Drinking Three Glasses of Milk Daily May Prevent Breast Cancer
Drinking Three Glasses of Milk Daily May Prevent Breast Cancer
According to a report by Xinhua Daily News, a large-scale study in Norway found that women who drink three or more glasses of milk daily have only half the risk of developing breast cancer compared to those who do not drink milk.
This study, published in the September issue of the International Journal of Cancer, tracked milk consumption habits among nearly 50,000 Norwegian women from childhood into adulthood.
The research team at the University of Oslo stated that women who drank milk from childhood had lower risks of breast cancer between ages 34–39, but no protective effect was observed after age 40, especially before age 49.
However, even after accounting for factors such as alcohol intake, age, weight, education level, and physical activity, women who consumed milk still had a lower risk of breast cancer than those who did not.
Margaret McDonald, Director of Nutrition at the Canadian Dairy Farmers Association, said women should drink more milk—a new piece of strong evidence.
Scientists believe the anti-cancer effect of milk comes from conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) found in milk fat. McDonald noted that scientific studies repeatedly confirm CLA acts as an anticancer agent in animals and inhibits breast cancer cells in humans.
She added that even without considering milk’s role in preventing breast cancer, its calcium content clearly helps prevent osteoporosis in women and others.