Yogurt To Prevent Breast Cancer
Ive been told that eating yogurt can help prevent breast cancer. True?
Andrew Weil, M.D. | March 30, 2020
There is a hypothesis that eating natural yogurt on a daily basis could potentially protect women from breast cancer. Researchers from the UKs Lancaster University noted that yogurt contains beneficial lactose-fermenting bacteria similar to the bacteria found in the breasts of women who have breastfed their babies. They theorize that these micro-organisms protect against breast cancer, because we know that each year of breast feeding reduces the risk of breast cancer by 4.3 percent and that these bacteria occupy the breast ducts of women while they are breast feeding and for some time after they stop.
The team also made the point that each birth reduces a womans risk of breast cancer by seven percent and suggested that the incidence of the disease in developed countries would drop by more than half from 6.3 to 2.7 per 100 by age 70 if women had the average number of births and lifetime duration of breast feeding that had been prevalent in developed countries until recently.
The team noted that one of the causes of breast cancer may be inflammation, a process which might be influenced by harmful bacteria, a theory that has not yet been proved.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
Doctors Want A Warning Label On Cheese Because Of A Link To Breast Cancer But The Evidence Is Mixed
- A group of doctors has petitioned the FDA to add a warning label to cheese, cautioning consumers that it contains hormones that may increase the risk of breast cancer.
- Cheese made from cows milk can contain reproductive and growth hormones that some research has linked to cancer risks.
- But other research has found that cheese is actually associated with health benefits, like a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. And its perfectly safe in moderation, a nutritionist told Insider.
- Visit INSIDERs homepage for more.
Cheddar, brie, mozzarella, or Gouda? Some doctors say your choice of cheese should be none at all, especially if youre a woman.
The doctors, members of the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, have petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to add a warning label to cheese made from cows milk, cautioning consumers that the hormones it contains may be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
The organisation, which is dedicated to promoting health through plant-based nutrition and reducing consumption of animal products, submitted the petition October 3, the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Its 12,000 members cited research that high-fat cheese products are linked with up to 53% increase in breast cancer risk.
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Breast Cancer Diet And Recurrence: Top Four Myths Dispelled
We explore the main breast cancer diet myths around recurrence with a NHS dietitian Penny Klebe.
Diets recommended on the internet or in the media are not always based on good quality research. Make sure you check the facts thoroughly before following alternative and restrictive diets, as they could cause more harm than good. If youre unsure, you can ask your GP to be referred to a dietitian. You can also find tips on healthy eating and living well after breast cancer in BECCA, Breast Cancer Care’s free app.
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Foods From Animal Sources
Animal foods is a term used to describe all foods of animal origin. These foods may be derived from the animal flesh itself or foods that are produced by animals
Animal foods are generally a good source of protein, but the fat content varies according to the specific species from which they are derived. Dairy products are a good source of calcium. Consumption of foods such as red meat and fish generally increases with economic development, whereas consumption of dairy products is variable, particularly in Asia where many populations are lactose intolerant.
Animal foods such as meat and fish may be processed before consumption by smoking, curing, salting or by adding preservatives. Meat and fish are also often cooked using very high temperatures during frying, grilling or barbecuing . These methods of processing and preparation may affect the chemical composition as well as the nutritional value of animal foods.
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Other Health Benefits Of Consuming Yogurt In Daily Basis
1. It can help you boost immunity and reduce inflammation which means lower risk of illnesses
2. It can help you manage a healthy weight you can replace unhealthy snacks with yogurt
3. Yogurt consumption is also linked with controlled blood pressure numbers
4. It is rich in various nutrients and also boosts digestive health
5. Eating yogurt daily will boost bone health and help you control the risk of osteoporosis
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Risk Of Bias Assessment
The NOS checklist was adopted to objectively evaluate the quality of included observational studies in this meta-study. According to the quality evaluation results of the investigators, 13 studies out of 36 were rated 9 points, 16 studies were rated 8 points, 5 studies were rated 7 points and 2 studies were rated 6 points. All included studies were of higher quality based on methodology. Supplementary Table 2 explicitly recorded the assessment of risk of bias.
Study Selection And Data Collection
Citations selected from the initial search were subsequently screened for eligibility. For inclusion, studies were required to have examined the relationship between dairy product consumption and the incidence risk of breast cancer or the odds of breast cancer be prospective in nature, except for studies from Asian countries and include sufficient data for different dosage categories of dairy consumption, including relative risk or odds ratio , with corresponding 95% confidence interval .
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What About The Risk Of Dairy And Cancer
In terms of cancer risk, the current scientific evidence regarding dairy foods is inconclusive.
Milk probably decreases the risk of , and there is limited suggestive evidence suggesting that it can also reduce the risk of .
