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Diet

Plant-based diet

Eating patterns centered on plant foods, studied in cancer risk and outcomes.

Educational only. This page reports what published guidelines and studies describe. It is not medical advice and is not a claim that plant-based diet treats, prevents, or cures cancer. Decisions are yours and your care team's.

What the studies report: a cited, human-reviewed summary, kept current as the evidence changes and retracted findings are removed.

Reviewed Jun 2026 · OncoForge editorial · How we review →

Evidence at a glanceNo graded study evidence yet
33 human clinical studies in the Plant-based diet corpus214 source documents in the Plant-based diet corpus

last checked June 9, 2026

Ask about Plant-based diet

Answers come only from the cited sources on this page — with the supporting evidence shown. If the sources here don't cover your question, it will say so. Educational information, not medical advice.

Key points

  • Overview: The sources define plant-based dietary patterns in several ways, generally as diets centered on plant foods and limited in animal foods, with some studies separating healthier and less healthy plant-based patterns. Across the cited literature, plant-based diets are studied mainly in relation to cancer risk, mortality, survivorship, and supportive or during-treatment settings, with evidence that is largely observational and not uniform across outcomes.

6 sections — tap any heading to expand its cited detail. Key points are above.

OverviewThe sources define plant-based dietary patterns in several ways, generally as diets centered on plant foods and limited in animal foods, with some studies separating healthier and less healthy plant-based patterns. Across the cited literature, plant-based diets are studied mainly in relation to cancer risk, mortality, survivorship, and supportive or during-treatment settings, with evidence that is largely observational and not uniform across outcomes.44 points
  • Plant-based dietary indices in the sources include overall plant-based diet index (PDI), healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI). [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]12 sources
  • The sources discuss plant-based or related dietary patterns in relation to cancer risk, quality of life after prostate cancer diagnosis, and, in one review, mortality and quality of life among women with breast cancer. [13][14][15][16][17][18]6 sources
  • The sources discuss plant-based diets in relation to cancer risk, cancer mortality, and possible benefits for patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer. [19][20][21][22][23]5 sources
  • The sources describe plant-based dietary patterns in colorectal cancer prevention research, in post-surgery colorectal cancer survivorship research, and in metastatic breast cancer intervention studies. [24][25][26][27][28]5 sources
  • The sources describe plant-based diets as dietary patterns that emphasize plant foods and reduce or omit animal foods, but the exact definition varies across studies. [29][30][31][32][33]5 sources
  • The sources discuss plant-based diets in relation to cancer prevention and postdiagnosis settings, including a small clinical trial during treatment, and much of the cited evidence is observational or review-based. [29][31][32][34][30]5 sources
  • The evidence in the sources covers cancer prevention, cancer mortality, and during-treatment or survivorship settings, but the findings are not uniform across cancer types and study designs. [35][36][37][38][39]5 sources
  • The sources separate findings on cancer prevention from findings after cancer diagnosis and from findings related to immunotherapy. [40][41][42][43]4 sources
  • The sources describe a low-risk pesco-vegetarian diet that excluded fresh and processed meat and poultry but included 3 servings per week of fish, and a whole food, plant-based diet that excluded all animal products, added oils, and solid fats. [24][26][27][28]4 sources
  • Plant-based diets in the sources are described as dietary patterns that emphasize plant foods and reduce or exclude some or all animal foods, with some sources distinguishing overall, healthful, and unhealthful plant-based patterns. [44][45][46][47]4 sources
  • The sources discuss plant-based diets in cancer mainly in relation to prevention, survivorship, and modeled population outcomes, rather than as a treatment during active cancer therapy. [44][45][46][47]4 sources
  • The sources on cancer and mortality report associations for plant-based dietary patterns, but they do not establish causation. [48][49][50][51]4 sources
  • The sources report associations between plant-based dietary patterns and cancer risk, cancer mortality, and multimorbidity, but the findings are not uniform across outcomes and indices. [9][12][10][11]4 sources
  • The sources define vegetarian or plant-based dietary patterns as diets that exclude meat, fish, or fowl, and some sources include vegan diets within this category. [52][53][54]3 sources
  • Appropriately planned vegetarian diets are described as healthful and nutritionally adequate, and they can meet current recommendations for key nutrients when needed foods, fortified foods, or supplements are used. [52][53][54]3 sources
  • The sources study plant-based dietary patterns in relation to cancer incidence, cancer mortality, and cancer-related outcomes in survivors. [1][2][55]3 sources
  • The sources discuss plant-based diets in cancer mainly in relation to prevention, survivorship, and supportive care rather than as a treatment recommendation. [56][57][58]3 sources
  • Plant-based diets in the sources are described as dietary patterns centered on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, with some sources defining them as excluding all animal products and others noting that some definitions include small amounts of animal foods. [59][60][61]3 sources
  • The sources describe plant-based diets as dietary patterns that emphasize plant foods and reduce or omit animal-sourced foods, with some studies separating healthier and less healthy plant-based patterns. [35][37][38]3 sources
  • The sources describe plant-based dietary patterns as including vegetarian and vegan diets, and as diets characterized by higher consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts rather than animal products. One source also describes Mediterranean, prudent, and DASH diets as plant-based because they focus on vegetables, fruits, and cereals. [62][63]
  • In the provided sources, plant-based dietary patterns are studied in relation to cancer risk and mortality. [3][64]
  • The sources describe plant-based diets as dietary strategies that emphasize plant foods; one source lists legumes, soy products, nuts, seeds, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and fortified foods. [57][56]
  • The sources describe plant-based dietary patterns as diets with a higher proportion of plant foods and, in some studies, lower proportions of animal foods or refined plant foods. [65][66]
  • Current guidelines and reviews describe a predominantly whole-food plant-based diet as a dietary pattern emphasized for cancer prevention, and some sources also discuss plant-based patterns in survivorship care. [67][68]
  • Plant-based diet studies in cancer in the provided sources focused on digestive cancers and metastatic colorectal cancer. [5][6]
  • A plant-based diet is described as an eating pattern based on plant foods with fewer or no animal products, and examples include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. [19]
  • The available sources on cancer and plant-based diets are observational reviews and meta-analyses, with no randomized clinical trials reported in the cited cancer meta-analyses for digestive system cancers. [69]
  • The sources define plant-based dietary patterns for this review as vegetarian diets in all their variations and the Mediterranean diet, and describe them as emphasizing fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, cereals, and related plant foods. [40]
  • A 2026 trial protocol describes a 6-week plant-based dietary intervention for adults with colorectal cancer receiving FOLFOX chemotherapy. [70]
  • The protocol defines the plant-based diet as one emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and anti-inflammatory beverages, while reducing red and processed meat and limiting fish. [70]
  • A 2025 review of the NuEva study compared omnivorous, flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan dietary patterns and reported fatty acid profiles and inflammatory markers at baseline. [71]
  • A 2024 animal study compared a meat-based diet, a meat-based diet with alpha-tocopherol, and a pesco-vegetarian diet in colon carcinogenesis models. [72]
  • A 1979 report described hormonal changes after a vegetarian diet in healthy men and women. [73]
  • The sources distinguish healthier plant-based patterns from less healthy plant-based patterns, including a healthful plant-based diet index and an unhealthful plant-based diet index. [65]
  • One review states that evidence for specific dietary regimens during conventional cancer treatment is limited and that clinical trials are difficult to compare because of differences in design, patient characteristics, and cancer type. [74]
  • Plant-based diets are described in the sources as dietary patterns that exclude foods of animal origin, with vegetarian diets excluding meat and fish and vegan diets excluding all animal products. [75]
  • Plant-based diets are described in the sources as diets based mainly or exclusively on plant foods such as grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. [14]
  • The cancer-focused review states that plant-based diets were studied for cancer risk and progression, and that the review included four plant-based diet studies. [59]
  • The evidence base in the provided sources includes observational studies, a case-control study, a scoping review, a single-arm dietary intervention in MGUS/SMM, and an in silico anthracycline modeling study. [76][77][78][79][80]5 sources
  • The evidence base in the provided sources is mostly observational and includes cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, and systematic reviews or meta-analyses. [40][81][41][42]4 sources
  • A 2024 case-control study in Italy evaluated overall, healthy, and unhealthy plant-based diet indices in relation to ovarian cancer risk. [82]
  • A 2025 cross-sectional analysis in women with breast cancer examined plant-based diet indices and cardiometabolic targets. [83]
Show 2 lab & early-research findings
  • The sources describe plant-based dietary patterns using research indices including PDI, hPDI, uPDI, pro-vegetarian patterns, and the EAT-Lancet diet; one source also describes a diet high in healthy plant foods and low in animal foods. [76][78][77]3 sources
  • The sources describe healthful plant-based dietary patterns as higher in vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and whole grains and lower in animal protein and dairy. [15][13][14]3 sources
What studies reportStudies report mixed findings across cancer types, with many observational analyses linking healthier plant-based patterns to lower risk or mortality and unhealthful patterns to higher risk or mortality. Several reviews also note heterogeneity, limited clinical trial data, and cancer-specific results that vary by site and study design.94 points
  • Guideline sources report lower body mass index, lower blood pressure, lower blood cholesterol, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes among vegetarians compared with nonvegetarians. [52][53][54]3 sources
  • A review states that replacing animal foods and non-whole plant foods with whole plant foods is consistently associated with lower risk of chronic diseases and mortality; other cited sources discuss cancer risk or prevention in relation to plant-based diets. [84][68][67]3 sources
  • The colorectal cancer review states that higher dietary fiber intake was associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease, and it presents this as relevant to plant-based dietary patterns. [56][57]
  • A 2025 systematic review of studies from the MENA region reported mixed findings for breast cancer and fruit-and-vegetable intake, with some studies showing lower risk and others showing no significant association. [85]
