DFC comments on new study regarding milk and breast cancer risk

Article 2 min

New study could be misleading

By DFC - PLC, Communications Team

Highlights

  • According to the World Cancer Research Fund the sum of the evidence suggests that total dairy product consumption is either not associated with risk of breast cancer or may reduce the risk of breast cancer.
  • Other seminal studies echo these conclusions.

A new study was recently published looking at the associations between dairy consumption and breast cancer risk. DFC is concerned that the findings of this study could be misleading.

The authors themselves note a number of limitations of the study, as follows:

  • “weaknesses of this study are its observational design and possible residual confounding between dairy and unmeasured factors, despite extensive covariate adjustment.”
  • “causality specifically attributable to dairy products is not proven by this work.”

According to the World Cancer Research Fund, which is considered the authority on diet, weight, physical activity and cancer risk, the sum of the evidence suggests that total dairy product consumption is either not associated with risk of breast cancer or may reduce the risk of breast cancer. Milk is specifically not associated with risk in both pre and post-menopausal women.

Other seminal studies echo these conclusions. A 2015 meta-analysis of prospective cohort and case control studies by Zang et al – which included more than 1.6 million participants – indicated that milk is either not associated with risk of breast cancer or is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Here are a few additional resources on diet and breast cancer as well as scientific evidence around the role of dairy and some of its key nutrients and breast cancer risk.

 

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