Have you heard about how a pescatarian diet reduces cancer risk? It is even being investigated for reducing risk of cancer recurrence! Today I am going to share with you some of the latest cancer diet research and help define the pescatarian diet.
What Is the Pescatarian Diet?
A pescatrian diet is a modified vegetarian diet that also includes fish, eggs, and sometimes dairy. It’s great for increasing plant based foods and can be easier to do than a vegan diet.
Foods Eaten While on a Pescatarian Diet
- Seafood
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Whole Grains
- Nuts
- Beans
- Eggs
- Dairy (optional, and I typically recommend avoiding)
Foods Avoided on a Pescatarian Diet
- Red Meat
- Poultry
- Pork
Research Studies About How a Pescatarian Diet Reduces Cancer
This data is super exciting, especially if you are a cancer nerd like I am! Right now there are studies linking a pescatarian diet to less colon cancer risk and breast cancer risk.
One recently published study showed that a pescatarian diet reduced colon cancer risk by 43%![1] We will have more revealed as this large study continues to have new published data.
Too much of a good thing?
Make sure you are checking your fish sources against databases that rank mercury levels and sustainable harvesting. My favorite resource is Seafood Watch by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
[1] JAMA Intern Med. 2015 May;175(5):767-76.
I wonder how consuming organic, sustainably, pasture raised poultry affects cancer rates. I buy my poultry direct from the chicken farmer and it is never given hormones or antibiotics. Thoughts?
Great Question! Since the nutrition studies look at epidemiological research (larger populations), we don’t really know at this time how the way our meat is raised impacts cancer risk. You would be an “outlier” with the lovely chicken sources you have! While I make the assumption that it reduces cancer risk, more needs to be revealed in studies 🙂