Sami Mansfield: Does eating less meat lower cancer risk?
Sami Mansfield, Founder of Cancer Wellness for Life, shared a post on LinkedIn by Karen Collins, Creator of the Daunting to Doable Nutrition Pro Circle, adding:
“I’m always thankful to Karen Collins, MS, RDN, CDN, FAND for doing the heavy lifting on nutrition and cancer!
And for anyone who wants to get into Karen’s brain, if you are a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Cancer MIG, we have Karen on the calendar this year! If you aren’t a member, I encourage you to consider joining!
Some highlights of this excellent read!
Does Eating Less Meat Lower Cancer Risk? Here’s What the Science Says.
The link between diet and cancer is one of the most debated topics in health. While we all have personal preferences, as lifestyle medicine professionals, it’s essential to focus on the evidence and remember that there are six pillars!
What the UK Study on Meat and Cancer Really Tells Us
A recent UK study found that diets with less or no meat were associated with lower cancer risk, even after adjusting for lifestyle factors like exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption.
But does cutting meat alone make the difference? The bigger picture suggests otherwise.
Diet and Cancer: The Full Picture
- Vegetables and Fruits – Packed with antioxidants that help protect cells. Yet, adjusting for intake in this study didn’t change the meat-cancer link.
- Whole Grains and Legumes – Provide fiber, strongly linked to lower colorectal cancer risk, but these weren’t analyzed in the study.
- Ultra-Processed Foods – Known to promote weight gain and inflammation, yet their role in cancer risk wasn’t accounted for.
Weight: A Key Factor
When adjusted for BMI, the association between a vegetarian diet and lower postmenopausal breast cancer risk disappeared – suggesting weight, not just diet, maybe the driving factor.
The Takeaway
This study reinforces that plant-forward eating is beneficial, but cancer prevention is about more than just cutting back on meat.
What truly matters?
- Balanced, whole-food nutrition
- Exercise, weight management and lifestyle habits
- The AICR Recommendations as a blueprint for cancer prevention
Bottom line:
A diet lower in meat may reduce cancer risk, but it’s the overall lifestyle that makes the biggest impact.
Score for the Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine!”
Quoting Karen Collins’ post:
“Does Eating Less Meat Reduce Your Risk of Cancer?
Check my post, which puts findings of a large UK study in context. There are important Nuances in this Picture!
Via the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).”
More posts featuring Sami Mansfield.
-
Challenging the Status Quo in Colorectal Cancer 2024
December 6-8, 2024
-
ESMO 2024 Congress
September 13-17, 2024
-
ASCO Annual Meeting
May 30 - June 4, 2024
-
Yvonne Award 2024
May 31, 2024
-
OncoThon 2024, Online
Feb. 15, 2024
-
Global Summit on War & Cancer 2023, Online
Dec. 14-16, 2023