A study of over 500,000 women revealed that daily milk consumption can reduce colon cancer risk by nearly 20%. Consuming an additional 300 mg of calcium per day, equivalent to a large glass of milk, lowered the risk by 17%. The research linked calcium-rich foods, including dairy products, to a decreased cancer diagnosis over 16 years. However, high cheese and ice cream intake showed no positive effects. The study also highlighted the increasing prevalence of colon cancer in younger individuals, linking modern diets and sedentary lifestyles to this trend. Experts emphasize balanced diets and adequate dairy intake for cancer prevention.
It has long been known that milk is good for teeth and bones.
In a study of more than 500,000 women, experts found that drinking one glass a day could reduce your risk of colon cancer by nearly a fifth.
Ingesting an additional 300 mg of calcium a day, equivalent to the amount found in a large glass of milk, as it is known in the United States, reduces the risk of bowel or colon cancer by 17 percent. There is a possibility.
Scientists analyzed dietary data from more than 542,000 women, looking for links between 97 products and nutrients and the likelihood of developing cancer.
The results showed that calcium-rich foods and drinks, such as milk and yogurt, were associated with a lower risk of diagnosis over a 16-year period.
Calcium was found to have similar effects from both dairy and non-dairy sources, suggesting that calcium is the main factor in risk reduction.
But eating lots of cheese and ice cream made no difference, the researchers found.
In the US, milk consumption has fallen by almost half compared to half a century ago, and in the UK sales have fallen as people turn to oats, almonds and other dairy-free products. are.
Calcium, a mineral found in milk, was thought to be involved in lowering the risk of colon cancer in people who eat dairy products.
Colon cancer is increasingly occurring in seemingly healthy young people like Kentucky resident Carly Barrett. She was diagnosed at the age of 24 after blood was detected in her stool and she suffered from abdominal pain.
The new study, published in Nature Communications, also confirmed a clear link between alcohol consumption and increased risk of colon cancer.
They found that drinking an extra 20g of alcohol per day, the equivalent of one glass of wine, increased risk by 15% across the cohort.
Red and processed meats are among the other dietary foods associated with a higher risk of colon cancer, with consuming 30g more per day associated with an 8% increased risk.
Bowel cancer affects around 44,000 people in the UK and 150,000 people in the US each year, making it the fourth most common cancer in both countries.
However, the number of infections among young people is increasing, an alarming trend linked to modern diets, chemical exposure and sedentary lifestyles.
Dr Keren Papier, Principal Investigator and Senior Nutritional Epidemiologist at Oxford Population Health, said: ‘This is the most comprehensive single study ever undertaken on the relationship between diet and bowel cancer. , highlighting the protective role of calcium in the development of this disease.” .
“Further research is needed to understand the health effects of increased calcium in different populations.”
The research team said that calcium’s protective role may come from its ability to bind bile acids and free fatty acids in the colon, thereby reducing its potential carcinogenic effects. .
Sophia Laws, senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, said: “Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting people in the UK, so there are ways to prevent it. It is very important to know.”
“Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking are some of the best ways to lower your risk of colorectal cancer.
“This includes cutting down on alcohol, red and processed meat, and eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
“Dairy products such as milk can also be part of a diet that reduces the risk of bowel cancer.
“We look forward to further research, including the effects of specific components such as calcium, to ensure fewer people are affected by this devastating disease.”
But some analysts predict that the dairy industry could disappear in the coming decades as younger generations no longer prefer regular milk.
According to USDA data, milk sales have declined every quarter since 2000 and 2016, and the numbers are significantly lower than in the 1970s and 1980s.
Concerns about animal welfare, increasing awareness of lactose intolerance and people choosing lower calorie alternatives are driving this trend.
American Raquel (left) was 28 years old when doctors diagnosed her with stage 4 colon cancer. Evan White (right) was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 24. He died four years later, just weeks before his wedding.
Independent experts welcomed what they called a “well-conducted analysis”, adding that it could affect many women.
Professor Andrew Prentice, a nutrition expert at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: “The results highlight that milk consumption is particularly beneficial, and this effect Evidence suggests that calcium supplements may have a protective effect, primarily due to the calcium found in milk.
“The jury is out on this, but as a nutritionist, I will continue to get my calcium from milk and dairy products, which are rich in so many nutrients.”
Professor Tom Saunders, a nutrition expert at King’s College London, said the results support previous research showing that dairy products may protect against cancer, but this does not mean The exact mechanism by which it works is still unclear.
“One theory is that calcium may bind to free bile acids in the intestine and prevent their harmful effects on the intestinal mucosa,” he said.
However, Professor Ian Givens, a nutrition expert at the University of Reading, said the findings suggest that British women are not consuming enough dairy products, which could theoretically put them at increased risk of cancer. He said it’s about data.
“Of particular concern is that many British women, particularly in younger age groups, are reducing their dairy intake and their calcium intake is below recommended levels,” he said.
“When combined with other large-scale studies, these findings make a strong case for maintaining adequate dairy intake as part of a balanced diet.”