However, diets high in calcium are classed as a probable cause of , and in addition there is also limited suggestive evidence that a high intake of dairy products is also a cause of prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer Risk And Dairy
Research has not proven whether dairy or calcium has a direct effect on prostate cancer risk. There are some studies that have found an increased risk in people who have large amounts of dairy. But theres not enough good evidence for this.
Its hard to measure how much dairy people eat over a long period of time. And there could be other factors that are different in people who eat and drink a lot of dairy. It is unclear whether its dairy increasing the risk of prostate cancer in current studies.
We need better designed studies to find out more about the potential link.
And remember, eating or drinking some dairy has health benefits. And the NHS Eatwell guide recommends having it as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Try to pick dairy or dairy alternative products that are low in fat and sugar.
Read more about recommended daily dairy portions below.
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Article Source And Search Strategy
A search of relevant studies investigating the relationship between dairy products and BC published before January 2021 was carried out in PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. The keywords we used for searching were breast cancer and dairy. The complete retrieval formula used to identify the number of studies were AND . When referencing duplicated literature, the original article was included if the studies were published as an abstract and original article. In addition, if a single study published several articles, only the most recent or the highest quality article was included. The reference lists of retrieved studies and recent reviews have also been reviewed to examine potential inclusive studies. This meta-analysis was conducted according to the Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines . The population, intervention/exposure, comparison, outcome, and setting criteria were used to describe the research question.
Analysis About The Effect Of Total Dairy Products On Bc
Twenty-five studies recorded data about BC risk of total dairy products on female population, with 30,334 participants newly diagnosed with BC over the follow-up time. The analysis indicated that those who consumed dairy products had a significantly lower BC risk than those who never or rarely consumed dairy products with moderate heterogeneity , indicating that dairy product intake was protective for female population and can reduce BC risk. However, the consumption of dairy products has no effect on premenopausal and postmenopausal women . Four studies were grouped by ER status, three studies were grouped by PR status, and five studies were grouped by hormone receptor status . The meta-analysis found that consuming dairy products significantly reduces the risk of hormone-receptor-positive BC, either ER+ BC or PR+ BC . For ER+/PR+ BC, a trend was observed towards lower risk with consuming dairy products, but the difference was not statistically significant . In addition, the consumption of dairy products had no effect on the incidence of ER- BC , PR- BC and ER/PR- BC BC. Table contains the detailed data.
Table 2 Effects of dairy products on breast cancer incidence
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Quantitative Data Synthesis Of Prospective Studies
Effect of dairy product consumption on breast cancer risk
The summary of RR of breast cancer for high compared with low dairy product consumption and dairy subgroups is shown in . High-level dairy consumption was associated with a statistically significantly lower risk of breast cancer . The random effect model was adopted. Modest dairy consumption was associated with a mildly lower risk of breast cancer .
Combined relative risks of the breast cancer for dairy, milk consumption and main subgroups .
CI=confidence interval.
A dose-response analysis revealed evidence of a linear relationship between dairy consumption and risk of breast cancer . Compared with no dairy consumption, the adjusted RRs were 0.97 for 250 g/day, 0.94 for 500 g/day, 0.91 for 750 g/day, and 0.88 for 1,000 g/day.
Dose-response relationship between dairy consumption and the risk of breast cancer.
Effect of milk product consumption on breast cancer
High milk consumption was not found to have a preventive effect on breast cancer compared to low milk consumption . As shown in , no evidence of a linear or nonlinear relationship between milk consumption and risk of breast cancer was found.
Dose-response relationship between milk consumption and the risk of breast cancer.
Analysis Of Publication Bias And Sensitivity
Beggs rank correlation and Eggers linear regression test were employed to estimate publication bias. Beggs rank correlation test and Eggers linear regression test results indicated the absence of publication bias among included articles . The sensitivity analysis suggested that the overall risk assessment was not substantially modified by any single study, revealing the stability of the above results.
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Data Abstraction And Quality Assessment
Data abstraction and quality assessment were conducted independently by two reviewers using a standardized approach. A third reviewer adjudicated disagreements after referring to the original articles. Data retrieved from the reports included publication details, methodological components, and the following trial characteristics: title, author, publication year, country in which study was conducted, sample size, age of subjects, follow-up duration, and covariates controlled for by matching or multivariate analysis. The number of cases/noncases or person-year data and adjusted RR/OR for each consumption category were extracted or estimated. For studies that reported several multivariate adjusted RRs/ORs, the effect estimate was extracted after fully adjusting for potential confounders. Study quality was assessed using the 9-star Newcastle-Ottawa Scale by two investigators .
Dairy Products And Ovarian Cancer: The Evidence
A high-calcium and low-lactose diet may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer among African-American women, suggests a new study. Published in the British Journal of Cancer, the study adds to the limited research on lifestyle and ovarian cancer risk in African Americans women.
