowest fifth. Among the women participants, no association was observed between overall ultra-processed food consumption and risk of colorectal cancer.

Why the Gender Gap?

The study authors theorized that the differing patterns of cancer risk among men and women might be related to obesity and sex hormones.

“For men and postmenopausal women, estrogen is mainly produced in fat tissues. In women, a high estrogen-to-testosterone ratio may decrease the risk of colorectal cancer, whereas it may increase the risk of colorectal cancer in men,” the authors wrote.

Another possible explanation researchers offered involves the nutritional makeup of the specific types of ultra-processed foods that men and women consumed. Processed meat, poultry, and fish-based ready-to-eat products and sweetened beverages were associated with a higher risk in men.

Among women participants, however, the authors noted that relatively healthier food choices may have been made within the highly processed category of yogurt and dairy-based desserts, “and thus the protective effects (for example, due to higher calcium contents) may overweigh the harmful effects (for example, due to higher sugar contents),” they explained.

Why Are Ultra-Processed Foods Bad for the Colon?

This new evidence adds to a long-established concern about the damaging effects of ultra-processed foods on human health. Dozens of prior studies have shown these products—which are heavily modified with added sugar, salt, and fat—increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and obesity.

“We started out thinking that colorectal cancer could be the cancer most impacted by diet compared to other cancer types,” said Lu Wang, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral fellow at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. “Processed meats, most of which fall into the category of ultra-processed foods, are a strong risk factor for colorectal cancer. Ultra-processed foods are also high in added sugars and low in fiber, which contribute to weight gain and obesity, and obesity is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer.”

The study authors also explain that beyond the poor nutritional makeup of ultra-processed foods, these products often contain additives—such as dietary emulsifiers and artificial sweeteners—that can inflame the gut microbiome and lead to the growth of cancerous polyps in the colon.

“Ultra-processed foods may also contain contaminants that migrate from plastic packaging, such as bisphenol A, which the European Chemicals Agency judges to be ‘a substance of very high concern,’” the study authors noted.

Colorectal cancer is the third-most diagnosed cancer worldwide and claims more than 900,000 lives every year.

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

The post New Study: The Unhealthy Eating Habit That Can Raise Men’s Colorectal Cancer Risk By 29% appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

The scientific review, conducted by Hematologic Oncologist Urvi Shah, MD, and Medical Oncologist Neil Iyengar, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, explored the connection between food and cancer focusing on two popular dietary patterns: WFPB diet and ketogenic.

“There is currently no evidence to suggest that a particular diet on its own can treat cancer,” Iyengar explains. “However, growing evidence suggests that dietary interventions can reduce side effects from cancer treatments and could possibly help cancer treatments work better.”

Although the concepts behind a WFPB diet (which emphasizes whole, unrefined, or minimally refined plant foods and excludes or minimizes meat, dairy, and eggs) and a ketogenic diet (a low-carb, high-fat approach that tends to rely on animal foods) are diametrically opposite, Shah says examining the research to understand the differences is helpful.

In their review, Iyengar and Shah included 46 keto diet trials and eight plant-based diet trials. The studies included interventional studies—in which participants were assigned to a diet for a set period of time, with researchers measuring their biomarkers before and after each trial period—as well as epidemiological (population-based) studies. After reviewing the data collectively, they found that diets rich in whole plant foods were consistently associated with a reduced risk of developing and dying of cancer.

Clearing Up the Confusion

“Many of our patients ask about these two diets,” Shah says. “Patients sometimes question: ‘Are sugars bad? Do sugars cause the cancer to get worse?’ That’s why a keto diet may appeal to some patients. We also get many questions about a plant-based diet, as there is more awareness of the health benefits of plant foods, especially the importance of fiber, which is only derived from plants.”

Iyengar says there is a growing awareness of how lifestyle interventions, such as diet and exercise, can help fight diseases. “Most of the available data support a whole-food, plant-based diet over a ketogenic diet for reducing the risk of cancer,” he says. “The keto diet can be effective for weight loss. While weight loss is one important strategy for reducing cancer risk, there are many other variables that contribute to cancer risk—such as diet quality, fiber intake, and the bacterial composition in our gut. A plant-based diet is an effective strategy for addressing most of these variables in addition to weight loss.”

