Nutrition

Vegetarians Live Longer

Results of 25-Year Vegetarians Study of German Cancer Research Center

Press communiqué N° 12 of the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, March 6, 2003^[1]
Translation copyright © 2005 Healing Cancer Naturally

According to a study carried out by the Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (German Cancer Research Center), vegetarians have a dramatically lowered mortality risk. 100 deaths to be statistically expected in the age group of study participants are matched by only 59 real deaths in vegetarians. Looking at male participants only, the positive effect — with only 52 actual deaths — is even more pronounced.

C. 1900 vegetarians participate in the study carried out since 1978 under the direction of associate professor Dr. Jenny Chang-Claude. The scientists divided the participants into three different dietary groups.

A small group — 60 participants — has declared to abstain not only from meat but also from other animal foodstuffs such as milk or eggs (vegans). Two thirds of study participants do eat eggs and dairy products while avoiding meat (ovo-lacto vegetarians), and roughly one third state to occasionally consume small servings of meat or fish (moderate vegetarians).

Comparing these three categories, occasional meat consumers seem to have opted for the healthiest diet, i.e. the observed lowered mortality risk cannot be attributed to complete abstention from meat and fish.

[Note by Healing Cancer Naturally: I suggest that the greater vitality of those occasionally partaking of meat or fish could be attributable to the following factors: on the one hand, the increase in their vitamin B12 levels caused by the consumption of such items (compare below vitamin B12 caveat), and on the other, a more relaxed and less dogmatic attitude likely to be more prevalent in this particular dietary group.]

In addition to nutritional factors, the study also records other lifestyle elements such as smoking or physical activity: as expected, smoking increases mortality risk by an average 70 percent. Those participating who described their physical activity as being medium to high can rejoice: compared to "exercise haters", their mortality risk is lowered by one third.

Compare On cancer prevention and exercise: scientific research studies into protective effects of physical activity & training on cancer incidence, risk & mortality.

The vegetarians study aims to elucidate how a vegetarian diet and attendant lifestyle affect mortality risk. To this effect, the Cancer Research Center's epidemiologists record the causes and number of deaths among the participants at several-year intervals. The collected data is subsequently compared to the values calculated for the general population of corresponding age.

Addendum: several reasons why even health-conscious vegetarians can contract cancer

One major reason for the above findings re increased longevity of vegetarians (and even more so in male vegetarians) can certainly be found in the fact that as a group, vegetarians and vegans tend to be much more health-conscious regarding diet and lifestyle.

Men overall are well-known to be less health-conscious than women (as expressed eg in their higher cancer incidence and lowered lifespan), which fact might explain why male vegetarians experience even more pronounced positive effects on their longevity.

The following lists several important observations and reasons however why even vegetarians with healthy lifestyles may contract cancer.

1: More colorectal cancer in vegetarians according to large-scale EPIC study

A prospective study following 63,550 individuals over many years confirmed that the incidence of all types of cancer was lower among vegetarians — but found that that of colorectal cancer was actually higher in this group. See Cancer incidence in vegetarians published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009.

2: Anecdotal “vegetarian” colon cancer case illustrating the possibly major importance of avoiding nonorganic fruits and vegetables

In July 2006 I learned of a serious colon cancer case which highlights another important aspect — the story of a slim and previously radiantly healthy man who had been a vegetarian for 34 years (beginning at age 20). After living in Thailand for a number of years where a major part of his diet consisted of pesticide- and otherwise toxin-laden tropical fruit (and vegetables), he developed colon cancer (prior to his Thailand experience he had mostly lived on organic food).

A report on the quality of fruits and veggies in Thailand (formerly published at hawaiianorganicgrowingguide.com/Thailand/foodmostfrightening.pdf) summarized and confirmed the dangers inherent in eating nonorganic produce in these terms: “In short, the more one eats fruits and vegetables (grown in that country), the greater one’s risk of cancer.”

3: The (apparently) central importance of lactic-acid-fermented foods

Dr. Dr. Johannes Kuhl, a little-known but highly successful German oncologist and author of a number of books who devised a specific lactic-acid treatment to (particularly) combat diseases involving growths writes that he repeatedly saw long-time vegetarians who had been following what would be considered a very healthy lifestyle but who eventually contracted cancer.

According to his research, what was missing in their diets was not meats but lactic-acid-fermented foods. Introduction of these foods frequently helped reverse their cancer. For more information on this approach see Lactic-acid-fermented food treatment for cancer according to Dr. Dr. Johannes Kuhl and particularly Dr. Kuhl: healthy vegetarian lifestyle not enough for protecting health.

4: EMF and (pseudo)geopathic stress

One major reason why even vegetarian "health nuts" can develop cancer is illustrated by the following testimonial: Prostate cancer cure upon removal of EMF and (pseudo)geopathic stress.

Plus a caveat re vitamin B12

It is not just vegans but also long-term vegetarians who should look into supplementation with vitamin B12 since they are at risk of developing a B12 deficiency. For best absorption, methylcobalamin lozenges (to be dissolved in the mouth) are recommended (Dr John Switzer).

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Footnotes

1 formerly published at dkfz-heidelberg.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/pm03-12.htm . Contact: presse AT dkfz.de, DKFZ-Home Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg