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Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. But estimates suggest that as many as a third of cases could be prevented with diet and nutrition alone.

The recipe? Many experts recommend filling your plate with foods that grow from the ground. Decades of research suggests that the best diet for cancer prevention is all about plants. That means lots of fruits, vegetables and legumes, and little to no meat or other animal products.

Yet a recent series of articles in the Annals of Internal medicine calls that into question, claiming that there isn't enough evidence that less meat improves health. The backlash from the nutrition community has been swift, calling the studies flawed, and even requesting that the journal retract them.

While the new studies have grabbed headlines, the bulk of the research still supports eating less meat, says Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program dietitian Angie Murad, RDN, LD. "There is a lot more evidence to move towards a plant based diet," she says.

Here's how a plant-based diet can help fight cancer — and what one looks like.