‘Milk May Save Lives’: Study Finds Calcium Lowers Women’s Colorectal Cancer Risk by 17%
See how you can potentially lower your risk of cancer just by stocking up on this common household item
Drink up — milk, that is. A recent study suggests that calcium, the mineral found easiest in a glass of milk, can be used to lower a woman’s risk of colorectal cancer. The study, which was published in the UK in Nature, explains that women need to take in 300 mg a day, or the equivalent of one glass of milk, in order to lower their risk of cancer by 17 percent.
As the third most common cancer in the world, being sure to get in a glass of milk daily can be the simplest way to reduce your risk of the disease. The study concludes that “dairy products help protect against colorectal cancer, and that this is driven largely or wholly by calcium.”
How milk and calcium reduce colorectal cancer risk: study insights
Over half a million (542,778) women were examined for the study, which was completed over 16 and a half years. During that time frame, there were about 12,251 incident cases of colorectal cancer reported. It was concluded that “dairy products help protect against colorectal cancer, and that this is driven largely or wholly by calcium.”
Woman's World Answers
The necessary 300 mg is just the amount of calcium that is present in a glass of milk. But if you’re not much of a milk drinker or you prefer to avoid animal products, there are other options for getting the necessary calcium intake, including broccoli and tofu. But if you prefer to go the dairy route, know that only certain calcium-rich foods can decrease your risk, including total dairy, milk, and cheese, as well as dietary calcium.
“Of the dairy-related foods and nutrients examined in the present study, all were inversely associated with risk of colorectal cancer, except for cheese and ice-cream,” the study says. In other words, most dairy products are fair game to see results, except for those two.
Along with the usual calcium-rich items that can help to decrease the risk of disease, “Breakfast cereal, fruit, whole grains, carbohydrates, fiber and vitamin C also showed they lowered the risk of the cancer, but only slightly.”
The study also shared that high consumption of red and processed meat, as well as higher intake of alcohol, can increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Higher red and processed meat consumption showed an 8% increased risk of colorectal cancer, while alcohol raised the risk by 15 percent.
Similar to calcium being responsible for lowering the risk of colorectal cancer, vitamin D can help as well. “Getting at least 300 IU of vitamin D a day (the same as drinking three 8-ounce glasses of milk) cut the participants’ risk of early onset colon cancer by 50 percent.”
Study results: why calcium lowers colorectal cancer risk
According to the study results, “The probable protective role of calcium may relate to its ability to bind to bile acids and free fatty acids in the colonic lumen, thereby lowering their potentially carcinogenic effects.”
While calcium can help to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, maintaining a healthy diet and weight is always the simplest way to lower your risk of the disease.
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