Researchers looked at adherence to a healthy plant-based diet and its association with breast cancer risk in over 65,000 women. Unique to this study, the quality of plant-based foods consumed was taken into consideration. Plant foods were categorized into two groups: healthy plant foods (including whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, vegetable oils, and tea) and unhealthy plant foods (including fruit juices, refined grains, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, and desserts). Participants used a diet questionnaire to record their food intake over a 21-year period.
Regardless of whether or not animal foods were consumed, those who ate “healthy” plant-based foods most frequently had a significantly lower risk of breast cancer than those who consumed “unhealthy” plant-based foods most frequently. While the mechanisms behind these findings are unclear, researchers hypothesize that the fiber in healthy plant-based food reduces cancer risk through their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, as well as their ability to improve microbial health and insulin resistance, among other things.
While “eat plants” is a given when it comes to gut health and cancer prevention, we should probably add “eat healthy plants”!
