Dairy Products And Breast Cancer Risk: What To Know
- New research from Loma Linda University School of Public Health concludes daily consumption of dairy milk can increase breast cancer risk.
- The researchers said they didnt find any increased risk for cheese or yogurt.
- Other experts point out that previous studies have arrived at different conclusions.
- The experts say moderation is key when it comes to consuming dairy products.
Do dairy products, particularly milk, increase the risk of breast cancer?
It might depend on the research youre reading.
A new study suggests that drinking dairy milk daily, even in small amounts, can increase your risk of getting breast cancer as much as 80 percent.
The findings from a team of researchers at Loma Linda University School of Public Health in Southern California were recently published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
We found that at relatively low doses of dairy milk, less than a cup a day, there was a steep rise in the risk of breast cancer said Gary E. Fraser, MBChB, PhD, a professor in the School of Public Health and Medicine at Loma Linda University and the studys lead author.
At a cup a day, we were seeing more than a 50 percent increase in risk, Fraser told Healthline. At 2 to 3 cups per day, the risk increased 70 percent to 80 percent.
The researchers analyzed nearly 8 years of data from 52,795 women in North America.
Their median age was 57 and about a third of them were black women.
The women answered questionnaires about their food intake.
Looking For Clues On Breast Cancer Risk
In the newly reported study, researchers from the University of Massachusetts wanted to find out if breast milk obtained from lactating women held useful information about breast cancer risk.
Study researcher Kathleen F. Arcaro, PhD, examined breast milk samples provided by close to 250 lactating women considered to be at high risk for breast cancer because they had had a breast biopsy or were scheduled to have one.
Most women who submitted milk samples were enrolled in the Love/Avon Army of Women project, which registers women willing to participate in breast cancer research.
The women submitted milk samples from both breasts, which were processed within 24 hours of being expressed. The researchers looked for potentially cancerous cells, known as epithelial cells, from the breast milk and then isolated DNA from these cells.
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.
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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
New Study Associates Intake Of Dairy Milk With Greater Risk Of Breast Cancer
Evidence suggests that consistently drinking as little as one cup of milk per day may increase rate of breast cancer up to 50%.
Intake of dairy milk is associated with a greater risk of breast cancer in women, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Loma Linda University Health.
Dairy, soy and risk of breast cancer: Those confounded milks, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, found that even relatively moderate amounts of dairy milk consumption can increase womens risk of breast cancer up to 80% depending on the amount consumed.
First author of the paper, Gary E. Fraser, MBChB, PhD, said the observational study gives fairly strong evidence that either dairy milk or some other factor closely related to drinking dairy milk is a cause of breast cancer in women.
Consuming as little as 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dairy milk per day was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer of 30%, Fraser said. By drinking up to one cup per day, the associated risk went up to 50%, and for those drinking two to three cups per day, the risk increased further to 70% to 80%.
Current U.S. Dietary guidelines recommend three cups of milk per day. Evidence from this study suggests that people should view that recommendation with caution, Fraser said.
This raises the possibility that dairy-alternate milks may be an optimal choice. Dr. Gary Fraser
Don’t take the risk – take the time to get screened today.
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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.
Research Table: Dairy Products And Breast Cancer Risk
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This summary table contains detailed information about research studies. Summary tables are a useful way to look at the science behind many breast cancer guidelines and recommendations. However, to get the most out of the tables, its important to understand some key concepts. Learn how to read a research table. |
Introduction: Dairy products are under study as a factor that may:
- Increase breast cancer risk
Some researchers have suggested the high fat content of many dairy products or traces of growth hormones in milk may increase breast cancer risk .
Other researchers have studied whether the calcium and vitamin D in dairy products may lower breast cancer risk .
A pooled analysis of data from more than 20 studies found no link between dairy product intake and breast cancer risk .
However, data from the Nurses Health Study II found women who ate 2 or more servings of high-fat dairy products per day had a higher risk of breast cancer before menopause than women who ate fewer servings .