  • The same MENA review reported mixed findings for dairy products and breast cancer, including studies with lower risk, higher risk, and no significant association. [85]
  • In the 2022 umbrella review, a vegan diet was associated with a lower risk of cancer incidence in the general healthy population, with low-certainty evidence. [86]
  • In the prostate-cancer review, intervention studies reported changes in PSA-related measures and treatment use during follow-up, but these studies also included exercise, stress management, and supplements, so the diet-specific contribution was not isolated. [63]
  • In the 2021 systematic review of diet and immunotherapy, plant-based diet was more often classified as associated with an ICI-favoring gut microbiome than animal-based diet in healthy adults. [43]
  • In the same review, most studies suggested a negative association between antibiotic use and clinical response to ICIs, especially within 1-2 months before initiation. [43]
  • In post-surgery, non-metastatic colorectal cancer patients, a one-year plant-based dietary intervention was associated with a 32% reduction in DNA base oxidation compared with control, with no significant effect on DNA strand breaks. [25]
  • In women with metastatic breast cancer, a whole food, plant-based intervention was associated with within-group decreases in several biomarkers, but no statistically significant between-group differences were found. [26]
  • In a related metastatic breast cancer report, the whole-food, plant-based intervention was associated with weight loss, lower total cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol, and lower HDL cholesterol compared with control. [28]
  • When modeled continuously in the ovarian cancer study, each 5-point increase in PDI and hPDI was associated with lower odds of ovarian cancer, while each 5-point increase in uPDI was associated with higher odds. [82]
  • In the NuEva review, vegans had lower plasma saturated fatty acids than omnivores, flexitarians, and vegetarians, and lower plasma long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids than omnivores and some other groups. [71]
  • In the 2024 animal study, the pesco-vegetarian diet group showed lower tumor biomarkers than the meat-based diet group in colon carcinogenesis models. [72]
  • In the 1979 report, men fed a vegetarian diet had lower nocturnal prolactin and testosterone release. [73]
  • In the same prostate cancer survivor study, higher prudent diet scores were associated with better sexual function in age- and time-adjusted models, but this association was not present after full adjustment, and no other association was found between prudent diet scores and the other quality-of-life subdomains in the main analyses or sensitivity analyses. [55]
  • The scoping review reported that higher adherence to healthful plant-based patterns was associated with lower risk of colorectal, pancreatic, liver, esophageal, and stomach cancers in the included studies, while unhealthful plant-based patterns were linked to higher risk of the same digestive cancers. [76]
  • In the MGUS/SMM intervention study, the plant-based diet was feasible, safe, and associated with improved diet quality, lower BMI, and improved patient-reported outcomes, and no adverse events were attributed to the diet intervention. [79]
  • In the anthracycline modeling study, a healthy vegan diet increased predicted cardiometabolic efficiency compared with a healthy omnivorous diet in patients treated with anthracyclines, and the study was computational and in silico rather than a clinical outcomes trial. [80]
  • Among participants with cardiometabolic disorders, the highest quartile of overall PDI was associated with lower all-cause mortality, with a pooled hazard ratio of 0.85 for extreme quartiles. [4]
  • In the same cardiometabolic cohorts, the highest quartile of hPDI was associated with 19% to 29% lower all-cause, cardiovascular, cancer, and other mortality than the lowest quartile. [4]
  • In the same cardiometabolic cohorts, the highest quartile of uPDI was associated with 28% to 43% higher all-cause, cardiovascular, cancer, and other mortality than the lowest quartile. [4]
  • A comprehensive colorectal cancer review reports that adherence to a 3V dietary pattern, which includes high plant-based diet quality, was associated with a lower colorectal cancer risk, with hazard ratios around 0.84 in the cited EPIC data. [56]
  • The hematologic malignancy review states that plant-based dietary interventions have shown early promise in multiple myeloma, where they were associated with greater gut microbial diversity and increased butyrate production. [57]
  • The hematologic malignancy review states that higher dietary quality, including plant-forward diet patterns, has been associated with improved overall survival and reduced mortality in breast cancer and colorectal cancer survivors. [56]
  • The ileostomy review states that legumes, soy products, nuts, seeds, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and fortified foods are generally low to moderate in purines and are well tolerated by cancer patients with an ileostomy. [58]
  • In the Pathways Study of breast cancer survivors, higher PDI and higher hPDI were associated with lower hsCRP, while higher uPDI was associated with higher hsCRP. [44]
  • In the Pathways Study, no significant associations were found between plant-based diet indices and the other inflammation biomarkers or body composition measures besides hsCRP and visceral adipose tissue, and higher hPDI was associated with lower visceral adipose tissue while higher uPDI was associated with higher visceral adipose tissue. [44]
  • In the Singapore Chinese Health Study, higher PDI and higher hPDI were reported to be inversely associated with pancreatic cancer risk, while higher uPDI was reported to be positively associated with pancreatic cancer risk in prior work cited by the study. [47]
  • The modeling study in Mexican adults evaluated vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and other healthy and sustainable diet scenarios against the current diet for mortality burden from cardiometabolic diseases and colorectal cancer. [46]
  • The French modeling study reported that shifting to a moderate plant-based diet would avert an estimated 132,700 DALYs, with the main diseases contributing to the gain including ischemic heart disease, diabetes, and colorectal cancer. [87]
  • The whole-plant-foods review states that epidemiologic evidence shows breast cancer risk decreases as the proportion of whole plant foods increases at the expense of animal foods and non-whole plant foods, and that a whole plant foods diet is associated with lower breast cancer incidence, recurrence, and mortality. [66]
  • The treatment-focused narrative review states that clinical trials of vegan and other dietary regimens during cancer treatment are limited and do not allow firm conclusions. [74]
  • In a UK Biobank analysis, higher healthful plant-based diet index scores were associated with lower liver cancer incidence and lower liver disease mortality in males, while higher unhealthful plant-based diet index scores were associated with higher liver cancer incidence and higher liver disease mortality; these associations were not seen in females. [88]
  • In the EPIC analysis, the association between healthful plant-based diet index and postmenopausal breast cancer was partly explained by BMI and waist circumference, which mediated 30% and 52% of the association, respectively. [50]
  • In metastatic colorectal cancer, higher PDI was associated with better overall survival and progression-free survival compared with the lowest quintile, and higher hPDI was associated with better progression-free survival and showed a similar pattern for overall survival, while uPDI was not associated with worse overall survival or progression-free survival. [5]
  • In selected digestive cancers, hPDI was inversely associated with oral/pharyngeal, esophageal, stomach, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer risk, while uPDI was directly associated with oral/pharyngeal, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer risk. [6]
  • The digestive cancer study reported that the inverse associations for hPDI and the direct associations for uPDI were stronger for some cancer sites than others. [6]
  • In the Singapore Chinese Health Study, higher PDI and hPDI were associated with lower hepatocellular carcinoma risk, while uPDI was not associated with hepatocellular carcinoma risk. [9]
  • In the PLCO study, the highest versus lowest quintile of PDI was associated with lower all-cause mortality, lower cardiovascular mortality, and lower cancer mortality. [10]
  • In men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer, higher postdiagnostic dietary quality scores that included hPDI were associated with lower all-cause mortality and lower cardiovascular mortality, while prostate cancer mortality was not statistically significant. [12]
  • In the Health and Retirement Study, higher hPDI adherence was associated with lower incidence of complex multimorbidity, and uPDI was not significantly associated after adjustment. [11]
  • In a narrative review of colorectal cancer, diets rich in fruits and vegetables were described as supporting a healthy immune system and microbiome and as being associated with lower cancer risk, while higher intake of plant foods rich in fiber was described as being associated with lower colorectal cancer risk through effects on colonic inflammation and short-chain fatty acid production. [16]
  • In the same review, legume consumption in colorectal cancer survivors was described as increasing beneficial metabolites and being linked to reduced oxidative stress. [16]
  • In a review of vegetarian diets, the scientific literature was described as indicating that vegetarians have a lower risk of certain types of cancer and overall cancer. [14]
  • In prostate cancer survivors, higher overall plant-based diet scores were associated with better sexual function, urinary irritation/obstruction, urinary incontinence, and hormonal/vitality scores, while higher healthful plant-based diet scores were associated with better sexual and bowel function and urinary incontinence in age-adjusted analysis. [15]
  • The same review described high-dose curcumin in a small pancreatic cancer study as producing responses in two of twenty-one patients, including one short-lived tumor shrinkage and one prolonged stable course. [17]
  • In a UK Biobank analysis, higher adherence to a healthful plant-based diet index was associated with lower all-cause mortality, with quartile 4 versus quartile 1 showing an HR of 0.84 (95% CI 0.78-0.91), while higher adherence to an unhealthful plant-based diet index was associated with higher all-cause mortality, with quartile 4 versus quartile 1 showing an HR of 1.23 (95% CI 1.14-1.32) and higher cancer mortality, with an HR of 1.19 (95% CI 1.08-1.32). [29]
  • In a cohort of women with breast cancer, higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with better overall survival probabilities and lower all-cause mortality in the reported analysis. [31]
  • In a small metastatic breast cancer study, a whole-food plant-based diet was associated with lower intake of calories, fat, and total protein over 8 weeks, lower serum insulin and IGF levels, lower serum cholesterol, HDL, and LDL, and non-significant but trending decreases in CA15-3 and CA27.29 after the intervention. [32]
  • The authors state that definitive data from prospective trials on the Mediterranean diet’s effect on breast cancer survival is still lacking, and that increasing dietary fiber from fruits, vegetables, pulses, and whole grains may increase survival while soy may lower the chance of dying or developing breast cancer again. [31]
  • The cancer systematic review reports that four plant-based diet studies found inverse associations with breast cancer risk, breast cancer odds, mortality, and hepatocellular carcinoma risk, and that a plant-based diet was associated with lower mortality rates in one included study. [59]
