Daily glass of milk helps prevent bowel cancer - but another drink increases risk
Share:
Scientists believe calcium could be key to preventing bowel cancer after a study found people drinking a glass of milk a day are less likely to develop the disease. A huge 17-year study of over half a million women showed 12,251 women developed bowel cancer. An extra 300mg of calcium per day - equivalent to a large 240ml glass of milk or a couple of pots of yoghurt - led to a 17% decrease in the risk of bowel cancer. But the study showed 20g of alcohol a day - around a medium glass of wine or a pint of beer - increases the risk of bowel cancer by 15%. Red meat raised the risk of bowel cancer, with 30g more per day linked to an 8% increase in risk.
Lead researcher Dr Keren Papier, said: "This is the most comprehensive single study ever conducted into the relationship between diet and bowel cancer, and it highlights the protective role of calcium in the development of this disease.". Bowel cancer, which causes common symptoms and so is hard to diagnose, now kills almost 17,000 Brits each year and is increasing in the under 50s. Studies are ongoing to work out why more younger people are developing bowel cancer, but experts believe poor diet, more ultra-processed foods, obesity and a lack of exercise are playing a role.
One in 20 women and one in 17 men in the UK will be diagnosed with bowel cancer in their lifetime. It is the third most common cancer in the UK and is the same type that killed TV presenter Dame Deborah James at age 40 in 2022. Early onset bowel cancer in those aged 25 to 49 is increasing globally, but England is among the countries with the biggest rise, averaging a 3.6% increase every year.
