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# High methionine diet promotes cancer growth
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/methionine_diet_promotes_cancer_growth_0820160655/
- Published: 2016-08-20T07:54:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:10:49.000Z
- Description: A review in Cancer Treatment Reviews suggests the amino acid methionine may partly explain why high-protein, animal-heavy diets promote cancer growth. The authors say methionine-restricted diets have curbed cancer growth in animals and humans, and note vegan diets tend to be low in it.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Diet, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Saturday Aug 20, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- It's been known for some time that eating a diet with high protein, particularly from animals can promote cancer growth and progression and shorten lifespan. A report in Cancer Treatment Reviews suggests that one amino acid called methionine among others may partially explain why a high protein diet promotes cancer.

Methionine is an essential amino acid. The authors of the report say that "Restriction of methionine may be an important strategy in cancer growth control particularly in cancers that exhibit dependence on methionine for survival and proliferation." 

According to the report, studies have shown that methionine restricted diets inhibit cancer growth and extend a healthy lifespan in animals and humans. Vegan diet, the authors say, can be low in methionine may be used to control cancer growth.

Vegan diet often has low protein content which means that methionine can also be low. Some beans such as soybeans and nuts have high amounts of protein so high intake of soybeans and nuts provides high amounts of methionine. However, animal foods including beef, pork, dairy products, lamb, cheese, turkey, fish, shellfish, and eggs are the major sources of methionine. That is why vegan diet helps fight cancer. (David Liu)

[*Paul Cavuotoa, Michael F. Fenech, A review of methionine dependency and the role of methionine restriction in cancer growth control and life-span extension, Cancer Treatment Reviews, October 2012 Volume 38, Issue 6, Pages 726–736*](http://www.cancertreatmentreviews.com/article/S0305-7372%2812%2900005-9/abstract?ref=foodconsumer.org)