  • The cancer systematic review reports that a healthful plant-based diet was inversely associated with breast cancer risk, while an unhealthy plant-based diet was associated with higher breast cancer odds. [59]
  • The cancer systematic review reports that a plant-based low-carbohydrate diet score was inversely associated with hepatocellular carcinoma risk. [59]
  • The cancer systematic review reports that adherence to a Mediterranean pattern diet was inversely associated with breast cancer and gastric cancer risk, and that a Western pattern diet was associated with higher breast cancer risk. [59]
  • In prevention studies, greater plant-based food consumption was associated with lower cancer incidence in several large epidemiologic studies summarized in a review. [37]
  • In a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies, higher hPDI was associated with lower risk of several site-specific cancers, while higher uPDI was associated with higher risk of several site-specific cancers. [4][3]
  • A 2025 meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies found an inverse association between plant-based dietary patterns and colorectal cancer incidence, with a stronger inverse association when plant-based patterns emphasized healthy plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. [89]
  • A 2025 meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies found that higher adherence to healthy plant-based diet indices was associated with lower all-cause mortality and lower mortality from cardiovascular disease, chronic heart disease, total cancer, and prostate cancer. [90]
  • In a 2024 meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies, higher adherence to a healthy plant-based diet index was associated with lower mortality, while higher adherence to an unhealthy plant-based diet index was associated with higher mortality. [19]
  • The same meta-analysis reported that seven articles examined cancer-related deaths and fourteen articles examined all-cause deaths. [19]
  • A 2024 global systematic review and meta-analysis of the EAT-Lancet diet reported an association with lower cancer mortality, with HR 0.86 (95% CI 0.80-0.92). [22]
  • In a 2023 meta-analysis of observational studies, vegetarian diets were associated with a lower risk of gastrointestinal cancers overall compared with non-vegetarian diets, and with a lower risk of gastric cancer and colorectal cancer, while the association with upper gastrointestinal cancer excluding the stomach was not statistically significant. [91]
  • In the digestive-system-cancer meta-analysis, plant-based diets were associated with lower risk estimates for pancreatic, colorectal, colon, rectal, gastric, liver, and pharyngolaryngeal cancers in some analyses, while the esophageal cancer estimate in cohort studies was slightly above 1. [62]
  • In a prostate-cancer systematic review, one observational study reported a lower incident prostate cancer risk among vegetarians and vegans, while another observational analysis reported no significant difference for vegetarians compared with non-vegetarians. [63]
  • In a 2017 meta-analysis of cohort studies, vegetarian diet was not associated with a lower risk of breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer compared with a non-vegetarian diet. [41]
  • In the same 2017 meta-analysis, semi-vegetarian diet and pesco-vegetarian diet were associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer compared with a non-vegetarian diet. [41]
  • In a 2017 meta-analysis of observational studies, vegetarian diet was associated with a lower incidence of total cancer, while no significant association was seen for cancer mortality overall or for specific cancers. [42]
  • In the 2020 review of post-diagnostic dietary patterns, higher adherence to a prudent diet was associated with lower all-cause mortality in one breast cancer cohort, while Western diet was not associated with all-cause or cancer-specific mortality in two breast cancer cohorts. [92]
  • In the 2020 review of post-diagnostic dietary patterns, higher post-diagnostic Mediterranean-style scores were not associated with cancer-specific mortality in one breast cancer cohort and were not associated with all-cause mortality in one small breast cancer study. [92]
  • In the 2020 review of post-diagnostic dietary patterns, higher soy food intake was associated with lower recurrence in breast cancer cohorts and with lower all-cause mortality in one Chinese breast cancer cohort. [92]
  • In the 2024 ovarian cancer case-control study, higher adherence to the overall plant-based diet index and the healthy plant-based diet index was associated with lower ovarian cancer risk, while higher adherence to the unhealthy plant-based diet index was associated with higher ovarian cancer risk. [82]
  • In the breast cancer cross-sectional analysis, higher healthy plant-based diet scores were associated with more favorable cardiometabolic targets, while higher unhealthful plant-based diet scores were associated with less favorable targets. [83]
  • In a systematic review and meta-analysis, higher adherence to hPDI was associated with lower breast cancer risk in cohort studies, while PDI was not associated with breast cancer risk in cohort studies; higher adherence to uPDI was associated with increased breast cancer risk in case-control studies, while the cohort estimate was not statistically clear. [1]
  • In a prostate cancer survivor cohort, higher post-diagnosis Western diet scores were associated with lower bowel functioning scores, with the highest tertile averaging 3 points lower than the lowest tertile. [55]
  • In the same cohort, no apparent association was observed between the plant-based diet indices and pancreatic cancer. [77]
  • In the Korean case-control study, the overall PDI was lower in breast cancer cases than in controls, while hPDI and uPDI were higher in cases, and the case group consumed fewer foods classified as hPDI foods and more refined grains than controls. [78]
  • In a Korean prospective cohort, higher adherence to a healthy lifestyle score that included diet quality based on a plant-based diet index was associated with lower all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality. [64]
  • The colorectal cancer review states that vegetarian diets showed no significant difference in colorectal cancer risk, while vegan diets had a higher risk compared with meat eaters in a pooled analysis of 1.8 million adults across nine prospective cohorts. [56]
  • The pancreatic cancer cohort study was designed to test associations between PDI, hPDI, and uPDI and pancreatic cancer risk, but the provided text does not include the final risk estimates. [47]
  • In a prospective analysis of EPIC and UK Biobank, higher adherence to a healthy plant-based diet was associated with a lower risk of cancer and cardiometabolic multimorbidity in adults younger than 60 years and in those aged 60 years or older, although the effect sizes were small. [65]
  • The same prospective analysis reported that the association between a healthy plant-based diet and multimorbidity differed by age group, with age-specific analyses performed for adults younger than 60 years versus those aged 60 years or older. [65]
  • In a prospective cohort study in high-risk regions of China, a higher overall plant-based diet index was associated with lower upper gastrointestinal cancer risk, while an unhealthy plant-based diet index was associated with higher upper gastrointestinal cancer risk. [93]
  • In the Shenzhen Healthcare Big Data Cohort, a mainly vegetarian diet was associated with reduced all-cause mortality compared with a mixed diet of meat and vegetables, with an HR of 0.87. [49]
  • In the breast cancer case-control study, higher hPDI was associated with lower odds of breast cancer in the adjusted model, while higher uPDI was associated with higher odds of breast cancer in premenopausal women; PDI was not significantly associated with breast cancer in the adjusted model and uPDI was not significantly associated overall. [7]
  • In the healthy aging cohort, higher uPDI was associated with increased risk of unhealthy aging, while PDI and hPDI were not associated with healthy aging. [8]
  • In a UK Biobank cohort, higher healthful plant-based diet index scores were associated with lower gastrointestinal cancer incidence, including among participants at high genetic risk. [13]
  • In a review of fruit and vegetable intake, higher intake was summarized as being associated with lower all-cause mortality and lower cancer mortality in meta-analyses of cohort studies, and about five servings per day of fruits and vegetables were associated with the lowest cancer mortality risk in one dose-response meta-analysis. [18]
  • In a review focused on pancreatic cancer and pancreatitis, a whole-food plant-predominant diet was described as being associated with reduced incidence of pancreatic cancer in meta-analytic evidence, a plant-based scale score was described as being associated with the lowest risk of pancreatic cancer in a U.S. cohort, and a high-fiber diet was described as being associated with lower pancreatic cancer risk in observational studies. [17]
  • In the UK Biobank prospective study, higher adherence to overall plant-based diet and healthful plant-based diet indices was associated with lower colorectal cancer incidence, while higher adherence to an unhealthful plant-based diet index was associated with higher colorectal cancer incidence; each 10-score increase in the overall plant-based diet index and healthful plant-based diet index was associated with lower colorectal cancer incidence. [94]
  • In a prostate cancer cohort, greater overall plant-based consumption was associated with a lower risk of fatal prostate cancer, and in men younger than 65 years, a higher healthful plant-based diet index was associated with lower risks of total and lethal prostate cancer. [38]
  • In a lung cancer cohort, higher healthful plant-based diet index scores were associated with lower lung cancer mortality, while overall plant-based diet index and unhealthful plant-based diet index were not significantly associated with lung cancer mortality. [36]
Show 1 lab & early-research finding
  • In the narrative review on plant nutrition and microbiota, vegetarian or vegan diets were described as having a more diverse and beneficial gut bacterial composition than diets rich in animal products. [33]
Proposed mechanismsProposed mechanisms for plant-based diets in cancer research commonly involve higher fiber and phytochemical intake, lower saturated fat and animal-derived components, and downstream effects on inflammation, oxidative stress, and the gut microbiota. Several sources also discuss related biomarkers and pathways such as short-chain fatty acids, insulin signaling, adiposity, and immune or metabolic markers.74 points
  • The sources state that plant foods contain phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamins C and E, and phytates that are discussed as antioxidant or anti-inflammatory compounds. [18][14][17][16]4 sources
  • The sources describe plant-based diets as potentially affecting gut microbiota, systemic inflammation, immune responses, energy intake, and amino acid availability. [34][33][32][30]4 sources
  • Guideline sources describe vegetarian diets as typically lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein and higher in fiber, phytochemicals, and several vitamins and minerals. [52][53][54]3 sources
  • The cited sources link short-chain fatty acids to anti-inflammatory effects and colon health, but they do not directly state links to microbial diversity, mucosal integrity, and gut barrier integrity. [16][14][17]3 sources
  • The sources state that diet, including plant-based diets, can shape the gut microbiome, but they do not directly report greater richness and diversity or specific shifts in bacterial groups. [16][14][17]3 sources
  • Some cited sources discuss plant-based diets in relation to reduced oxidative stress, and one review discusses intestinal inflammation in relation to fruit and vegetable consumption. [14][17][18]3 sources
  • The sources distinguish overall, healthful, and unhealthful plant-based diet indices and emphasize the nutritional quality of plant foods. [3][64]
  • The sources describe plant-based diets as being rich in phytochemicals, fiber, and other plant components, and one source links these features to lower inflammation and adiposity as proposed mechanisms. [44][45]