Its unlikely eating or drinking dairy products is linked to breast cancer after menopause. However, more research is needed to draw solid conclusions about a possible link with breast cancer before menopause.
Study selection criteria: Prospective cohort studies with at least 450 breast cancer cases, pooled analyses and meta-analyses.
Table note: Relative risk above 1 indicates increased risk. Relative risk below 1 indicates decreased risk.
§ Median years of follow-up among the studies.
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Bias Risk And Study Quality Assessment
The quality of each included study was evaluated and scored using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale checklist, a tool used for quality assessment of non-randomized studies, which is composed of eight items classified into three aspects, including selection, comparability, and outcome. The maximum scores of this checklist were nine, and scores between six and nine were identified to higher study quality.
Milk Is Complex Topic
A top nutrition scientist agrees. Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, told Medscape Medical News: “There is little scientific justification for the recommendation of 3 cups of milk per day. This new study adds a further reason for caution.”
“This was a high-quality study conducted by experienced investigators,” Willett said. Strengths of the study include the high soy intake and low consumption of foods from animal sources, factors that are hard to study in other populations.
Willett was a coauthor, along with David Ludwig, MD, PhD, also from Harvard, of the recent review in the New England Journal of Medicine that questioned the science behind milk-drinking recommendations. An article about this review on Medscape Medical News has attracted a huge number of comments from our readers.
Milk is a complex topic, Willett explained. As a good source of essential nutrients, especially calcium and vitamin D, cow’s milk has been touted to have several health benefits, especially decreased fracture risk. But Willett said calcium recommendations have probably been overstated, and current evidence does not support high milk intake for fracture prevention.
However, Fraser and Willett also suggested another option: replacing cow’s milk with soy milk. Analyses from the current study showed no significant association between consumption of soy and breast cancer, independent of dairy .
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New Study Suggests Milk Could Increase Breast Cancer Risk
Veronica Hackethal, MD
Hot on the heels of a review from top nutrition scientists that cautioned against drinking cow’s milk comes another study with another caution: drinking milk increases the risk of developing breast cancer, say the researchers. But this finding comes from an observational study, and there may be confounders that are not accounted for, says an expert not involved with the study.
The latest research was based on data from the long-running larger study called Adventist Health Study-2 , which is looking at diet and health among Seventh Day Adventists in North America. Past results from this study have suggested that Seventh Day Adventists have longer life spans and lower rates of some cancers, perhaps because of healthier lifestyles.
The latest analysis suggests that milk raises breast cancer risk, and the more you drink the higher your risk may be.
“Consuming as little as 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dairy milk per day was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer of 30%,” first author Gary E. Fraser, MBChB, PhD, said in a press statement. Fraser is affiliated with the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University, California.
“By drinking up to 1 cup per day, the associated risk went up to 50%, and for those drinking 2 to 3 cups per day, the risk increased further to 70% to 80%,” he added.
The findings were February 25 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
“Probably the biggest point is not to overinflate the data,” Dizon added.
What Did The Present Study Find
This study of over 1 million women from 21 different cohorts found that dairy products, overall, are unlikely to increase breast cancer risk, and that fermented dairy products may lower risk, especially of harder to treat estrogen receptor-negative tumors, explains , Senior Scientific Director, Epidemiology Research, at the American Cancer Society, and one of the researchers on the study.
Concerns about dairy and breast cancer were largely put to rest. The researchers found null or very weak inverse associations between the dairy foods studied, calcium , and the risk of developing overall or estrogen receptor -positive breast cancer.
Further, the researchers found that certain dairy foods, such as yogurt, ricotta cheese, and cottage cheese are associated with a weak reduction in the risk of breast cancer.
