Nonfat, Low-Fat Milk Linked to Cancer

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Nonfat, Low-Fat Milk Linked to Cancer

Reuters

Posted: 2008-01-02 21:46:27

Filed Under: Health News

NEW YORK (Jan. 2) - The amount of calcium and vitamin D in the diet appears to

have little or no impact on the risk of prostate cancer, but the consumption of

low-fat or nonfat milk may increase the risk of the malignancy, according to the

results of two studies published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

 

Dietary calcium and dairy products have been thought to increase the risk of

prostate cancer by affecting vitamin D metabolism. Data from several prospective

studies have supported an association, but many other studies have failed to

establish a link.

To explore this topic further, Dr. Song-Yi Park, from the University of Hawaii

in Honolulu, and colleagues, analyzed data from subjects enrolled in the

Multiethnic Cohort Study. This study, conducted between 1993 and 2002, included

adults between 45 and 75 years old, were primarily from five different ethnic or

racial groups, and lived in California or Hawaii.

 

A total of 82,483 men from the study completed a quantitative food frequency

questionnaire and various factors, such as weight, smoking status, and education

levels were also noted, Park's group said.

During an average follow-up period of 8 years, 4,404 men developed prostate

cancer. There was no evidence that calcium or vitamin D from any source

increased the risk of prostate cancer. This held true across all racial and

ethnic groups.

 

In an overall analysis of food groups, the consumption of dairy products and

milk were not associated with prostate cancer risk, the authors found. Further

analysis, however, suggested that low-fat or nonfat milk did increase the risk

of localized tumors or non-aggressive tumors, while whole milk decreased this

risk.

 

In a similar analysis, Dr. Yikyung Park, from the National Cancer Institute at

National Institutes (NIH) of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues

investigated the relationship of calcium and vitamin D and prostate cancer in

293,888 men enrolled in the NIH-American Association of Retired Persons Diet and

Health Study, conducted between 1995 and 2001. The average follow-up period was

6 years.

 

No link between total or supplemental dietary calcium and the total number of

non-advanced prostate cancer cases was noted. Total calcium intake was tied to

advanced and fatal disease, but both associations fell short of statistical

significance.

 

Similar to the first study's findings, skim milk was linked with advanced

prostate cancer. Calcium from non-dairy food, by contrast, was tied to a reduced

risk of non-advanced prostate cancer.

 

" Our findings do not provide strong support for the hypothesis that calcium and

dairy foods increase the risk of prostate cancer. The results from other

large...studies, with adequate numbers of advanced and fatal prostate cancers,

may shed further light on this question, " Park's team concludes.

 

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, December 1, 2008.

 

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