  • The sources also note that the healthfulness of plant foods matters, because some plant foods are described as healthful and others as less healthful. [44][47]
  • The microbiota review states that plant fibers can act as prebiotics and that fermentation can produce short-chain fatty acids that are linked in the review to anti-inflammatory effects and gut barrier integrity. [33][30]
  • The colorectal cancer review states that gut microbiota modulation is a relevant pathway in colorectal cancer and that plant-based dietary intervention may influence this process. [21]
  • The umbrella review notes that restrictive plant-based diets can be associated with chronic vitamin and mineral deficiencies, including vitamin B12 deficiency. [20]
  • The immunotherapy review states that gut microbiota may influence immune checkpoint expression, dendritic cell function, lymphocyte homing and recruitment, and production of short-chain fatty acids. [43]
  • The 2026 review states that dietary fish oil and fermentable fiber combination induces ferroptosis exclusively in colonocytes. [95]
  • The colorectal cancer survivorship study frames plant-based dietary patterns as potentially linked to lower oxidative stress-related DNA damage. [25]
  • The report examined a whole food, plant-based diet in metastatic breast cancer and found within-group decreases in TNF-α, leptin, CA15-3, and VEGF-C. [26]
  • The 2026 protocol proposes that higher intakes of dietary fibre, polyphenols, and antioxidant nutrients may modulate inflammatory signalling, oxidative stress, and intestinal barrier function in chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal toxicity. [70]
  • The 2026 protocol states that chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal toxicity can include nausea, vomiting, anorexia, mucositis, and diarrhoea. [70]
  • The 2024 animal study reports that the diet-related tumor findings were associated with changes in bacterial and metabolic profiles. [72]
  • The 2024 animal study states that specific genera in Prevotellaceae and Lachnospiraceae were correlated with bile acids. [72]
  • The 2025 NuEva review states that vegetarian and vegan diets are characterized by higher intakes of polyunsaturated fatty acids and lower or negligible intakes of EPA, DPA, and DHA. [71]
  • The 2025 NuEva review states that the conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to EPA, DPA, and DHA is limited and may be further reduced by high linoleic acid intake. [71]
  • The 2025 breast cancer analysis describes healthy plant-based diets as favoring whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, vegetable oils, and tea or coffee, while unhealthy plant-based diets favor refined grains, fruit juices, sugar-sweetened beverages, potatoes, and sweets or desserts. [83]
  • The gastric cancer source states that nutrient-dense plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are rich in fiber and antioxidants and may be linked to lower inflammation and a healthier gut microbiota, whereas refined grains, sugar-sweetened beverages, and desserts are described as potentially promoting carcinogenesis through pro-inflammatory pathways and microbiota dysbiosis. [2]
  • The breast cancer review states that plant-based dietary patterns are believed to exert anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic potential because of their richness in antioxidants and bioactive compounds. [96]
  • In the MGUS/SMM intervention study, fecal microbiota diversity increased and the relative abundance of butyrate-producing taxa increased after the diet intervention. [79]
  • In the MGUS/SMM intervention study, fecal short-chain fatty acids increased and branched-chain fatty acids decreased numerically after the intervention. [79]
  • In the MGUS/SMM intervention study, insulin resistance markers, inflammatory markers, and some immune-cell measures changed after the intervention. [79]
  • The anthracycline modeling study predicted that diets enriched in rapidly absorbable sugars and depleted of essential fatty acids impair cardiac metabolic efficiency and increase reactive oxygen species production. [80]
  • One rat study reported that a pesco-vegetarian diet changed gut microbiota composition and was linked with reduced intestinal tumorigenesis, but the authors said the microbiome-mediated mechanism still needs to be understood. [97]
  • The colorectal cancer review states that plant-based dietary patterns may reduce CRC risk through effects on inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota. [56]
  • The hematologic malignancy review states that whole-food plant-based diets may increase fermentable fiber substrate, butyrate, and microbial alpha diversity, and may improve insulin resistance and inflammatory monocyte subsets. [57]
  • The hematologic malignancy review states that high-fiber dietary patterns can suppress pro-inflammatory cytokine production and strengthen intestinal barrier integrity through short-chain fatty acids generated by gut bacteria. [57]
  • The colorectal cancer review states that limiting red and processed meat is a key feature of plant-based diets and is linked in the review to lower colorectal cancer risk. [56]
  • The Pathways Study frames possible mechanisms linking plant-based diet quality with breast cancer prognosis as inflammation and adiposity. [44]
  • The Pathways Study measured hsCRP, several pro-inflammatory cytokines, several anti-inflammatory cytokines, and CT-based muscle, visceral adipose tissue, and subcutaneous adipose tissue as candidate biological correlates. [44]
  • The whole-plant-foods review states that a whole plant foods diet lowers insulin resistance, inflammation, excess body fat, cholesterol, and insulin-like growth factor 1 and sex hormone bioavailability. [66]
  • The same review states that a whole plant foods diet increases estrogen excretion and induces favorable changes in the gut microbiota. [66]
  • The antioxidant review states that fruits, vegetables, whole grains, green tea, curcumin, and red wine are good sources of antioxidants. [98]
  • The antioxidant review states that higher antioxidant intake is linked to mechanisms involving oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, oxidized LDL, foam cell formation, and fibrous cap rupture in cardiovascular disease. [98]
  • The antioxidant review states that in oncology, higher dietary antioxidant intake is discussed in relation to oxidative stress from cigarette smoke, ionizing radiation, UV radiation, and point mutations in RAS. [98]
  • The sources describe several shared pathways linking diet-related patterns with cancer risk, including chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, metabolic dysregulation, and gut dysbiosis. [67]
  • A whole plant-foods diet is described as potentially lowering energy intake, metabolizable energy, and increasing diet-induced thermogenesis. [84]
  • A plant-based diet focused on whole plant foods is described as providing nitrates, L-arginine, and L-citrulline, and as lowering LDL cholesterol, trimethylamine N-oxide, postprandial triglycerides, advanced glycation end products, inflammation, and vasoconstrictor levels. [99]
  • The review states that plant foods contain non-heme iron, which has lower bioavailability than heme iron and can be hindered by phytates, oxalic acid, and polyphenols. [75]
  • The review states that vitamin C can increase non-heme iron bioavailability by keeping iron soluble and promoting conversion to the absorbable form. [75]
  • The review states that soaking, cooking, sprouting, dehulling, and fermentation can reduce phytate content in legumes and bread. [75]
  • The review states that plant-based diets are linked to lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers, particularly C-reactive protein, and that this may influence ferritin interpretation. [75]
  • The sources state that butyrate can inhibit histone deacetylases and is described as a fuel source for healthy enterocytes. [16]
  • The sources state that plant-based diets may influence immune function, endothelial function, glucose metabolism, and constipation through fiber, polyphenols, and antioxidants. [15]
  • The 2024 IBD review states that healthy eating patterns may be associated with reduced IBD risk by lowering low-grade inflammation, but it also says no study has established direct causality. [34]
  • The metastatic breast cancer study proposes that a whole-food plant-based diet may lower circulating amino acids, insulin, and IGF, which the authors link to tumor metabolism and growth signaling. [32]
  • The same study notes that the diet increased dietary fiber intake, which the authors connect to responses to immunotherapy. [32]
  • The breast cancer systematic review states that proposed mechanisms for Mediterranean diet associations include weight management, antioxidant capacity, improved glycemic profile, and anti-inflammatory activity. [31]
  • One review states that positive effects of plant-based diets on gastrointestinal health may be mediated by the gut microbiota through greater bacterial diversity. [61]
  • The same review states that plant-based diets may influence the gut microbiota and host metabolic status, which it discusses in relation to gastrointestinal cancer. [61]
  • The narrative review discusses polyphenolic compounds widely distributed in plants and describes them as having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. [100]
  • The same narrative review lists pomegranate peel and other plant sources as containing phenolic compounds with reported anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, anti-invasive, and antimetastatic properties in the cited literature. [100]
  • The sources propose that plant-based diets may be linked to lower inflammation, lower insulin and insulin resistance, higher fiber intake, and higher intake of phytochemicals. [37]
  • The review states that plant foods contain phytochemicals such as flavonoids, and that flavonoids have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cell-growth-related effects in experimental pathways. [37]
  • The review states that fiber-rich plant-based diets are associated with increased butyrate-producing gut organisms and higher short-chain fatty acid production, which are described as linked to anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects. [37]
  • The review also notes that some clinical studies of ketogenic diets suggested proinflammatory effects, including increased C-reactive protein, which is presented as a contrast with plant-based patterns. [37]
  • The 2025 colorectal cancer meta-analysis notes that the stronger association was seen when plant-based patterns emphasized fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. [89]
  • The inflammatory-biomarker review reports lower CRP in vegans compared with omnivores in a meta-analysis, while several other inflammatory markers showed no difference in the limited studies available. [81]
  • The cohort study reported that plant-based diet indices were associated with microbial taxa and blood metabolites implicated in tumorigenesis of the colorectum and liver. [77]
  • The Korean cohort paper describes plant-based diet indices as a way to assess overall diet quality by distinguishing the healthfulness of plant-derived foods. [64]
  • The inflammatory bowel disease cohort reported that the associations may be partially mediated by anti-inflammatory properties of the diet. [101]
  • The inflammatory bowel disease cohort also analyzed serum C-reactive protein and INFLA-score as mediators. [101]
Show 6 lab & early-research findings
  • The sources describe ferroptosis, oxidative stress-induced DNA damage, inflammation, angiogenesis, apoptosis-related markers, and cardiometabolic markers as proposed biological pathways or biomarkers studied with plant-based dietary patterns. [95][25][26][28][24]5 sources
  • The prostate-cancer review states that proposed mechanisms for plant-based diets include reduced exposure to hormones found in animal foods and heterocyclic amines formed during cooking, and increased exposure to anti-cancer compounds in plant foods. [63]
