Background: Although epidemiologic and animal studies suggest a vegetarian diet protects against the development of colorectal cancer, the relationship between vegetarian diet and incidence of colorectal adenoma is not yet conclusive, especially for Asians.
Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine the protective effect of a vegetarian diet against colorectal adenoma and advanced adenoma.
Methods: This cross-sectional study compared the prevalence of colorectal adenoma among Buddhist priests, who are obligatory vegetarians, with that among age and sex-matched controls. All the subjects underwent health checkups in a health-promotion center in Korea.
Result: Colorectal adenoma and advanced adenoma were both more prevalent in the general population group than in the Buddhist priest group (25.2 vs. 17.9 %, 6.7 vs. 2.0 %). However, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome, high body mass index, and waist circumference were higher in the Buddhist priest group. According to univariate analysis, non-vegetarian diet (general population) significantly increased the prevalence of colorectal adenoma and advanced adenoma compared with a vegetarian diet (Buddhist priests) (OR 1.54, 95 % CI 1.08-2.21, P = 0.018; OR 3.60, 95 % CI 1.53-8.48, P = 0.003). In a conditional regression analysis model, non-vegetarian diet was also a significant risk factor for colorectal adenoma and advanced adenoma (OR 1.52, 95 % CI 0.75-2.07, P = 0.043; OR 2.94, CI 0.97-7.18, P = 0.036).
Conclusions: Vegetarianism may be effective in preventing both colorectal adenoma and advanced adenoma in Asians.