“A glass of ‘this’ every day lowers the risk of colon cancer”

A new study has found that drinking a glass of milk every day can reduce the risk of colon cancer. This is what the Guardian reported based on a paper led by researchers at Oxford University in England, published in Nature Communications on the 8th (local time).

The researchers found that 300 milligrams of calcium daily, or the amount found in half a pint of milk, was associated with a 17 percent lower risk of bowel cancer, and that other sources of calcium, such as fortified soy milk, may have a similar protective effect. Dr. Keren Papier, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Oxford and lead author of the paper, said, “This is a comprehensive study that provides strong evidence that dairy products can help prevent colorectal cancer.” “This is largely due to the calcium contained in dairy products,” he said. “Calcium was found to have similar effects in both dairy and non-dairy products, suggesting that calcium is a key factor in reducing risk.”

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. It causes approximately 2 million cases and 1 million deaths every year. By 2040, new cases are expected to reach 3.2 million and deaths to 1.6 million, mainly due to increases in wealthy countries. Although the reason is still unclear, bowel cancer is rapidly increasing in young people around the world. From the early 1990s to 2018, the number of bowel cancer diagnoses among UK adults aged 25 to 49 increased by 22%.

More than half of colon cancer can be prevented through changes in diet and lifestyle. Maintaining a healthy weight, consuming fiber, reducing alcohol consumption, reducing physical activity, and quitting smoking can help reduce the risk of colon cancer. Diet is especially important. One in five cases of colon cancer is related to eating too much red or processed meat.

There has been previous research suggesting that dairy products may help prevent bowel cancer, but the evidence was inconclusive. For this study, researchers at the University of Oxford used dietary data collected from more than 540,000 women over 17 years to examine how 97 foods, drinks and nutrients affected the risk of bowel cancer.

The study found compelling evidence that calcium may protect against bowel cancer and confirmed that alcohol, red meat and processed meat increase the risk of developing bowel cancer. 20 grams of alcohol per day (the equivalent of a large glass of wine) is associated with a 15 percent increased risk of colon cancer, and 30 grams of red or processed meat per day is associated with an 8 percent increased risk of colon cancer.

Although the study focused on postmenopausal women, Papier notes that the protective effects of calcium are expected to also apply to men and younger people. He reasoned, “Calcium may bind to bile acids and free fatty acids in the colon, reducing their potential to cause colon cancer.”

The paper can be found at the following link (