  • The 2026 ovarian cancer review states that phytochemicals in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains may modulate antioxidant enzyme activity, oxidative stress, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, signaling pathways, angiogenesis, and metastasis. [82]
  • The colorectal cancer review states that plant-based foods promote gut microbial eubiosis and are accompanied by enhanced production of short-chain fatty acids and induction of apoptosis in malignant cells. [56]
  • The sources state that plant-based diets may lower trimethylamine N-oxide levels compared with diets higher in animal protein. [14]
  • The sources state that curcumin is discussed as having anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties in preclinical studies. [17]
Practical considerationsPractical considerations for plant-based diets in cancer include how such diets are defined, how they are assessed in studies, and what nutrient or implementation issues may need attention. Several sources also describe study protocols, intervention components, and guideline-style advice on plant-forward eating patterns.50 points
  • The sources describe plant-based diets as commonly including fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, while excluding or limiting animal-derived foods. [30][32][29][33][14][15][17][59][60]9 sources
  • The sources distinguish overall, healthful, and unhealthful plant-based diet patterns; one source states these indices emphasize different plant food groups while reducing animal food intake. [44][47][101][7][8][6][5]7 sources
  • Sources describe plant-based dietary indices as scoring patterns that emphasize plant foods and reduce animal food intake; hPDI emphasizes healthy plant foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, while uPDI emphasizes less healthy plant foods such as fruit juices, refined grains, and sugar-sweetened beverages. [101][7][8][6][5]5 sources
  • Well-planned vegetarian diets are considered appropriate during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, but individual dietary intake should be assessed because vegetarian practices vary. [52][53][54]3 sources
  • Food and nutrition professionals can help educate vegetarians about nutrient sources, food purchase and preparation, and dietary modifications needed to meet individual needs. [52][53][54]3 sources
  • The sources describe plant-based dietary indices as scoring patterns that give positive weight to plant foods and, for hPDI, reverse or negative weight to less healthy plant foods and animal foods. [9][11][10]3 sources
  • The metastatic breast cancer studies used an 8-week ad libitum whole-food, plant-based diet with prepared meals, weekly education, and weekly phone calls. [26][27][28]3 sources
  • The diet in the metastatic breast cancer studies consisted of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and excluded animal products and added oils or solid fats. [26][27][28]3 sources
  • In the metastatic breast cancer feasibility report, 94.7% of intervention participants met the prespecified adherence criterion and all intervention participants attended at least 6 of 8 weekly visits. [26][27][28]3 sources
  • The UK Biobank study derived hPDI and uPDI from 24-hour dietary assessments, and higher hPDI scores reflected greater adherence to the healthful plant-based pattern. [34][29]
  • The treatment-focused narrative review states that more uniformly controlled clinical trials are needed to better define the role of diets in cancer management. [74]
  • The reviewed guidelines and reviews describe plant-forward eating patterns as emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and unsaturated plant oils, while minimizing red meat and highly processed foods. [67]
  • The American Cancer Society guideline summarized in the review describes a healthy eating pattern as including vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and limiting red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and highly processed foods and refined grain products. [67]
  • The NCCN survivorship guidance summarized in the review says to work with care providers on a healthy eating plan and to eat nutrient-rich plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. [67]
  • The sources state that nutrient adequacy in vegetarian diets depends on variety and attention to vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids. [14]
  • The review states that the Institute of Medicine recommends higher iron intakes for vegetarian and vegan diets than for omnivorous diets. [75]
  • The review states that the European Food Safety Authority does not consider vegetarians a separate population group for dietary reference values because iron bioavailability in European vegetarian diets does not significantly differ from diets containing meat and other flesh foods. [75]
  • The review states that some studies found no difference in hemoglobin or other iron-status markers between vegans and omnivores, while other studies found lower ferritin in vegetarians or vegans. [75]
  • The review states that insufficient energy intake may contribute to iron deficiency anemia in vegetarians and vegans. [75]
  • The nutrition review notes that some authors use plant-based diet to mean a diet with only plant sources or with only minimal processed food, while also stating that a vegan diet is not the same as a plant-based diet. [60]
  • The review describes whole-foods plant-based diets as minimizing processed foods, oils, and animal foods and emphasizing nutrient-dense plant foods. [37]
  • The 2025 breast cancer analysis used the PDI, hPDI, and uPDI framework to distinguish healthy from less healthy plant foods. [83]
  • The 2024 ovarian cancer study used a food frequency questionnaire to assess usual diet in the two years before diagnosis or admission. [82]
  • The post-diagnostic review notes that many studies used food-frequency questionnaires or 24-hour recall, which can introduce recall bias and measurement error. [92]
  • The prostate-cancer review describes intervention programs that used low-fat or very low-fat plant-based diets together with exercise, stress management, and nutritional supplementation. [63]
  • The prostate-cancer review reports that one intervention achieved nutritional adequacy for more than 20 nutrients, except vitamin D which required supplementation. [63]
  • The metastatic breast cancer study used an ad-libitum whole-food plant-based diet that prohibited animal-derived foods, cooking oils, and solid fats, while allowing soy products and small quantities of added sugars. [32]
  • In the MGUS/SMM intervention study, participants received 12 self-selected frozen meals weekly for 12 weeks and guidance for snacks and breakfasts consistent with a high-fiber plant-based diet. [79]
  • In the MGUS/SMM intervention study, the intervention had no calorie restriction. [79]
  • The 2026 protocol standardizes participant contact across study arms with a baseline education session and daily remote follow-up during the 6-week intervention, and it includes monitoring of dietary intake, symptoms, and adverse events. [70]
  • The 2026 protocol lists food allergy, hypoglycaemia, and unintended weight loss as intervention-related adverse events to be assessed. [70]
  • The 2026 protocol excluded participants with food allergies or intolerances to key components of the study diet and those using antibiotics, probiotics, multivitamins, or several dietary supplements within the prior 4 weeks. [70]
  • The 2026 protocol also excluded participants with severe malnutrition, morbid obesity, heavy smoking, excessive alcohol use, or significant comorbidities judged to compromise safety or study integrity. [70]
  • The 2026 protocol states that intervention providers should have qualifications and experience in oncology nutrition and receive study-specific training. [70]
  • The 2026 protocol says the study will enroll adults aged 18 to 65 years with pathologically confirmed colorectal cancer receiving or scheduled to receive FOLFOX chemotherapy at two hospitals in Chengdu, China. [70]
  • The expert opinion states that during active cancer treatment, animal-based proteins have superior anabolic potential compared with plant-derived proteins. [39]
  • The expert opinion states that a plant-rich protein pattern may support muscle anabolism in cancer, but it may require a larger quantity of protein to meet amino acid needs. [39]
  • The expert opinion cautions against initiating an exclusively plant-based vegan diet at diagnosis because of elevated protein requirements and the risk of inadequate protein intake for muscle anabolism. [39]
  • The breast cancer review describes the Mediterranean diet as a plant-based pattern with low to moderate dairy, fish, and poultry, moderate alcohol, and low sweets and red meat. [31]
  • Some plant-based diet frameworks also include refined grains, fruit juices, sugar-sweetened beverages, potatoes, sweets, and desserts in the overall index, but not in the healthful index. [15]
  • The modeling studies operationalize plant-based scenarios by excluding some or all animal products and, in some cases, by replacing animal-based foods with plant-based proteins, fruits, and vegetables. [46]
  • The French modeling study defined a more plant-based subgroup as adults with both protein and energy intakes from plants above the 80th percentile. [87]
  • The immunotherapy review states that timing and duration of antibiotic exposure may matter for immune checkpoint inhibitor outcomes, but that this needs further study. [43]
  • The oncologist survey found that plant-based dietary patterns were among the dietary patterns most often considered suitable to recommend to patients at all stages, and 30% of respondents felt there was not enough evidence to recommend any dietary pattern. [102]
  • In the oncologist survey, the most common nutrition recommendations were to increase fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, and to minimize processed food, sugar-sweetened beverages, and processed meat. [102]
  • Sources describe plant-based diet indices in observational studies as being derived from dietary assessment tools such as food frequency questionnaires, and one source describes 24-hour dietary assessments. [1][2][55][3][64]5 sources
  • The prospective analysis operationalized plant-based diet quality using the healthful plant-based diet index and the unhealthful plant-based diet index, and diet was assessed with validated questionnaires, including country-specific or centre-specific dietary questionnaires in EPIC and the Oxford WebQ in UK Biobank. [65]
  • The breast cancer meta-analysis included five cohort studies and four case-control studies published through August 2025. [1]
  • The gastric cancer study used a sex-matched case-control design and adjusted for age, marital status, smoking status, and daily life stress in multivariable models. [2]
  • The sources state that the WHO recommends at least 400 g, or five servings, of fruits and vegetables per day for adults, and one meta-analysis found the lowest cancer mortality risk at about five servings per day. [18]
Safety & interactionsPlant-based and vegetarian diets are often discussed in terms of nutrient adequacy, especially for vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, and omega-3 fatty acids. Across the cited sources, specific cancer-care safety concerns or drug interactions are generally not reported, although some studies note exclusions, monitoring rules, or limited evidence.26 points
  • Some vegetarian or plant-based diets may need fortified foods or supplements to provide useful amounts of vitamin B-12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, and n-3 fatty acids. [52][53][54][14][60]5 sources
  • Some sources note that vegan diets may require attention to nutrients such as vitamin B12, vitamin D, and EPA/DHA, and report associations with adverse outcomes including hematological, neurologic, skeletal, or fracture-related outcomes in some studies. [45][30][29][103][86]5 sources
  • The metastatic breast cancer studies excluded participants with current insulin, sulfonylurea, or warfarin use, glomerular filtration rate below 30 mL/min/1.73 m2, serum potassium above 5.3, current smoking, illicit drug use, more than seven alcoholic drinks per week, or plant-based food allergies or intolerances. [26][27][28][32]4 sources