Following a cancer diagnosis, Iyengar says a WFPB diet still appears to be superior to keto. “Growing evidence suggests that dietary interventions can reduce side effects from cancer treatments and could possibly help cancer treatments work better,” he says. “There are ongoing clinical trials testing whether dietary interventions can help patients feel better while improving response to standard cancer treatments. In our paper, we call for more research in this area and we provide recommendations for designing successful trials.”

A Simple Rule

Hearing about different diets and food as medicine can be confusing and overwhelming. When in doubt, Shah recommends keeping a simple rule in mind: If a food is derived from plants and not processed, it will have beneficial effects on one’s overall health and risk of obesity, diabetes, and cancer.

“It is best to prioritize these foods, which include legumes, seeds, nuts, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and make them the bulk of your meals,” Shah says.

Want to try a plant-based diet but don’t know where to start? Visit our Beginner’s Guide.

The post New Study: Plant-Based Diet Beats Ketogenic Diets for Cutting Cancer Risk, Improving Outcomes appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

Researchers from Loma Linda University examined the potential connection between milk and prostate cancer using data from the Adventist Health Study–2, a long-term study investigating the links between lifestyle, diet, and disease among members of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Approximately 40% of Seventh-day Adventists follow vegetarian diets, with some eschewing dairy. While several previous studies have linked dairy and calcium intake to increased prostate cancer risk, questions have persisted about the nature of the connection. Because the Seventh-day Adventist study population includes a significant number of participants who get most or all of their calcium from nondairy sources, the cohort of more than 28,000 men is uniquely valuable for exploring these questions.

At the onset of the study, all men were cancer-free. Researchers used food-frequency questionnaires to assess their diets and followed up on cancer diagnoses for nearly eight years using state cancer registries. A total of 1,254 new prostate cancer cases were diagnosed over the course of the study.

To better understand whether calcium intake was a major contributing factor, the study authors divided the men into cohorts based on their intake of nondairy sources of calcium (soy, nuts/seeds, cruciferous vegetables, other green vegetables, legumes, fruit, and fortified cereals) and dairy calcium. They adjusted for potentially confounding variables such as body mass index, fitness level, and age.

In evaluating the outcomes for each subset of participants, the researchers found that the high-dairy group developed prostate cancer at a significantly higher rate. Milk consumption, in particular, was strongly correlated to risk.

Compared with men who drank just ⅓ cup of milk per week, men who drank 1¾ cups daily—a little less than two 8-ounce servings—were 25% more likely to develop prostate cancer. When compared with vegan participants, those same men were 60% more likely to develop prostate cancer. Whether the milk was full fat, reduced fat, or nonfat made no difference—the increased risk was still present.

Notably, those who consumed more plant-based calcium did not see a higher risk of the disease. The study authors noted that their results “add important weight to the evidence associating dairy products, rather than nondairy calcium, as a possible risk factor for prostate cancer.”

Another significant finding was the lack of correlation between prostate cancer risk and consumption of other dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt. “Because dairy foods all begin with the same principal ingredient (i.e., milk), possibly some active principle has been largely destroyed by the processing of cheese and yogurt,” the authors hypothesized.

Animal Products and Prostate Cancer

This isn’t the only research supporting a connection between animal products and prostate cancer risk. A 2016 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that men eating a vegan diet were 35% less likely to develop prostate cancer, while a study published last fall found that men who ate more plant-based foods were less likely to develop fatal prostate cancer.

Dairy intake has also been connected to increased insulin resistance, a lack of protection against bone density loss in menopausal women, and a host of other conditions detrimental to health.

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

The post Compared with Vegan Men, Daily Milk Drinkers See 60% Higher Rates of Prostate Cancer: New Study appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

The pain of losing so many family members took its toll. I became bogged down in grief. At the same time, I was going a mile a minute in my professional life, attending the Culinary Institute of America and becoming a chef. Between the grief and stress, I stopped taking care of myself. My health began to deteriorate until one day I woke up and weighed 679 pounds. I remember looking in the mirror and thinking, “Who is this person?” At just 34 years old, I had Type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and kidney disease so severe that my kidneys had shrunk down to the size of walnuts. My blood pressure was so high that anytime I went to the doctor, they sent me to the emergency room after seeing my blood pressure.

