This study is really good news for those who follow a vegetarian diet because they have a lower risk of five cancer types, some of which are very prevalent in the population. While being vegetarian appeared to be protective overall, the scientists also found that those who follow a vegetarian diet had nearly double the risk of the most common type of cancer of the oesophagus, known as squamous cell carcinoma, compared with meat eaters.
Overall, vegetarians had a lower risk of five kinds of cancer, including some of the most lethal cancers, like breast cancer and prostate cancer. Pescatarians also had a lower risk of colorectal, breast, and kidney cancer, compared to red meat eaters, and poultry-eaters who avoided red meat suffered fewer cases of prostate cancer.