Researchers from the USA, UK, and Australia conducted a significant study to determine whether milk protects against cancer. All their findings were published in the January 2025 issue of Nature Communications, as reported by Tengri Life referencing Ferra.ru.
The study utilized data from the Million Women Study, which involved over 1.3 million British women with an average age of 56. Participants were recruited between 1996 and 2001, and they have been monitored since then. Every 3-5 years, they complete questionnaires.
For the new research, 542,778 participants were selected. The analysis revealed the following results. Firstly, alcohol and both red and processed meats have the strongest associations with colorectal cancer. For every 30 grams of red and processed meat consumed daily, the risk of developing colorectal cancer increases by 8 percent. The typical serving size is 100 grams, meaning the risk rises to 29 percent if such meat is consumed daily. An even stronger association was observed between cancer and processed meat.
Conversely, nearly all dairy products (except cheese and ice cream) were inversely associated with colorectal cancer. Specifically, for every 300 milligrams of calcium consumed daily, the likelihood of developing colorectal cancer decreases by 17 percent. This indicates that if you drink about a cup of milk each day, you have a 17 percent lower chance of developing colorectal cancer.
Scientists believe that the protective role of milk may be linked to its calcium content. However, if it's not calcium, the cause could be the presence of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), butyric acid, and sphingomyelin. All these substances suppress the growth of chemically induced cancer cells in the colon.