  • Sources note potential risks with restrictive vegan or animal-free diets and discuss possible micronutrient deficits in vulnerable groups, including children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. [20][103]
  • Few institutional feeding programs have foods suitable for vegans. [53][54]
  • Evidence for some cancer-related associations is limited by heterogeneity and confounding in observational studies, and one breast cancer systematic review noted recall bias, limited clinical trial data, and possible selection bias in some included studies. [18][31]
  • The expert opinion and the review differ on whether plant-based diets should be started during active cancer treatment, with the opinion paper cautioning against an exclusively plant-based diet and the review emphasizing prevention-oriented evidence. [39][37]
  • Vegetarian and vegan diets may be associated with suboptimal long-chain n-3 PUFA status because EPA, DPA, and DHA intakes are low or negligible. [71]
  • The French modeling study reported higher risks of overt deficiency for iodine and riboflavin in the more plant-based subgroup, and higher prevalence of inadequacy for selenium, protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamins A, B6, B12, iron, and iodine. [87]
  • The same French modeling study reported lower inadequacy for fibre, linoleic acid, potassium, and vitamin C in the more plant-based subgroup. [87]
  • The metastatic breast cancer feasibility report described adverse events as infrequent and mild, including grade 2 hypotension in three intervention participants, lightheadedness after a blood draw in one control participant, aphthous ulcer, transient mild hyponatremia, and mild transient neutropenia. [27]
  • The 2026 protocol excluded participants who had used antibiotics, probiotics, multivitamins, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids, herbal supplements, calcium, or vitamin D within the previous 4 weeks, and asked participants to avoid NSAIDs, antihistamines, and immunosuppressive medications during protocol-specified peri-sampling windows. [70]
  • The 2026 protocol states that serious adverse events such as hypoglycaemia, weight loss greater than 2 kg per week, and food allergy could lead to withdrawal or discontinuation. [70]
  • The 2026 protocol describes plant-based dietary intervention as a non-pharmacological strategy with a favorable safety profile and high acceptability. [70]
  • The MGUS/SMM intervention study reported that the diet was well tolerated and that no adverse events were attributed to the intervention. [79]
  • The prostate-cancer review reports no known adverse events attributable to the plant-based intervention in one trial. [63]
  • The immunotherapy review reports that antibiotic exposure before immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment was associated with poorer clinical outcome in most included studies. [43]
  • The post-diagnostic review reported that some higher-intake animal-derived foods, such as high-fat dairy, were associated with higher all-cause mortality in breast cancer cohorts, while other dairy analyses were null. [92]
  • The colorectal cancer review says that clinical data are still needed to evaluate microbiota modulation in a safe manner. [21]
  • The vitamin D review states that high doses of vitamin D can cause hypercalcemia, and that some vitamin D analogues have been associated with hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, and hyperphosphatemia. [104]
  • The review states that iron can generate hydroxyl radicals through the Fenton reaction under specific conditions, and that chronic inflammation can increase hepcidin and limit iron flow needed for erythropoiesis. [75]
  • The sources state that antioxidant supplements did not show clear beneficial effects in randomized trials, whereas antioxidants from natural dietary sources were preferred in the review discussion. [18]
  • The sources state that high-dose curcumin in one small pancreatic cancer study was reported without curcumin-related toxic effects up to 8 g daily. [17]
  • The expert opinion warns that translating dietary recommendations from cancer prevention to cancer treatment may be inadequate because cancer is described as pro-inflammatory and catabolic. [39]
  • The review reports that ketogenic diets have shown variable effects and that definitive human clinical trial data are still awaited, which limits direct comparison with plant-based diets. [37]
Show 1 lab & early-research finding
  • The vitamin D review states that vitamin D status may influence antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and that this was discussed in relation to rituximab and obinutuzumab. [104]
What we don't know yetEvidence on plant-based diets and cancer outcomes is limited and heterogeneous, with many studies differing in diet definitions, populations, study design, and follow-up. Several sources note that causal effects, randomized trial data, and site-specific conclusions remain uncertain.50 points
  • Plant-based diet quality matters, because hPDI and uPDI showed different associations from overall PDI in several studies. [5][6][7][8]4 sources
  • The sources do not establish whether the reported associations are causal. [9][12][10][11]4 sources
  • More research is needed to clarify causal relationships between plant-based dietary patterns and cancer outcomes. [16][18][14]3 sources
  • Sources indicate that further studies are needed for some cancer-related questions and that additional randomized controlled trials are needed to clarify confounding and causality; one review also discusses lifestyle interventions for pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. [14][18][17]3 sources
  • Evidence for plant-based dietary patterns is inconsistent across studies and cancer outcomes. [35][36][38]3 sources
  • Evidence on fish consumption and gut microbiota diversity remains limited. [72][71]
  • Some studies do not distinguish between vegetarian, plant-based, and Mediterranean diets, and geographic region, BMI classification, and follow-up interval may contribute to heterogeneity. [19]
  • Heterogeneity in diet definitions, lifestyle factors, patient characteristics, geography, study design, and study duration limits assessment of the real effects of plant-based diets. [20]
  • More clinical data are needed before microbiota modulation through nutritional intervention can be evaluated in a safe and effective manner. [21]
  • More well-conducted primary studies are warranted. [86]
  • Many studies combined plant-based diets with other lifestyle changes, which limits isolation of the diet-specific effect. [63]
  • Direct clinical studies linking diet to cancer immunotherapy were too few to draw meaningful conclusions. [43]
  • Evidence for post-diagnostic diet and cancer survival remains limited and heterogeneous. [92]
  • The metastatic breast cancer report describes the biomarker findings as exploratory and notes limited statistical power in the control group. [26]
  • The colorectal cancer survivorship study reports a secondary analysis of 156 participants from a larger randomized trial. [25]
  • Evidence linking plant-based diets to ovarian cancer risk is limited, and findings for vegetables and fruits and for fruit consumption were inconsistent across prior studies. [82]
  • No study had previously investigated PDI, hPDI, and uPDI concomitantly in relation to cardiometabolic targets in breast cancer survivors. [83]
  • Whether the observed hormonal changes occur in patients with breast or prostatic cancer is unknown. [73]
  • Studies are still needed to evaluate plant-based diets in breast cancer prognosis and survival. [1]
  • Evidence on plant-based dietary patterns and all-cause mortality in patients already diagnosed with breast cancer is limited and inconsistent. [96]
  • There is limited evidence for associations between dietary patterns and cancer-specific quality of life among prostate cancer survivors. [55]
  • Data specifically examining PDI, hPDI, and uPDI in gastric cancer risk remain limited. [2]
  • The role of plant-based dietary patterns in digestive cancers remains uncertain for some cancer subtypes, and knowledge gaps remain. [76]
  • Plant-based dietary patterns may differ in quality, and earlier studies grouped all plant-based diets together, so more research is needed. [3]
  • Evidence is limited in Asian populations and prior studies often used limited dietary assessments. [64]
  • The microbiome-related mechanism for the diet findings still needs to be understood. [97]
  • Whether plant-based diets influence the sequence and co-occurrence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes had been largely unknown before this study. [65]
  • The mechanisms linking whole plant foods to breast cancer outcomes are not fully established. [66]
  • The role of diets in cancer management remains to be better defined by future trials. [74]
  • Definitions and measurement of plant-based food diversity vary widely across studies. [68]
  • The UK Biobank liver cancer study reports sex-specific findings, with associations in males but not females, leaving uncertainty about whether the same pattern applies across sexes. [88]
  • The relationship between plant-based diet indices and kidney stones remains controversial, and some plant foods may be associated with increased kidney-stone likelihood because of oxalate while a low animal-protein diet may alkalize urine and reduce stone risk. [105]
  • The association between plant-based dietary patterns and breast cancer risk remains inconsistent in previous literature. [50]
  • The cause of the observed survival differences in metastatic colorectal cancer is unknown. [5]
  • Comprehensive research on long-term effects of specific healthy eating patterns on IBD risk is still lacking. [34]
  • Definitive prospective trial data on Mediterranean diet effects on survival are still lacking. [31]
  • Future clinical trials with longer follow-up are needed to understand effects on tumor progression. [32]
  • Reproducibility of the plant-based diet indices over time was moderate, with intraclass coefficients of 0.58 for hPDI and 0.55 for uPDI. [29]
  • The evidence base for plant-based diets in cancer is limited, with only four plant-based diet studies included in one systematic review, and the literature search found many unrelated results for plant-based diets. [59]
  • The UK Biobank study reports associations with colorectal cancer incidence, but it does not establish causation. [94]
  • More definitive human clinical trial data are awaited for plant-based and ketogenic diets in cancer. [37]
  • The optimal dietary amino acid composition for muscle health in cancer is not yet established. [39]
  • Sources describe associations that vary across cancer settings and dietary patterns studied, including hPDI, DASH, vegetarian diets, and plant-predominant lifestyle approaches, and they include observational and review evidence. [14][13][17]3 sources
  • A cohort study reported no apparent association between plant-based diet indices and pancreatic cancer, while the scoping review summarized mostly protective findings across included studies. [77][76]
    ⚠ Contradicting evidence: Different included sources summarize pancreatic cancer findings differently. (the more authoritative source is [77]).
  • Sources describe sparse data for hepatocellular carcinoma risk and report that, in a multiethnic cohort, postdiagnosis healthful plant-based diet index was associated with lower all-cause mortality but not prostate cancer-specific mortality. [9][12]
  • Heterogeneity across studies and subgroup differences by cancer site, sex, region, and study design were reported in a digestive-system-cancer meta-analysis. [91]
  • Most included studies were cross-sectional, and only a small number examined vegan diet specifically. [81]
  • Complete exclusion of animal protein was not associated with further benefits for breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer risk in the included cohort studies. [41]
  • The prostate cancer survivorship findings were based on a single cohort and should be interpreted in that context. [15]
  • Observational findings on veganism are difficult to isolate from other lifestyle factors and may be affected by selection bias. [103]

