Vegetarians have a substantially lower risk of five types of cancer

02 March 2026

Vegetarians have a substantially lower risk of five types of cancer, according to a landmark study published by the British Journal of Cancer. This is the largest study ever conducted on vegan and vegetarian diets and cancer risks.

The research is based on a broad epidemiological study, using data from more than 1.8 million people from the US, the UK, Taiwan, and India, tracked for an average of sixteen years. It found that vegetarians had a 21% lower risk of pancreatic cancer, a 12% lower risk of prostate cancer and a 9% lower risk of breast cancer. Vegetarians also had a 28% lower risk of kidney cancer and a 31% lower risk of multiple myeloma.

Conversely, people following vegetarian diets had nearly double the risk of one type of oesophagus cancer, which may be due to deficiencies in nutrients such as B vitamins, according to the research team. Vegans had higher risk of colorectal cancer, but the sample size is deemed too small to draw firm conclusions.