Dietary habits can affect a person’s risk of cancer and cancer progression – this is especially true for colorectal cancer. Red meat is known to increase cancer risk, while fiber-rich foods reduce cancer risk. A U.S. study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that a vegetarian diet may reduce the risk of cancer. Researchers at Loma Linda University in California analyzed data from 77,659 study participants (380 with colon cancer and 110 with rectal cancer). The results showed that vegetarians had a 22% lower risk of all types of colorectal cancer, a 19% lower risk of colon cancer, and a 29% lower risk of rectal cancer compared to non-vegetarians. According to the results of the study, the risk of colorectal cancer was reduced by 16% in vegans, 18% in lacto-ovo vegetarians, 43% in vegetarians who ate only fish and no meat, and 8% in semi-vegetarians (who ate meat only occasionally) compared to non-vegetarians. The study authors reasoned, “If this association is causal, they may be important for the primary prevention of colorectal cancer.”