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Does Soy Give You Breast Cancer
as found in a 2008 study,On one hand, It was once thought that soy foods increase the risk of breast cancer, soy foods do appear to be safe, and soymilk may lower the risk of breast cancer, However, In some< img src=https://i0.wp.com/www.pcrm.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/LBBC_Podcast_4_fb_twitter.jpg alt=Soy Fights Breast Cancer, Soy is the secret weapon Japanese women use to cut their breast cancer risk down to 1/5 of the risk Western women have, consuming soy foods like edamame, Yet, isoflavones and fiber, less healthy foods such as animal fats and red or processed meats, especially when they replace other, In fact, And likewise, and it is also likely safe to eat in remission -though more research is needed, Soy foods are excellent sources of protein, or breast density, However, such studies show no effect on prostate-specific antigen levels or hormones related to the risk of prostate cancer.But now studies of survivors of breast and prostate cancer show no harmful effects, tofu and unsweetened soy milk have been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers such as breast cancer, Soy foods have been linked to lower rates of heart diseaseAuthor: Stacy SimonWomen with the highest intake of soy protein had a 29 percent lower risk of death and a 32 percent lower risk of breast-cancer recurrence compared to patients with the lowest intake of soy protein, This Health Claim will now be found on food products in Canada.
Disadvantages Of Breast Pumping
Like everything with advantages, breast pumping also has its disadvantages.
The most commonly spoken of disadvantage is the effect it has on the bond between the mother and the baby.
As convenient as it may be for the mother to pump milk for the baby, bottle feeding does not have the same bonding effect between the mother and the baby.
The skin-to-skin contact between you and your baby during breastfeeding goes a long way in developing your babys security and bond with you.
Bottle feeding is also said to cause several problems for the baby.
One is in the nipple confusion for the baby.
A bottle-fed baby will tend to prefer it to breastfeeding because of the suckling mechanism required for each of the methods.
There is a lot of suckling effort needed to draw milk from the bottle and more milk comes out of the bottle.
The baby may use the same suckling effort to try and draw more milk for your breast which might result in you having sore nipples.
Bottle feeding is also known to cause tooth decay in babies.
This is because milk is retained in the mouth during the bottle-feeding process.
The sugar in the milk will act on the teeth during this process thus causing decay.
Bottle feeding also has the hustle of having to prepare each feed before giving it to the baby.
This preparation and storage process can lead to contamination of the milk which can affect the baby.
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Measuring Your Breast Cancer Risk By The Cup
A recent study from Loma Linda University found that women who drink cows milk have a higher risk of breast cancer.
The study included dietary data from nearly 53,000 women, none of whom had cancer. When researchers followed up with these women eight years later, 1,057 of them had breast cancer. Heres what the women who developed breast cancer had in common
They received more calories from dairy products, specifically cows milk.
Women who drank two to three cups of milk per day had a 70 to 80 percent higher breast cancer risk. Women who drank one glass of milk per day had a 50 percent higher breast cancer risk. Even women who drank small amounts of milk 1/4 to 1/3 cup per day werent off the hook. They had a 30 percent higher risk of breast cancer.
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This information is alarming, to say the least. Researchers even said that the study is fairly strong evidence that either dairy milk or some other factor closely related to drinking dairy milk is a cause of breast cancer in women. But why?
Well, when I first read about this study, I had a hunch why cows milk might be driving breast cancer risk. And researchers had the same suspicions I did
Its hormones.
Analysis About The Effect Of High
In total, 12 studies investigated the relationship between high-fat dairy products and BC. Six studies compared the risk rates between premenopausal and postmenopausal populations. Among 424,176 participants, 19,208 were newly diagnosed with BC. After meta-analysis, no statistically significant difference was observed in the effect of high-fat dairy products on all populations . However, there was a harm trend, indicating that high-fat dairy product consumption tends to increase BC risk in female populations, with moderate heterogeneity . Apart from that, the analysis also revealed that high-fat dairy products did not affect premenopausal and postmenopausal populations . The heterogeneity between different studies was all 0%. Table comprises the detailed data.
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