It’s generally accepted that eating a vegetarian diet is more healthy. but do you really know how much less risk vegetarians face for certain types of cancer?  Vegetarian diets are low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and have an abundance of phytochemicals that help prevent cancer.

Very large studies in England and in Germany have shown that vegetarians are about 40 percent less likely to develop cancer compared to meat-eaters.

Seventh-Day Adventists are largely lacto-ovo vegetarians.  Studies of Seventh-Day Adventists in the U.S. have shown significant reductions in cancer risk among those who avoided meat.

Breast cancer rates are dramatically lower in countries like China, that follow plant-based diets.

Japanese women who follow Western-style, meat-based diets are eight times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who follow a more traditional plant-based diet.  Meat and dairy products contribute to many forms of cancer, including cancer of the colon, breast, ovaries, and prostate.

Harvard studies including tens of thousands of men and women have shown that regular meat consumption increases colon cancer risk by almost 300 percent.  High-fat diets also encourage increased production of estrogens - which have been linked to breast cancer. A recent report noted that the rate of breast cancer among premenopausal women who ingested high levels of animal fat was one-third higher than that of women who ate less animal fat.

Another study from Cambridge University also linked diets high in saturated fat to breast cancer. 

One study linked dairy products to an increased risk of ovarian cancer.  It is thought that the process of breaking down the lactose (milk sugar) damages the ovaries.  

Daily meat consumption triples the risk of prostate enlargement, while regular consumption of dairy products doubles that risk, and reduced vegetable intake nearly quadruples the risk of prostate cancer.

Vegetarians avoid the animal fat linked to cancer and get abundant fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals that help to prevent cancer.  In addition, blood analysis of vegetarians reveals a higher level of specialized white blood cells that attack cancer cells.