Common questions

What does the research say about overview for Plant-based diet?

The sources define plant-based dietary patterns in several ways, generally as diets centered on plant foods and limited in animal foods, with some studies separating healthier and less healthy plant-based patterns. Across the cited literature, plant-based diets are studied mainly in relation to cancer risk, mortality, survivorship, and supportive or during-treatment settings, with evidence that is largely observational and not uniform across outcomes.

What does the research say about what studies report for Plant-based diet?

Studies report mixed findings across cancer types, with many observational analyses linking healthier plant-based patterns to lower risk or mortality and unhealthful patterns to higher risk or mortality. Several reviews also note heterogeneity, limited clinical trial data, and cancer-specific results that vary by site and study design.

What does the research say about proposed mechanisms for Plant-based diet?

Proposed mechanisms for plant-based diets in cancer research commonly involve higher fiber and phytochemical intake, lower saturated fat and animal-derived components, and downstream effects on inflammation, oxidative stress, and the gut microbiota. Several sources also discuss related biomarkers and pathways such as short-chain fatty acids, insulin signaling, adiposity, and immune or metabolic markers.

What does the research say about practical considerations for Plant-based diet?

Practical considerations for plant-based diets in cancer include how such diets are defined, how they are assessed in studies, and what nutrient or implementation issues may need attention. Several sources also describe study protocols, intervention components, and guideline-style advice on plant-forward eating patterns.

What does the research say about safety & interactions for Plant-based diet?

Plant-based and vegetarian diets are often discussed in terms of nutrient adequacy, especially for vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, and omega-3 fatty acids. Across the cited sources, specific cancer-care safety concerns or drug interactions are generally not reported, although some studies note exclusions, monitoring rules, or limited evidence.

What does the research say about what we don't know yet for Plant-based diet?

Evidence on plant-based diets and cancer outcomes is limited and heterogeneous, with many studies differing in diet definitions, populations, study design, and follow-up. Several sources note that causal effects, randomized trial data, and site-specific conclusions remain uncertain.

Sources

Every statement above is drawn from these reviewed sources. This page reports what they describe. Sources last checked June 9, 2026.

