It has long been known that milk is good for your teeth and bones.
Now experts have discovered that drinking a glass a day can also reduce the risk of bowel cancer by almost a fifth, according to a study of more than half a million women.
An extra 300 mg of calcium per day – about the amount in a large glass of milk – could be linked to a 17 percent reduction in the risk of colon cancer, according to new research.
Scientists analyzed dietary data from more than 542,000 women to investigate the link between 97 products and nutrients and a person’s risk of developing colon cancer.
The findings showed that foods and drinks rich in calcium, such as milk and yogurt, were linked to a lower risk of being diagnosed with colon cancer over a 16-year period.
Calcium was found to have a similar effect across both dairy and non-dairy sources, suggesting that this was the main factor responsible for reducing the risk.
However, eating a lot of cheese or ice cream made no difference, the team found.
The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, also strengthened the clear link between alcohol consumption and a higher risk of colon cancer.
Calcium, a mineral in milk, was thought to be responsible for the reduced risk of colon cancer in dairy eaters.
Drinking an additional 20 grams of alcohol per day – equivalent to a large glass of wine – was found to cause a 15 percent increase in risk for the entire cohort.
Red and processed meat were among the other diet foods linked to a higher risk of bowel cancer, with 30 grams more per day associated with an 8 percent increase in risk.
According to an analysis by Cancer Research UK, there are around 44,000 cases of bowel cancer every year, making it the fourth most common cancer in Britain.
More than half of all cases of colon cancer are preventable.
Dr. Keren Papier, lead researcher and senior nutritional epidemiologist at Oxford Population Health, said: ‘This is the most comprehensive study ever conducted into the relationship between diet and bowel cancer, and it highlights the protective role of calcium in the development of this disease. .
‘Further research is needed to understand the health effects of increasing calcium in different populations.’
The team said calcium’s protective role may stem from its ability to bind to bile acids and free fatty acids in the colon, reducing their potentially carcinogenic effects.
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Sophia Lowes, senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, which funded the research, said: ‘Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in people in Britain, 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 quitting smoking, is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of colon cancer.
‘This includes cutting back on alcohol and red and processed meat, and eating plenty of fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
‘Dairy products such as milk can also be part of a diet that reduces the risk of colon 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.’
Independent experts have welcomed what they called a “well-done analysis”, adding that it could have consequences for many women.
Professor Andrew Prentice, an expert in nutrition at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: ‘The results highlight that milk consumption is particularly beneficial and show that this effect may be largely due to the calcium in milk, which begs the question or calcium supplements may be protective.
‘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 Sanders, a nutritionist at King’s College London, said the results support previous research showing that dairy products can protect against cancer, although the mechanism of exactly how this works is still unknown.
“One theory is that calcium may bind to free bile acids in the intestines, preventing the harmful effects of free bile acids on the intestinal lining,” he said.
However, Professor Ian Givens, a nutrition expert at the University of Reading, said the findings related to data suggesting British women are not consuming enough dairy, theoretically increasing their risk of cancer.
‘What is particularly worrying is that many British women, especially younger age groups, are consuming less dairy and have calcium intakes below recommended levels,’ he said.
‘Combined with other large-scale research, these findings provide a strong argument for maintaining adequate dairy consumption as part of a balanced diet.’