Four cancers that a vegetarian diet prevents

Want to avoid blood, bone marrow, bladder, and stomach cancer? (Um, yes.) Try a vegetarian diet.

A new study published by the British Journal of Cancer and detailed by the BBC said there was a clear correlation between vegetarianism and a reduced cancer risk for those four cancers. Blood and lymph cancers were half as common, bone marrow cancer was 75% less common and stomach cancer 66% less common.

Vegetarianism isn't a cure-all, though: Despite the roughage, a vegetarian diet does nothing to protect from bowel cancer, according to the study. Other interesting facts: While 33% of meat-eaters developed cancer, just 29% of those who avoid meat develop cancer.

Vegetarians who eat fish were also less likely than meat eaters, but less likely than strict vegetarians to develop cancer.

Previously, eating red and processed meats has been linked to increased stomach cancer risk -- and increased risk of death overall, and a vegetable based diet that includes less meat helped with weight loss and decreased cardiovascular disease risk (though a strictly vegetarian diet only helped people lose weight, not improve their cardiovascular health).

Eating more vegetables and other plant-based foods and less meat is also the single biggest thing we can do in the dining room to help the environment. Raising meat requires much more land, water, chemicals and time than does growing plants.

More from The Daily Green

• Six Delicious Vegan Recipes
• Vegetarianism and Beyond: 18 Ways to Green Your Diet
• Three Delicious "Almost Meatless" Recipes
• The Real Food Diet: Superfood Nutrition!
• 10 Surprising Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc