It is general knowledge that vegetarian food is the most nutritious. Foods from plants prove to have more vitamins and minerals and help in having a longer and stronger life. Diseases, which are chronic in nature and even seasonal illnesses can be reduced and possibly even eliminated by eating food that is in its natural state. These natural foods contain large quantities of enzymes, minerals and vitamins and whole other nutrients that help us in sustainability in providing topnotch health and give us energy and stamina. Restraints, hotels and drive-ins are some of the areas we frequently visit and though these are great occasionally, they can render us incapacitated if we visit them often. Needless to say we can live for the good hundred years that we are originally meant to if we reduce the amount of junk we consume. Yes, this includes your favorite potato chips and your love for sugary candy.
Vegetarian diets are considered healthy, nutritious and it also helps in having a longer life by eradicating the complete use of meat, this includes fishes, poultry and often-even eggs. Vegetarians eat foods from plants and eliminate the use of all of the above from their palettes. Sometimes vegetarians can also turn into vegans wherein they don’t take animal by products including diary products like cheese, milk, cream, butter and others. They don’t eat meat and neither do they eat diary products. Vegetarians however consume diary products. This may seem bland and boring but actually it isn’t and it proves to have positive effects in the long term. Research has shown that there is a positive link between chronic terminal illnesses like cancer and the kind of food one eats and hence it isn’t surprising that a vegetarian diet is good for you and enables you to reduce the risk of cancer.
Can the risk of acquiring cancer be reduced if one switches to a vegetarian diet?
There are an increasing number of researches undertaken by scientists and nutritionists in the dietary field. Extensive research has shown a positive link or correlation between vegetarian diet and cancer reduction. Thus, it is now a proven fact that reducing meat or completely eliminating meat from your diet can have a good impact on reducing cancer.
Vegetarian food is completely plant based and hence it is rich in several nutrients like fibers and fresher vitamins and minerals. These are used in combinations to prevent and eliminate cancer especially cancers that are common like digestive ones like colon cancer and oral ones. Fiber intake is linked to prevention of cancer and studies have shown that countries, which consume more fiber, have a lesser risk of developing cancer especially cancer like colon cancer and other digestive related cancers. Countries like the United States and Europe have more meat in their food habits and therefore there is less fiber in their diets causing a higher rate of digestive tract related cancers.
Why is it that Fiber Works in Preventing Cancer?
Well, it is unknown why or how fiber helps prevent cancer but research is being currently undertaken for it. Doctors and other scientists claim that fiber is not a substance that is digested and hence it pushes food through the large intestine and small intestine. This way it moves through food carrying cancer causing substances like carcinogens from the food and helps flush the toxins out of the body from the digestive tract. Water, which is present in large quantities in fiber, helps in diluting these cancer-causing substances and hence the risk of developing cancer is much lesser.
Fiber also acts as a binding agent by binding together and combining with bile juices from the gall bladder. The acids present in bile turns in cancer causing substances by bacteria present in the gut. When they are bound by fiber they are unable to get digested and hence they are thrown out of the body via excretion. Fiber gets fermented in the colon causing the pH level to rise causing the tract to become acidic in nature. This in turn reduces the pH of the bile making it less effective in causing cancer. Even stomach cancer and breast cancer are known to be prevented by usage of fiber, owing to the fact of its effect on reducing cancer-causing particles. Moreover, the intake of fiber reduces the quantity of estrogens present in the body and this by itself helps reducing the risk of acquiring breast cancer.
Eating a vegetarian diet or incorporating more fiber into your diet will help prevent cancer. Fruits and vegetables like beans, carrots, and pumpkins have high quantity of fiber. In addition to that lentils and grains can also be incorporated. It is best to consume about 40 grams of fiber every day.
Vegetarian Diets and Fat
Consumption of high amounts of fat has been linked to breast cancer and colon cancer. The easiest and simplest way to reduce the intake of fat is to switch from a non-vegetarian diet to a vegetarian diet. Due to lack of meat vegetarian diets are said to be less fatty and hence reduces beefing up. Studies have shown that those areas in the world, which consumes lower amounts of fat, have lesser rates of breast and colon cancer cases. Reducing your intake on dietary fat from milk and cheese and other milk products can help you fight breast cancer and help eliminate cancer-causing substances after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
It must be noted that vegetarian diets are not fat free but simply has lesser amounts of fat. Fats are also found in vegetables in the form of vegetable oils and seed oils. The fat found in animals is considered more cancer producing. A vegetarian diet will reduce and eradicate the animal fats and this in turn will reduce the chances of acquiring cancer. Studies show that there is an increase in estrogens due to an increase in hormones caused by eating more animal products like meat and this increase in estrogen can cause breast cancer. Animal fat when inside the body increases the amount of bile acids produced by the gall bladder and this can increase colon cancer. It is best to follow a rule of thumb of consuming a diet with less that 14 per cent fat.
Following a Vegetarian Diet Can Help In Other Ways
Beta-carotene is found in vegetables like carrots and beetroots and turnips and even in some fruits. They are also abundantly found in leafy and green vegetables like spinach and broccoli. These are cancer eliminating nutrients and helps in prevention of several forms of cancers including bladder cancer, lung cancer, laryngeal and oral cancer.
Chemicals like indoles and flavones are found in vegetarian diets and studies have shown that these are essential substances in preventing and even fighting cancer.
Fruits like pomegranates and apples are rich in antioxidants and these are found in abundance in vegetarian diets and plant-based diets. These help eliminate and fight free radicals, which can give rise to cancer producing cells.
Vegan or vegetarian diets produce better immunity due to the greater amount of minerals and vitamins and other important enzymes. They also have other chemicals and natural nutrients that are not present in meat eating diets and hence these are useful in preventing cancer. The natural killer cell activity is more in vegetarians and this reduces and kills cancerous cells and cancer causing substances that are present in the body.
On the whole it is believed that vegetarian diets can help eradicating cancers and other terminal illnesses. It will build your immunity against cancer and is a healthy alternative for those seeking safety and security from cancerous substances.
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