Drinking a glass of milk a day reduces the risk of intestinal cancer.


A large UK study has provided further evidence that people who have more calcium in their diets – the equivalent of a glass of milk a day – may help reduce the risk of bowel cancer.
Researchers analyzed the diets of more than half a million women over the age of 16 and found that green leafy vegetables, bread and calcium-rich non-dairy milk also had a protective effect.
They also found evidence that consuming too much alcohol and processed meat had the opposite effect, increasing the risk of disease.
The cancer charity said that eating a healthy, balanced diet, keeping a healthy weight and stopping smoking was the best way to reduce the risk of bowel cancer.
How big is the impact?
A recent review found that dairy products “probably” reduce the risk of colorectal (bowel) cancer.
this studyOxford University and Cancer Research UK recommend getting enough calcium from dairy or non-dairy foods.
- An extra 300 mg of calcium in the diet per day, or a large glass of milk, reduces your risk by 17%.
“This highlights the potential protective role of dairy in the development of bowel cancer, primarily due to calcium,” said lead researcher Dr Karen Papier, of Oxford.
Breakfast cereals, fruits, whole grains, carbohydrates, fiber and vitamin C also reduced cancer risk, but only slightly.
it is well known Eating too much processed meat and red meat possibly increases the risk of bowel cancer, as does Liquor,
This study provides more evidence of that link:
- Drinking one additional large glass of wine or 0.7 ounces (20 grams) of alcohol per day increases your risk by 15%.
- Eating 1 ounce more a day of red and processed meat, such as a slice of ham, increases your risk by 8%.
It is difficult to determine the exact meaning of those percentages, because everyone’s risk of bowel cancer varies depending on lifestyle, diet, habits and genetics.
What does calcium do? Which foods contain it?
Calcium It’s an important mineral for strengthening bones and keeping your teeth healthy, but there’s growing evidence that it also protects against certain cancers.
Milk, curd and cheese contain abundant amounts of calcium. Dairy products are one of the main sources in the UK diet (we love morning cereals).
it also exists other food Such as soy and rice drinks, white bread, nuts, seeds and fruits such as dried figs, curly kale and canned sardines, and it is also found in lactose-free milk.
The study states that calcium may protect against bowel cancer “because it is able to bind bile acids and free fatty acids in the colon, thereby reducing their potential carcinogenic effects”.
Why is bowel cancer so common?
There are around 44,000 cases of bowel cancer each year in the UK, making it the fourth most common cancer.
Although most cases occur in older people, Cancer rates are increasing among youth under 50 – But there is no obvious reason for this.
Experts say that poor diet and obesity may be one of the factors involved.
bowel cancer symptoms include:
- Changes in your bowel habits, such as fewer bowel movements, more frequent bowel movements, or constipation
- bleeding from your lower back or finding blood in your stool
- Losing Weight When You’re Not Trying
- unexplained fatigue or shortness of breath
The advice is to talk to your doctor if you notice any of these.
What do other experts say?
This was an observational study, not a trial, so it cannot clearly prove that calcium or any other food product prevents cancer or makes it more likely.
However, the researchers say this study is “the largest to date on diet and bowel cancer”, which gives them confidence that they are on the right track. The findings are also consistent with the findings of previous studies.
The study involved more than 12,000 women who developed bowel cancer, and examined nearly 100 food products and nutrients in their diets to assess potential links.
Professor Janet Cade, a nutritionist at the University of Leeds, said the paper “provides important evidence showing that overall diet can influence the risk of colorectal cancer”.
Professor Andrew Prentice of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine wonders whether, in light of the study results, calcium supplements could be protective, although he says “the jury is out on this”.
The take-home message for Professor Tom Sanders of King’s College London is that “drinking more than the safe limit of alcohol intake (more than 14 units per week) increases the risk of colorectal cancer in women, but this is almost halved by drinking alcohol. It happens.” One pint of cow’s milk per day is probably protective”.
Dr Lisa Wild, of the charity Bowel Cancer UK, says that “every 12 minutes” someone is diagnosed with bowel cancer and half of all bowel cancers can be prevented by a healthy lifestyle.
“If you don’t drink dairy milk you can get calcium in other ways, for example from broccoli or tofu, and still reduce your bowel cancer risk,” she says.