A new article published in Canada's Globe and Mail article delves into the research on the health benefits of vegetarian eating.

The article, Vegetarian Diet Protects Against Some Cancers, dietitian Leslie Beck (who appears Wednesdays on CTV's Canada AM) looks at the broad research that has been done on the protective benefits of vegetarian diets.

The most recent study compared the risks of 20 different types of cancer among 61,556 meat eaters and vegetarians living in Britain who were followed for more than 12 years.

The researchers found that vegetarians were 12 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the meat eaters – even after accounting for other risk factors including smoking, alcohol intake and obesity.

When the researchers compared the risk for specific cancers, the vegetarian diet offered significant protection for some. Compared to meat eaters, vegetarians' risk of stomach cancer was reduced by 64 per cent, bladder cancer by 53 per cent, multiple myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow) by 75 per cent and non-Hodgkin lymphoma by 43 per cent.

For those who are interested in learning more about healthy vegetarian eating, check out the Toronto Vegetarian Association's Healthy Eating Workshop page to learn about our upcoming beginner's workshops which will be a big part of our 25th Annual Vegetarian Food Fair.