New study associates intake of dairy milk with greater risk of prostate cancer

Males with increased intakes of dairy meals, particularly milk, face a considerably increased danger of prostate most cancers in comparison with males with decrease intakes, in accordance with a brand new research carried out by researchers at Loma Linda College Well being. The research discovered no such associations between elevated prostate most cancers danger and consumption of non-dairy calcium, suggesting substances aside from calcium play a task within the danger dairy meals poses for prostate most cancers.

“Our findings add vital weight to different proof associating dairy merchandise, quite than non-dairy calcium, as a modifiable danger issue for prostate most cancers,” mentioned Gary Fraser, MBChB, Ph.D., the research’s principal investigator and professor at Loma Linda College College of Medication and College of Public Well being.

The research’s outcomes reveal that males who consumed about 430 grams of dairy per day (1 ¾ cups of milk) confronted a 25% elevated danger of prostate most cancers in comparison with males who consumed solely 20.2 grams of dairy per day (1/2 cup of milk per week). Additionally, males who consumed about 430 grams of dairy per day confronted a good higher enhance in danger when in comparison with males with zero dairy consumption of their diets.

Fraser famous that the outcomes had minimal variation when evaluating consumption of full fats versus lowered or nonfat milks; there have been no vital associations reported with cheese and yogurt.

Fraser and co-authors revealed the research “Dairy meals, calcium intakes, and danger of incident prostate most cancers in Adventist Well being Research–2,” right now within the American Journal of Medical Vitamin.

The research evaluated dietary intakes of over 28,000 North American males with a variety of dairy and calcium publicity, all of whom had been initially freed from most cancers. Dietary intakes had been estimated from meals frequency questionnaires (FFQ) and repeated 24-hour remembers. A baseline questionnaire included demographics, household historical past of prostate most cancers, bodily exercise, alcohol consumption, prostate most cancers screening, and BMI.

Researchers then used most cancers state registries to observe up on the individuals’ prostate most cancers standing for a mean time of almost eight years. By the top of the research interval, state most cancers registries reported 1,254 new prostate most cancers circumstances among the many individuals throughout follow-up.

As a part of their evaluation, Fraser mentioned he and co-authors separated non-dairy calcium consumption (from nuts, seeds, cruciferous and different inexperienced greens, legumes, fruits, and fortified cereals) from dairy meals consumption. They used a statistical mannequin to give attention to the consumption of dairy meals regardless of different elements like non-dairy calcium consumption, household historical past of prostate most cancers, race, or age.

The character of the massive, numerous cohort positioned research authors in a strong place to evaluate these variations, Fraser mentioned. “As a result of our research cohort confirmed a terrific disparity and divergence of dairy consumption and calcium ranges, we might ask the query with uncommon energy.”

Fraser says one fascinating issue to notice is that outcomes didn’t present a uniform rise in danger in males with incrementally extra dairy consumption. In different phrases, growing dairy consumption by 50-gram increments didn’t yield the identical danger will increase because the parts grew bigger and bigger.

“Many of the persevering with enhance in danger is completed with by the point you get to 150 grams, about two-thirds of a cup of milk per day,” Fraser mentioned. “It is virtually as if some organic or biochemical pathway is saturated at about two-thirds of a cup of milk per day.”

Prior research could have missed the curvilinear impact or non-uniform rise in danger between dairy consumption and prostate most cancers if most of these individuals already drank multiple cup of milk per day. Nonetheless, this research’s cohort allowed researchers to match an intensive vary of dairy consumption, together with very low ranges.

Knowledge offered little proof of an affiliation between calcium consumption and incident prostate most cancers. “One interpretation is that dairy meals, or some carefully related unknown danger issue, are causally associated to the danger of prostate most cancers,” the research acknowledged.

Fraser mentioned the attainable causes for these associations between prostate most cancers and dairy milk may be the intercourse hormone content material of dairy milk. As much as 75% of lactating dairy cows are pregnant, and prostate most cancers is a hormone-responsive most cancers. Additional, prior stories have related consumption of dairy and different animal proteins with increased blood ranges of a hormone, insulin-like progress factor-1 (IGF-1), which is believed to advertise sure cancers, together with prostate.

A previous research from Adventist Well being Research-2 in regards to the results of dairy on breast most cancers danger in ladies reported related outcomes each within the non-uniform danger with elevated consumption ranges and within the magnitude of danger, Fraser mentioned.

“The parallels between our breast most cancers in ladies paper a yr in the past and this paper referring to males, are placing,” he mentioned. “It appears attainable that the identical organic mechanisms are at work.” Nonetheless, Fraser says this research doesn’t but conclusively point out that milk causes prostate most cancers.

As additional research examine how dairy consumption might enhance prostate most cancers danger, Fraser advises that prudent males with a household historical past of prostate most cancers or other risk factors would “be cautious” about consuming even average ranges of dairy milk as a part of their food plan till that is clarified.

“If you happen to suppose you are at higher-than-average danger, contemplate the alternate options of soy, oat, cashew, and different non-dairy milks,” he mentioned.

The research is a part of the Adventist Health Study-2, a long-term well being research exploring the hyperlinks between way of life, food plan, and illness amongst members of the Seventh-day Adventist church. The Adventist Well being Research is funded partly via the generosity of the Ardmore Institute of Well being.

Offered by
Loma Linda College Adventist Well being Sciences Middle