There is a diet popular across the world associated with the month of January. Experts believe that it can help reduce a person’s risk of developing cancer by up to 19%
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For many people who are attempting to change certain behaviours or things about themselves, New Year’s resolutions will still be in full swing.
Whether it be aiming to be more sociable, drink less or exercise more, plenty of Brits have started the year with some verve.
Others have continued to allow some luxuries in the interest of self-care as the January blues set in.
Diets remain popular, and one in particular is said to have extra added benefits when it comes to lowering your chance of developing cancer.
This particular diet is linked with the month of January and is fairly common in the UK and across the world.
So what is the diet and how do experts suggest it may help people avoid cancer?
January diet helping to avoid cancer
In January, people across the world opt for a lifestyle change known as Veganuary.
This means that people try a vegan diet for the first month of the year, and it is this that experts believe help reduce the risk of cancer.
A vegan diet places an emphasis on foods like nuts, fruits, and vegetables, and cuts out all animal products like meat and milk.
Dr Shireen Kassam, who is also a founder of Plant-Based Health Professionals UK, said to the Express: “These include fibre and numerous vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.”
“These foods and nutrients help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, lower growth hormone levels including oestrogen…and hence address the underlying mechanisms that generate cancer-causing cells.”
As well as this, people who avoid a meat-based diet avoid carcinogens in meat, which can cause cancer in cells.
“By removing processed and unprocessed red meat from the diet, you are avoiding known group 1 and group 2a carcinogens,” said Dr Kassam.
“Removing dairy may also be associated with a reduced risk of breast and prostate cancer.”
Reducing cancer risk by 19%
Studies indicate that a vegan diet could cut your risk of getting cancer by up to 19%.
Dr Kassam explained: “The main studies that have addressed this question are the EPIC-Oxford study which showed that vegans had a 19 percent reduction in the risk of total cancer.
“In addition, a study from France showed that a healthy plant-based diet, not necessarily 100 percent vegan, reduced overall cancer risk by 15 percent.”
What is Veganuary?
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Veganuary was launched in the UK in 2014 and aims to promote a vegan lifestyle for the first month of the year by encouraging people to take part in a plant-based diet.
Since then, Veganuary has become more popular across the globe. According to numbers from the Veganuary charity, people from 209 countries and territories took part in 2021, amounting to 580,000 people.
The charity’s website has a free cookbook to encourage people to take part in the diet choice.
Simply following a diet like this won’t necessarily stop anyone from getting cancer. It is an incredibly common disease that Cancer Research UK estimated affects one in every two people in our lifetime.
As a result, there is a whole range of factors at play that may be the reason behind cancer development
A healthy lifestyle is, of course, recommended for people who want to place themselves in the position of being statically less likely to develop it.
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