​Following a vegetarian dietary pattern may reduce a woman's susceptibility to breast cancer.

This study investigated the hypothesis that vegetarian diets decrease a woman's chances of having breast cancer. A group of scientists looked at dietary data from 469 Taiwanese women and estimated the breast cancer odds ratio of each subject that participated in the study.

Researchers found a low incidence of breast cancer among women on vegetarian diets. In contrast, high breast cancer risk was associated with habitual consumption of red and processed meat in this study. The results of this study support the hypothesis that women can reduce their risk of breast cancer by adhering to a vegetarian diet.