The cause of ovarian cancer is unknown. Current evidence from the American Institute for Cancer Research does not support any association between milk and milk product consumption and an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Some hypotheses indicate that the lactose component of dairy may increase the risk of ovarian cancer through its action on ovarian cells. However, other studies highlight the anti-tumour compounds in dairy foods, especially calcium and vitamin D. Previous research was mainly focused among women of European ancestry.
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Breast Cancer As The Darling Of Corporate America
From 1993 to 2004, Cone Communications, a marketing firm, found that about 85 percent of consumers were likely to switch to a new brand of similar price and quality if the new brand were associated with a cause . The pink ribbon came on the scene in 1992 as the symbol for breast cancer awareness. Breast cancer activists had already done the hard work of de-stigmatizing breast cancer, increasing support programs, funding research, and moving breast cancer into the public limelight. The breast cancer movement had made a real impact on raising awareness of the disease and institutionalizing support. Once breast cancer was out in the open as a good and moral cause, companies lined up to capitalize on the pink ribbons public appeal. Associating with the mother of all causes, corporations could buoy their public images and their bottom lines.
Cause marketing donations are estimated to reach $1.78 billion in 2013, for a range of causes. This amount pales in comparison to the profits companies bring in from their pink ribbon campaigns. While it is impossible to track exactly how much companies profit, the examples that follow show a trend.
Ford Mustang Warriors in Pink Emblem
American Airlines would more than cover the $1 million per year allocation. By July 2010, Americans performance had already improved $440 million over the first quarter. The company saw its first operating profit since the third quarter of 2007.
Health Benefits Of Consuming Milk
Agarwal goes on to talk about the many health benefits of drinking milk and mentions the following:
1. Low fat calcium-rich dairy is associated with lower blood pressure, prevention of osteoporosis, and muscle growth.
2. Milk and other dairy products are required to build strong bones in childhood
3. Regular milk intake can help in preventing of bone fractures and osteoporosis in adulthood till later years of life.
4. Milk contains protein, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K- all of which are necessary for bone health, and to prevent the risk of many chronic diseases.
5. Milk has also been associated with reduced risk of colorectal cancer because calcium from milk can bind to cancer-causing secondary bile acids and ionising fatty acids, reducing their proliferation.
6. Milk obtained from grass-fed cows also contain beneficial fatty acids like omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid.
But, there is a flip side to milk too, says Agarwal, while adding, As much as 60% of the worlds population suffers from lactose intolerance, which can lead to indigestion, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea or sometimes more serious health concerns on the consumption of milk. Full-fat dairy has also linked with an increase in cholesterol levels, says Agarwal.
According to the Delhi-based nutritionist, adults can have 200-300 ml of dairy products in a day. This can be consumed in the form of milk, cottage cheese, or yogurt as per your liking.
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Scary Headlines Aside Drinking Milk Probably Does Not Cause Breast Cancer
Based on the results of a new study, recent headlines warned that drinking a cup of milk daily can increase breast cancer risk by 50 percent. Let me join the chorus of skeptics trying to put the brakes on the spread of this sensationalized story.
Abby Langer, a dietitian in Toronto, was one of the first health writers to take on the study. I knew the story was inflated in terms of risk, and I wanted to put the real news out there before it caused any kind of hysteria.
What Langer and others quickly discovered was that the headlines were reporting the relative risk of developing breast cancer, which sets a much scarier tone than the absolute risk. But more on that in a second. First, lets break down what this observational study was all about.
Researchers from Loma Linda University in California investigated the association between soy and dairy and breast cancer risk, and the results were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. The research was funded by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health and the World Cancer Research Fund , and it was not associated with any soy or dairy industry organizations.
I would think that before the WCRF gets very specific about causation, they are going to need some more evidence regarding the mechanisms of how milk is linked to cancer, Fraser says.
May Interact With Certain Medications
Consuming yogurt along with certain antibiotics will decrease their effectiveness. For example, yogurt may decrease the amount of the ciprofloxacin antibiotic our bodies absorb. The same applies to tetracyclines as the calcium in yogurt binds with tetracyclines in the intestine.
Consuming yogurt along with immunosuppressants may cause you to fall sick because these medications decrease our bodys immunity, making us susceptible to infections. Since yogurt mostly contains live bacteria and sometimes yeast, eating too much yogurt causes yeast infections.
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Analysis About The Effects Of Fermented Dairy Products On Bc
In terms of fermented dairy products, 14 studies were conducted on female populations, six of which were grouped by menopause status, and two of which were grouped by hormone receptor status . During the follow-up period, 16,280 participants were newly diagnosed with BC. The analysis demonstrated that fermented dairy products were not statistically significantly protective for women , nor for ER+/PR+ BC or ER/PR- BC . A subgroup analysis for menopause status found that although fermented dairy products had no significant effect on the premenopausal population , they had a protective effect on the postmenopausal population and could reduce BC risk in the postmenopausal population without heterogeneity . Table lists the detailed data.