Drinking one glass of milk a day can significantly cut risk of bowel cancer, study finds

According to recent research, sipping on a single glass of milk each day could significantly slash your risk of bowel cancer. A joint study by Oxford University and Cancer Research UK discovered that incorporating just one daily glass of milk into your diet could cut the risk of bowel cancer by a whopping 17%.

Bowel cancer ranks as the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with an alarming surge in cases among younger individuals. As per Cancer Research UK, a healthier lifestyle could prevent a staggering 54% of all bowel cancers.

Factors such as smoking, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, eating processed meat, and an overall poor diet play a significant role in the development of this type of cancer.

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"As an oncologist, I advise my patients about how diet and lifestyle can influence health, including the risk of developing cancer. But this research – one of the largest studies into diet and disease so far – has shed new light on how easy, cheap diet changes can help everyone to reduce their cancer risk," Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University, said.

He added, "For example, as well as drinking an extra glass of milk per day, reducing consumption of alcohol and red and processed meat could also help protect against cancer. The study found that drinking an additional 20g of alcohol a day, equivalent to a large glass of wine, increased bowel cancer risk by 15%. Consuming more than 30g of red and processed meat daily was linked to an 8% increase in bowel cancer risk."

Gulping down an extra large glass of milk each day, that's about 244g for those keeping track, may slash your bowel cancer risk by a significant 17%, whether you're sipping whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed varieties.

Professor Stebbing noted: "Researchers found that the protective effect of milk consumption was independent of other dietary factors and lifestyle habits. This suggests that the benefits of milk in reducing bowel cancer risk are not because milk replaces unhealthy food choices or is consumed as part of an overall healthier lifestyle."

The study's team believes milk's cancer-thwarting superpowers come from its high calcium content; this vital mineral may combat cancer by attaching to dangerous elements in the gut and encouraging the demise of malignant cells.

"Many milk products are fortified with vitamin D, which has been shown to have anti-cancer properties and may help regulate cell growth and division. Also, the lactose in milk can promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria that produce butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid with anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Finally, milk contains conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid found in meat and dairy products, which, according to a 2021 labratory study, could also have anti-cancer properties," Professor Stebbing told The Conversation.

He added: "The finding that a relatively modest increase in daily milk consumption could lead to a significant reduction in bowel cancer risk is particularly encouraging. It suggests that small, achievable changes in diet could have meaningful impacts on public health.

"As we continue to unravel the complex relationships between diet and disease, studies like this one provide valuable insights that can inform both individual health choices and broader public health strategies. The potential for a simple dietary change to have such a significant impact on cancer risk underscores the importance of continued research in this field and highlights the power of nutrition in shaping our health," Stebbing said.