Vegetables

Suggested

3 studies · 1 recommendation

Last updated: February 19, 2026

Suggested3 studies

Higher vegetable intake linked to 34–42% lower lung cancer risk

Three studies encompassing over 204,000 participants consistently demonstrate a protective association between vegetable consumption and lung cancer. A meta-analysis of 18 studies (202,969 individuals, 5,517 cases) found highest carrot intake reduced lung cancer risk by 42% (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.45–0.74), with the strongest effect for adenocarcinoma (OR 0.34). A Montreal case-control study (1,105 cases, 1,449 controls) showed upper-tertile dietary β-carotene intake reduced risk by 34% (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.51–0.84), with protection persisting among heavy smokers and across histological subtypes. An Iranian case-control study (242 cases, 484 controls) confirmed vegetable consumption as a significant independent protective factor (P = 0.001). The evidence supports incorporating a variety of vegetables—particularly carotenoid-rich options like carrots—into the regular diet to reduce lung cancer risk.

Evidence

Is carrot consumption associated with a decreased risk of lung cancer? A meta-analysis of observational studies

Authors: Fu, Wenning, Gan, Yong, Jiang, Heng, Li, Hui, Lu, Zuxun, Lyu, Chuanzhu, Song, Fujian, Wang, Chao, Xu, Hongbin, Yan, Shijiao, Yang, Wei

Published: September 14, 2019

Meta-analysis of 18 observational studies (17 case-control, 1 prospective cohort) involving 202,969 individuals and 5,517 lung cancer patients. Comparing highest versus lowest carrot consumption, the pooled OR was 0.58 (95% CI 0.45–0.74), indicating a 42% lower risk. Subgroup analysis by lung cancer type showed the strongest association for adenocarcinoma (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.15–0.79) and mixed types (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.46–0.81). Results for squamous cell carcinoma (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.19–1.45), small-cell carcinoma (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.12–1.59), and large-cell carcinoma (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.10–1.57) showed non-significant reductions. Sensitivity analysis confirmed stability of findings.

View Source →

Inverse Association between Dietary Intake of Selected Carotenoids and Vitamin C and Risk of Lung Cancer.

Authors: Koushik, Anita, Parent, Marie-Elise, Rousseau, Marie-Claude, Shareck, Martine, Siemiatycki, Jack

Published: January 1, 2017

A population-based case-control study in Montreal (1996-2002) with 1,105 lung cancer cases and 1,449 controls assessed dietary intake of 49 fruits and vegetables. Upper versus lower tertile of dietary β-carotene intake was associated with an OR of 0.66 (95% CI = 0.51-0.84), indicating a 34% reduced risk of lung cancer after adjusting for potential confounders including detailed smoking history. Protective associations were also observed in male heavy smokers and across histological subtypes including squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma.

View Source →

Nutrition and lung cancer: a case control study in Iran

Authors: A-S Keck, AB Miller, AJ Cross, Ali Moghadas Jafari, AM Tarrazo-Antelo, B Tudek, C Galeone, CH MacLean, CL Prosser, D Feskanich, DO Edem, E De Stefani, E Riboli, Esmaeil Mortaz, FB Hu, Forouzan Mohammadi, H Skuladottir, H Skuladottir, HK Biesalski, J Akan, JC van der Pols, JM Cook-Mills, JW Lampe, Kian Khodadad, L Kutikova, LB Link, LC Yong, M Garcia, M Hosseini, Mahmoud Yousefifard, Makan Sadr, Mansour Rezaei, MJ Roth, Mohammad Reza Masjedi, Mostafa Hosseini, MR Masjedi, N Tasevska, P Brennan, P Brennan, Parisa Adimi Naghan, PD Schneider, PW Parodi, R Rani, R Sinha, RA Breslow, RA Smith, S Berdnikovs, S Chang, Shervin Taslimi, T Takezaki, TJ Key, TJ Smith, VI Sayin, WC Willett

Published: January 1, 2014

A case-control study enrolling 242 lung cancer patients and 484 matched controls (2002-2005) found vegetable consumption to be a significant protective factor against lung cancer in multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis (P = 0.001). Participants were matched on age, sex, and place of residence, and trained physicians conducted standardized interviews to assess dietary intake.

View Source →