Drinking a large glass of milk a day may cut your risk of bowel cancer by almost a fifth, according to the largest study ever conducted in Diet and Disease.
The researchers said that consuming an additional 300 mg a day of calcium, about the amount found in a pint of milk, was associated with a 17% lower risk of bowel cancer, with non-dairy calcium sources such as fortified soy milk having a similar protective effect. .
“This comprehensive study provides strong evidence that dairy products may help prevent colorectal cancer, largely due to the calcium they contain,” said Dr. Keren Baber, first author of the study and senior nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Oxford.
She added: “Calcium was shown to have a similar effect in both dairy and non-dairy sources, suggesting that it was the main factor responsible for reducing risk.”
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the world and causes approximately 2 million cases and 1 million deaths annually. The number of new diagnoses is expected to reach 3.2 million by 2040, with deaths rising to 1.6 million, largely due to It is rising in rich countries. For reasons that remain unclear, the incidence of bowel cancer is rising sharply among young people around the world. Between the early 1990s and 2018, the number of UK adults aged 25 to 49 years diagnosed with bowel cancer rose by 22%.
While the trends are alarming, more than half of bowel cancer cases can be prevented through diet and lifestyle changes. Maintaining a healthy weight, eating more fibre, drinking less alcohol, being physically active and not smoking all help reduce your risk. Diet is particularly important, with one in five cases linked to eating too much red or processed meat.
Previous studies have indicated that dairy products can help prevent bowel cancer, but the evidence was not clear. In the latest study, Baber and her colleagues used dietary data from more than 540,000 women over nearly 17 years to study how 97 foods, beverages, and nutrients affect the risk of bowel cancer.
The study found convincing evidence that calcium can protect against bowel cancer, and confirmed that alcohol and red or processed meat increase the risk of bowel cancer. Drinking an extra 20 grams of alcohol per day, the amount found in a large glass of wine, was associated with a 15% increased risk of bowel cancer, while eating 30 grams more of red and processed meat was associated with an 8% increase in the disease. .
The study focused on postmenopausal women, but Baber said the protective effects of calcium are expected to apply to men and young adults. “We think calcium may protect against colorectal cancer by binding to bile acids and free fatty acids in the colon, helping to reduce their potential to cause cancer,” she said. Details are Published in Nature Communications.
Sophia Louise, from Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, said: “Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting people in the UK, which is why it is so important that we know how to prevent it.
“Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, along with maintaining a healthy weight and stopping smoking, is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of bowel cancer. This includes reducing your intake of alcohol, red and processed meat, and eating plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It can also be Dairy products such as milk are part of a diet that reduces the risk of bowel cancer.
“We look forward to further research, including the effects of specific ingredients such as calcium, to ensure fewer people are affected by this devastating disease.”