An international team of researchers has found that a diet high in meat is one of the main sources of increased cancer rates, along with smoking and alcohol. This was discovered by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an agency of the World Health Organization, in a study published in the journal Nutrients on the incidence of related cancers. Details of the study: The data for this study were compiled by researchers on men and women from 87 countries with different types of cancers. The dietary data came from the World Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations (UN). The animal-based foods in this study consisted mainly of meat, milk, fish and eggs. From this study, it can be analyzed that about half of the cancer patients are related to smoking and meat diet, while alcohol consumption has less impact on the chance of developing cancer. In addition, the source of cancer differs by gender. For men, smoking is twice as common as meat, while for women, meat diet leads to a higher percentage of cancer. Both factors are associated with 70 percent of cancers (except lung cancer). The study found that the number of men with cancer rose from 75 per 100,000 to 300 per 100,000, and the rate of cancer in women rose from 80 to 260 per 100,000. Causes of cancer: As for why meat foods lead to increased cancer risk, researchers say the main reason is that meat diets increase the body and some tissues produce insulin-like growth factor one (IGF-1), a substance that promotes the growth of the body while also promoting the growth of cancer cells. The meat diet is associated with cancers of the breast, endometrium, kidney, ovary, and pancreas in women, and cancers of the prostate, testes, thyroid, and multiple myeloma in men. In fact, similar related studies were published a long time ago. As early as 1907, the New York Times reported that the cancer incidence rate of German, Irish, and Scandinavian people was much higher than that of Italian and Chinese people because German, Irish, and Scandinavian people were mainly meat eaters, while Italians and Chinese were almost vegetarians. And several recent studies, too, have made similar findings. nearly 425,000 people were diagnosed with cancer in the UK in 2010, and more than 150,000 died of cancer in the same year. The World Health Organization believes that at least 30 percent of cancers in developed Western countries are caused by diet, compared to 20 percent in developing countries. In addition, according to an analysis of data, men who eat meat an average of five times a week have a much higher chance of getting prostate cancer than men who eat meat only once a week. In addition, consuming too much meat increases the risk of kidney and pancreatic cancer. This is an important study on the clear correlation between cancer risk and meat diet, and a lesson for our national food policy,” said Neal Barnard, M.D., chairman of the American College of Physicians and George Washington University School of Medicine. ” Benefits of a vegetarian diet: Plant foods such as vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber, which accelerates the rate of movement of food through the cecum and effectively removes carcinogens and alters the type of bacteria in the colon to reduce the formation of carcinogenic acids. Vitamin C, citrus fruits and vegetables can reduce the chance of esophageal and stomach cancers by neutralizing cancerous chemical molecules produced in the body. In general, some of the ingredients in vegetables and fruits are useful and beneficial in inhibiting the formation of cancer.