  1. Review articleBreast Cancer Risk and Mortality and Adherence to Plant-Based Diets: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis · 2026
  2. Review articlePlant-Based Diet Quality and Gastric Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study in High-Risk Regions of Fujian Province, China · 2026
  3. Meta-analysisHealthful and unhealthful plant-based diets and site-specific cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies · 2026
  4. Review articleAssociations of plant-based diets with all-cause and cause-specific mortality and life expectancy among participants with cardiometabolic disorders from UK, US, and China · 2026
  5. Review articlePlant-based diet and survival among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer · 2025
  6. Review articleIndices of healthy and unhealthy plant-based diets and the risk of selected digestive cancers · 2025
  7. Review articleThe association between plant-based diet indices and the risk of breast cancer: a case-control study · 2025
  8. Review articleQuality of plant-based diets and healthy aging: A community-based prospective cohort study · 2025
  9. Review articlePlant-based diet index and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: Findings from a prospective cohort study · 2025
  10. Review articleA plant-based diet index and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a prospective study · 2025
  11. Review articlePlant-Based Diets and Risk of Multimorbidity: The Health and Retirement Study · 2024
  12. Review articleRace and Ethnicity, Lifestyle, Diet, and Survival in Patients With Prostate Cancer · 2025
  13. Review articleHealthy dietary patterns, genetic risk, and gastrointestinal cancer incident risk: a large-scale prospective cohort study · 2024
  14. Review articleHealth Benefits of Vegetarian Diets: An Insight into the Main Topics · 2024
  15. Review articlePlant-based diet associated with better quality of life in prostate cancer survivors · 2024
  16. Review articleHarmony unveiled: Intricate the interplay of dietary factor, gut microbiota, and colorectal cancer-A narrative review · 2024
  17. Review articleLifestyle Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Cancer · 2024
  18. Review articleEffect of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on Human Health: An Update of the Literature · 2024
  19. Systematic reviewPlant-based diet and risk of all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2024
  20. Systematic reviewCardiovascular health and cancer risk associated with plant based diets: An umbrella review · 2024
  21. Systematic reviewColorectal Cancer and Microbiota Modulation for Clinical Use. A Systematic Review · 2023
  22. Meta-analysisEmerging EAT-Lancet planetary health diet is associated with major cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality: A global systematic review and meta-analysis · 2024
  23. Meta-analysisIdentification of Chinese dietary patterns and their relationships with health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis · 2024
  24. Randomized trialEffects of meat-based, meat-based with α-tocopherol, and pesco-vegetarian diets on biomarkers associated with colorectal cancer risk: a randomized behavioral intervention trial · 2025
  25. Randomized trialPlant-based diet and oxidative stress-induced DNA damage in post-surgery colorectal cancer patients: Results from a randomized controlled trial · 2025
  26. Randomized trialEffect of a whole food plant-based dietary intervention on cancer progression and inflammatory markers · 2025
  27. Randomized trialA whole food, plant-based randomized controlled trial in metastatic breast cancer: feasibility, nutrient, and patient-reported outcomes · 2024
  28. Randomized trialA whole-food, plant-based randomized controlled trial in metastatic breast cancer: weight, cardiometabolic, and hormonal outcomes · 2024
  29. Review articleAssociation of Healthful Plant-based Diet Adherence With Risk of Mortality and Major Chronic Diseases Among Adults in the UK · 2023
  30. Review articleVegan diet: nutritional components, implementation, and effects on adults' health · 2023
  31. Review articleThe Impact of Dietary Unsaturated Fat or the Mediterranean Diet on Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review · 2024
  32. Review articleA whole food, plant-based diet reduces amino acid levels in patients with metastatic breast cancer · 2024
  33. Review articleThe Significance of Plant Nutrition in the Creation of the Intestinal Microbiota-Prevention of Chronic Diseases: A Narrative Review · 2024
  34. Review articleHealthy eating patterns associated with reduced risk of inflammatory bowel disease by lowering low-grade inflammation: evidence from a large prospective cohort study · 2024
  35. Review articleThe association between diet quality, plant-based diets, systemic inflammation, and mortality risk: findings from NHANES · 2023
  36. Review articlePlant-based dietary patterns and lung cancer mortality: a perspective cohort study · 2023
  37. Review articlePlant-Based and Ketogenic Diets As Diverging Paths to Address Cancer: A Review · 2022
  38. Review articleAssociation of plant-based diet index with prostate cancer risk · 2022
  39. Review articleThe importance of protein sources to support muscle anabolism in cancer: An expert group opinion · 2022
  40. Meta-analysisThe Impact of Plant-Based Dietary Patterns on Cancer-Related Outcomes: A Rapid Review and Meta-Analysis · 2020
  41. Meta-analysisVegetarianism and breast, colorectal and prostate cancer risk: an overview and meta-analysis of cohort studies · 2017
  42. Meta-analysisVegetarian, vegan diets and multiple health outcomes: A systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies · 2017
  43. Systematic reviewRelating Gut Microbiome and Its Modulating Factors to Immunotherapy in Solid Tumors: A Systematic Review · 2021
  44. Review articlePlant-based diet, inflammation biomarkers and body composition among women with breast cancer: the Pathways Study · 2025
  45. Review articleStudying the Role of Vegetarianism as a Potential Strategy for Cancer Prevention and Treatment, a Bibliometric Analysis · 2025
  46. Review articleImpact of healthy and sustainable diets on the mortality burden from cardiometabolic diseases and colorectal cancer in Mexican adults: a modeling study · 2025
  47. Review articlePlant-Based Dietary Index and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: Findings from a Prospective Cohort Study · 2025
  48. Review articlePlant-based diets and mortality in Black and low-income Americans: findings from a large prospective cohort study · 2025
  49. Review articleAssociation of Dietary Preferences with All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: Prospective Cohort Study of 1,160,312 Adults in China · 2025
  50. Review articlePlant-based dietary patterns and breast cancer risk in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition (EPIC) study · 2025
  51. Review articleHealthy dietary patterns in relation to multimorbidity among schoolteachers · 2025
  52. GuidelinePosition of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets · 2009
  53. GuidelinePosition of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: vegetarian diets · 2003
  54. GuidelinePosition of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets · 2003
  55. Review articleWestern Dietary Pattern, Prudent Dietary Pattern, and Cancer-Specific Quality of Life in Prostate Cancer Survivors in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study · 2026
  56. Review articleProtective Effects of Plant-Based Diets Against Colorectal Carcinogenesis via Modulation of Key Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms: A Comprehensive Review of Evidence · 2026
  57. Review articleLeveraging Dietary Interventions to Benefit Patients with Hematologic Malignancies and Clonal Hematopoiesis · 2026
  58. Review articleDietary modulation of purine metabolism and uric acid homeostasis in cancer patients with an ileostomy · 2026
  59. Review articleThe Impact of Modern Dietary Practices on Cancer Risk and Progression: A Systematic Review · 2023
  60. Review articlePlant-Based Nutrition: Exploring Health Benefits for Atherosclerosis, Chronic Diseases, and Metabolic Syndrome-A Comprehensive Review · 2023
  61. Review articlePlant-based diets in gastrointestinal diseases: Which evidence? · 2023
  62. Meta-analysisThe Relationship Between Plant-Based Diet and Risk of Digestive System Cancers: A Meta-Analysis Based on 3,059,009 Subjects · 2022
  63. Systematic reviewSystematic review of the impact of a plant-based diet on prostate cancer incidence and outcomes · 2022
  64. Review articleAssociation of a Comprehensive Healthy Lifestyle Score with Risk of All-Cause, Cancer, and Cardiovascular Mortality: Evidence from an 18-Year Cohort Study · 2026
  65. Review articlePlant-based dietary patterns and age-specific risk of multimorbidity of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases: a prospective analysis · 2025
  66. Review articleRole of a Whole Plant Foods Diet in Breast Cancer Prevention and Survival · 2025
  67. Review articleDiet and Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer: JACC: CardioOncology State-of-the-Art Review · 2025
  68. Review articleDiversity of Plant-Based Food Consumption: A Systematic Scoping Review on Measurement Tools and Associated Health Outcomes · 2025
  69. Systematic reviewDiets, Dietary Patterns, Single Foods and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses · 2022
  70. Clinical trialEfficacy of a plant-based diet on FOLFOX chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal toxicity in patients with colorectal cancer: study protocol for a multicentre, stratified, randomised controlled trial · 2026
  71. Clinical trialComparative analysis of fatty acid profiles across omnivorous, flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans: insights from the NuEva study · 2025
  72. Clinical trialGut microbiota drives colon cancer risk associated with diet: a comparative analysis of meat-based and pesco-vegetarian diets · 2024
  73. Clinical trialEffect of a vegetarian diet and dexamethasone on plasma prolactin, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone in men and women · 1979
  74. Review articleHarnessing tumor metabolism during cancer treatment: A narrative review of emerging dietary approaches · 2025
  75. Review articlePlant-Based Diet and Risk of Iron-deficiency Anemia. A Review of the Current Evidence and Implications for Preventive Strategies · 2025
  76. Review articleAdherence to Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Digestive Cancers: A Scoping Review · 2026
  77. Review articlePlant-based diets, gut microbiota, blood metabolome, and risk of colorectal, liver, and pancreatic cancers: results from a large prospective cohort study of predominantly low-income Americans · 2026
  78. Review articleAssociation Between Plant-Based Diet Index and Breast Cancer Risk Stratified by Menopausal and Hormone Receptor Status: A Case-Control Study Among Korean Women · 2026
  79. Review articleA High-Fiber, Plant-Based Diet in Myeloma Precursor Disorders: Results from the NUTRIVENTION Clinical Trial and Preclinical Vk*MYC Model · 2026
  80. Review articleDiet modulates cardiac metabolic stress during anthracycline treatment · 2026
  81. Meta-analysisSystematic review and meta-analysis of the associations of vegan and vegetarian diets with inflammatory biomarkers · 2020
  82. Review articlePlant-Based Diets and Ovarian Cancer Risk · 2026
  83. Clinical trialHealthful and Unhealthful Plant-Based Diets and Their Association with Cardiometabolic Targets in Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of a Lifestyle Trial · 2025
  84. Review articleA Whole Plant-Foods Diet in the Prevention and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity: From Empirical Evidence to Potential Mechanisms · 2025
  85. Systematic reviewAssociations Between Dietary Factors and Breast Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review of Evidence from the MENA Region · 2025
  86. Systematic reviewEvidence of a vegan diet for health benefits and risks - an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational and clinical studies · 2023
  87. Review articleLimited risks of nutrient deficiency and significant modelled health benefits of adherence to a moderate plant-based diet in French adults · 2025
  88. Review articleThe quality of plant-based diets and liver cancer incidence and liver disease mortality in the UK Biobank · 2025
  89. Meta-analysisPlant-based diet and colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies · 2025
  90. Meta-analysisThe association between overall, healthy, and unhealthy plant-based diet indexes and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies · 2025
  91. Meta-analysisVegetarian diets and the risk of gastrointestinal cancers: a meta-analysis of observational studies · 2023
  92. Systematic reviewThe Facts about Food after Cancer Diagnosis: A Systematic Review of Prospective Cohort Studies · 2020
  93. Review articleBalanced diet quality and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers: Insights from a prospective cohort study in China · 2025
  94. Review articlePlant-based dietary patterns, genetic predisposition and risk of colorectal cancer: a prospective study from the UK Biobank · 2023
  95. Randomized trialPesco-Vegetarian Food Components Promote Colonocyte Ferroptosis in Preclinical Mouse Models and a Randomized Crossover Trial in Healthy Human Adults · 2026
  96. Review articlePlant-based dietary patterns, micronutrient status and breast cancer outcomes: a joint analysis of UK Biobank and Chinese longitudinal healthy longevity survey · 2026
  97. Review articleCombination of a pesco vegetarian diet with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduces colorectal cancer risk and modulates gut microbiota in PIRC rats · 2026
  98. Review articleExploring the application of dietary antioxidant index for disease risk assessment: a comprehensive review · 2025
  99. Review articlePlant-Based Diet and Erectile Dysfunction: A Narrative Review · 2025
  100. Review articlePotential of phenolic compounds from pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) by-product with significant antioxidant and therapeutic effects: A narrative review · 2023
  101. Review articleComposition of plant-based diets and the incidence and prognosis of inflammatory bowel disease: a multinational retrospective cohort study · 2025
  102. Review articleOncologists Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Providing Dietary Guidance to Patients With Cancer · 2026
  103. Review articleThe Impact of a Vegan Diet on Many Aspects of Health: The Overlooked Side of Veganism · 2023
  104. Review articleInfluence of Vitamin D and Its Analogues in Type-B Lymphomas · 2025
  105. Review articleA cross-sectional study of the association between plant-based diet indices and kidney stones among Iranian adults · 2025

Recipes for the Plant-based diet

Simple meal ideas that fit this pattern. These are food suggestions only, not a treatment or a recommendation to change your diet without your care team.

Browse Plant-based diet recipes →

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See the live research feed, the per-compound profiles in cancer-fighting agents, and the cancer-type guides. Everything across the site is built from the same reviewed, cited evidence.