Can Milk Lower a Woman's Risk of Colorectal Cancer? New Study Says Yes

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"Dairy products (including evidence for total dairy, milk and cheese, as well as dietary calcium) and calcium supplements probably decrease the risk of colorectal cancer," Oxford University and Cancer Research U.K. claimed in the study, which followed health patterns of more than 542,000 women over 16 years.

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One of the top researchers, Dr. Keren Papier, told the BBC how their findings "highlight the potential protective role of dairy, largely due to calcium, in the development of bowel cancer."

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However, this doesn't mean you should scarf down anything and everything. "Of the dairy-related foods and nutrients examined in the present study, all were inversely associated with risk of colorectal cancer, except for cheese and ice cream," the study made clear.

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The research also found that calcium acts as a protectant because it binds to bile acids and free fatty acids in the colon.

"We conclude that dairy products help protect against colorectal cancer," the report stated. "And that this is driven largely or wholly by calcium."

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Elsewhere in the study, researchers found an 8 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer in people who maintain "higher red and processed meat consumption" and noted "a larger association for processed meat than for red meat."

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Luckily, milk isn't the only food sufficient for calcium if you don't like consuming animal products in your diet. "If you don't drink dairy milk, there are other ways you can get calcium," Dr. Lisa Wilde, from the charity Bowel Cancer U.K., explained.