Association between plant-based diet index and cancer risk: A systematic review

Identifier:  TFM:1668

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TFM1668

Authors:  Gavin Quinchuela, Karina Estefania

Abstract:
Plant-based dietary pattern have been recommended for improving health outcomes including cancer. However, not all plant foods are necessarily beneficial for health. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the relationship between healthful and unhealthful plant-based diets and the risk of cancer. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, and a total of 12 prospective cohort studies and 5 case-control published between 2018 and 2023 were selected. Evidence gathered from prospective and cohort studies showed that a healthy plant-based diet (hPDI) was associated with a decrease of risk breast, colorectal, digestive cancer (gastrointestinal and liver) and lung cancer. In contrast, an unhealthy plant-based diet (uPDI) was associated with a higher risk of breast, colorectal and stomach cancer. The available evidence supports the benefits of a healthy plant-based diet with a lower risk of cancer. However, additional research on large and prospective studies is needed to confirm these findings.