The Spinal Injury

One day in 2016, I was out walking my little dog. He was playing and getting into something he shouldn’t have been, so I bent over to grab him. When I did, I felt and heard a pop. I sat down on the curb and thought, “Something is wrong.” The left side of my body started to quickly go numb. Luckily, I live across the street from a city hospital, so I staggered my way over there. By the time I got seen by the desk nurse, I’d lost almost all feeling from the neck down. I weighed almost 700 pounds and couldn’t lift myself, couldn’t help the hospital staff help me. It was an awful feeling.

Once they had me stabilized, I learned that a disc had slipped so violently out of the side of my spine that it pulled my spinal cord out of place. The doctors told me that I most likely would never be able to walk again, and that I’d need to prepare to live in a wheelchair and need 24-hour care.

Life-Changing Reading

I spent many months in the hospital, working with occupational therapists and eventually getting some feeling back in my hands. After about five months, I was able to go to the hospital library in a wheelchair to look through books. That’s when I came across The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn, which outlined a plan for transforming your health, starting with a 28-day diet focused on unprocessed plant-based foods. I’d heard about plant-based diets before, back when my mom was going through cancer treatment and I was looking for things that might help her. At the time, I was reluctant to really consider overhauling the way I thought about food. But now, in the hospital and desperate to regain more function and mobility, I knew that I had to give it a try.

The hospital had few plant-based options, so my lovely wife would come to visit and bring me fruit and quinoa and things like that. I ate a lot of apples and grapes every day. And I saw changes almost immediately. The dark circles under my eyes began to recede, and color returned to my skin. My legs had been like balloons; they were just so puffy that I barely even had discernible toes. But after a few weeks of this new way of eating, the puffiness in my legs went down so much that I finally had toes. And I was able to start wiggling them. After a routine scan, my doctor told me that he didn’t know what I was doing but that the amount of inflammation in my spine, midsection, and legs had significantly gone down.

Surviving Setbacks

I continued to regain more movement in my arms. But because I was still unable to get up and walk, I was at a higher risk for blood clots. My mom was a nurse, and I knew the symptoms, so when I started experiencing tightness in my chest one day, I knew immediately that I was experiencing a pulmonary embolism (a blood clot that traveled from my leg to my lungs). I technically died and was revived by the doctors twice that day. I was very grateful to have survived that ordeal.

Afterward, I continued focusing on eating plant-based, and continued shedding weight. My blood pressure went down so significantly that my doctors took me off my blood pressure medications. They were over the moon.

In January 2017, after nine months in the hospital, I was finally discharged. A month later, I was hit with another health crisis when I noticed a large lump on the side of my neck—something my excess weight and beard had probably camouflaged until that point. I thought, “Here we go.” And sure enough, it turned out to be cancer: stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The new diagnosis gave me even more motivation to eat as healthy as possible, so that my body would have the best chance to heal itself.

Thriving Today

Five years later, I’m still here. My cancer is in remission. My liver and kidney disease are in full remission, and I haven’t had diabetes in more than four years. I still have some neuropathy in the left side of my lower half, but with the help of occupational therapists, I’ve been able to regain function in my upper body and right leg, and I’m able to walk. I’ve lost more than 400 pounds. When I first got out of the hospital, I had to take 22 pills a day. Today, I take three vitamins. That’s it.

I still eat a lot. In fact, I eat more now than I ever did before, in terms of volume. I eat bags of greens a day, and a whole lot of fruit, quinoa, and beans. Every morning, I enjoy a smoothie made with greens, peaches, or berries. I try to keep it very simple because I’m a creature of habit. I choose not to eat vegan imitation meats and cheese, as I try to avoid highly processed foods. But I do tend to refer to myself as “vegan” rather than “plant-based,” because I’m definitely in this for the animals, too. Eating meat never quite seemed right to me (especially after having to visit a slaughterhouse floor when I was working as a chef).

