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In a new research study, scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partner institutions investigate the association between adherence to plant-based diets and breast cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. The results were published in the European Journal of Epidemiology.
Plant-based diet indices have garnered substantial attention because of their potential benefits in preventing cardiometabolic diseases and certain types of cancer and their positive implications for environmental sustainability. Previous literature suggests that adherence to plant-based dietary patterns — particularly those rich in healthy plant-based foods — may be associated with a lower risk of breast cancer, but the evidence remains inconsistent.
This study is based on data from the EPIC cohort and involves 258 343 women in seven European countries who were followed up for a median of 14.9 years. Indices for adherence to overall, healthful, and unhealthful plant-based diets were calculated using validated dietary questionnaires at recruitment. The researchers found that higher adherence to healthful plant-based diets – characterized by higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, vegetable oils, and coffee/tea – is associated with an 11% reduction in breast cancer risk. Approximately 30–50% of the association between healthful plant-based diets and postmenopausal breast cancer risk may be mediated by lower adiposity, as measured by body mass index and waist circumference.
Overall, although further studies are required to validate the findings in other populations, these results emphasize the potential role of plant-based diets, especially healthful plant-based diets, in breast cancer prevention. The findings have implications for all breast cancer subtypes and highlight the importance of both the quality of plant-based foods and the maintenance of a healthy body weight.
Shah S, Laouali N, Mahamat-Saleh Y, Biessy C, Nicolas G, Rinaldi S, et al.
Plant-based dietary patterns and breast cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study
Eur J Epidemiol. Published online 14 July 2025;
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-025-01277-y
