Aug 16, 2005 – Drinking milk may increase your chances of developing ovarian cancer. So say researchers from the Karolinska Institute, one of Sweden’s leading medical research centers, who have scrutinized the results of epidemiological studies.1.
The results of three cohort studies indicate that an increase in lactose consumption of the order of 10 g per day (the equivalent of a glass of whole milk) would increase the relative risk by about 13%, which is modest, but still significant.
The researchers mention, however, that the results of 18 observational studies (case-control studies) have not made it possible to confirm this effect of dairy products in general or lactose in particular, except for the consumption of whole milk which would be associated with a small increase in the incidence of ovarian cancer.
The same group of researchers published a 13-year study of 61,084 Swedish women last year.2. According to the results, consuming four or more servings of dairy products per day doubled the risk of developing ovarian cancer compared to consuming less than two servings per day.
According to these researchers themselves, the results of epidemiological studies must be questioned. More research is needed before recommending that women reduce their intake of dairy products.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, 2,400 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed in Canadian women this year, and 1,550 will die from it.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
According to BBC News and The Gazette
1. Larsson SC, Orsini N, Wolk A. Milk, milk products and lactose intake and ovarian cancer risk: A meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.Int J Cancer. 2005 Jul 28; [Epub ahead of print]
2. Larsson SC, Bergkvist L, Wolk A. Milk and lactose intakes and ovarian cancer risk in the Swedish Mammography Cohort.Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Nov; 80 (5): 1353-7.