I was unable to return to work as a chef directly, because of the neuropathy in my leg. Instead, I develop plant-based menus for gyms and help them to set up plant-based educational workshops. I also help other people who are transitioning from being an able-bodied person to being a disabled person. I’m passionate about fitness and work out daily, doing almost two hours of bodybuilding and adaptive CrossFit, which is for people who have disabilities.

People are always asking me how I made this miraculous health transformation, thinking there must be some secret trick, and I tell them to just try this diet for themselves. I’m a Puerto Rican dude from New York who never thought I would be plant-based. If I can do it, you can. Give it a chance. See how your body responds. What you put into your body either feeds sickness or helps fight it, plain and simple. I’m living proof.

Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.

The post I Lost 400 Pounds, Reversed 3 Chronic Diseases on a Whole-Food Vegan Diet appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

The large-scale study followed 472,377 British men and women between the ages of 40 and 70 for 11.5 years to assess the link between meat consumption and cancer. 

At the time of recruitment, all study participants had no history of cancer. During intake, participants completed a questionnaire about the types of meat they ate (such as beef, pork, or fish) and the frequency they consumed it per week. Participants were then categorized into four groups:

• Regular meat eaters (52.4 percent): Consumed processed meat, red meat, and poultry more than five times a week
• Low meat eaters (43.5 percent): Consumed processed meat, red meat, and poultry five or fewer times a week
• Pescatarians (2.3 percent): Consumed fish but no other forms of meat
• Vegetarians and vegans (1.8 percent): Abstained from eating all forms of meat 

Over the course of the study, 54,961 incidents of cancer occurred amongst the participants, including 5,882 cases of colorectal cancer; 7,537 cases of postmenopausal breast cancer; and 9,501 cases of prostate cancer. Researchers discovered that, compared with regular meat eaters, participants who ate a low-meat diet were 2 percent less likely to develop cancer, and pescatarians were 10 percent less likely to develop cancer. But the most significant reduction in risk was among the vegetarian and vegan group, who were 14 percent less likely to develop cancer than the regular meat eaters.

The researchers also looked at the different types of cancer that developed amongst the study population to determine whether diet impacted specific types of the disease. Compared with regular meat-eaters:

• Low-meat eaters had a 9 percent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer 
• Pescatarian men had a 20 percent lower risk and vegetarian men had a 31 percent lower risk of developing prostate cancer 
• Vegetarian women who were post-menopausal had an 18 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer 

“There are different compounds that are found in red and processed meat (either through cooking or added during the processing) that may damage cells and therefore could increase the risk of colorectal cancer,” says the study’s lead author, Cody Watling, MSc, who is completing his PhD in the cancer epidemiology unit of Oxford University. 

The study authors noted that the pescatarians and vegetarian groups had lower average BMIs, were younger, and were less likely to be smokers or heavy drinkers, all of which could be important contributing factors to their lower rates of cancer development. 

“We know that the intake of different foods are associated with differing health outcomes,” says Watling. “Individuals should do as much as they can to consume a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, as well as maintain a healthy body weight [to decrease the risk of cancer].” Watling also notes that while it’s impossible to completely eliminate all risk of developing cancer, eating fewer red and processed meats and more plant-based protein can be a helpful step in reducing the risk.

Unpacking the Connection Between Plant Foods and Cancer Prevention

Beyond their tendency to promote leaner BMIs, why might plant-rich diets be protective against developing cancer and other life-threatening illnesses? Health experts from the Mayo Clinic explain that plant foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains) are packed full of phytochemicals that help protect your cells from damage and inflammation. Because cancer is a disease where damaged or abnormal cells reproduce and attack healthy cells as it spreads through the body, these phytochemicals may help prevent the initial formation and proliferation of cancer-causing cells. Unlike meat, poultry, and fish, plants also contain large amounts of healthy fiber, which several studies have shown is important in reducing the risk of cancer. 

In good news for plant-curious meat eaters, a recent report, published in PLOS Medicine in February 2022, found that even 80-year-olds can add several years onto their life expectancy by cutting animal products from their plate, which suggests that it’s never too late to reap the rewards of switching to a plant-based diet. 

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

The post Ditching Meat May Decrease Cancer Risk by 14 Percent appeared first on Forks Over Knives.