If you grew up with gallons in the fridge and a glass of milk on the table every morning, you probably already know that cow’s milk contains many nutrients that can support your bone health. Each glass of milk contains a high amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamin B12, all of which can help maintain strong, healthy bones. Plus, if you buy your milk at the grocery store, you’ll also get vitamin D in every sip.
But healthy bones aren’t the only benefit of drinking cow’s milk. There is also evidence that drinking one cup of milk per day is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, obesity, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and colorectal cancer.
This may surprise some, as we have often heard that milk is inflammatory, in part because of its saturated fat content, since we know that too much saturated fat can be inflammatory. And while the research is mixed, plenty of evidence leans in the opposite direction, suggesting that the type of saturated fat found in dairy isn’t as harmful as other types of saturated fat.
Of course, if you’re allergic to milk, then it’s inflammatory for you. This allergy, however, has more to do with the proteins present in the milk than with the type of fat. The situation is similar with milk sensitivities, although it is not necessarily the milk that causes the inflammation. Some experts believe that some people become sensitive to milk and other dairy products when there is underlying low-grade inflammation in the body. And it’s this inflammation that makes people more sensitive to certain foods, particularly dairy.
Chronic inflammation is the cause of most chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and cancer. This link was particularly evident in a study we previously discussed, in which scientists directly studied colorectal cancer tumors and found that these tumors were in a state of chronic inflammation.
Aside from skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed type of cancer among men and women in the United States. It is therefore important to find effective treatments, as well as ways to prevent it, which brings us back to milk. If milk is potentially anti-inflammatory, could people who drink it regularly reduce their risk of colorectal cancer?
There is already evidence linking milk consumption to reduced risk of colorectal cancer, so researchers in the US, UK and Australia have teamed up to take a closer look. they could reproduce what has already been suggested. They published their findings in the January 2025 edition of Natural communication. Here’s what they found.
How was this study carried out?
The researchers drew data from a large prospective study conducted in the United Kingdom, called the Million Women Study. More than 1.3 million British women aged an average of 56 years were recruited into the study between 1996 and 2001 and have been followed since, including completing questionnaires updated every 3 to 5 years.
Although more than a million women participated in the Million Women Study, these researchers only selected 542,778 participants to see if there was a link between their eating habits and colorectal cancer risk. These women completed food frequency questionnaires approximately three years after the start of the study and completed a 24-hour dietary questionnaire online approximately 10 years later. They were also tracked by electronic health records containing information the National Health Service regularly collects on cancer and deaths. Specifically, the researchers were looking for medically coded classifications of colorectal cancer diagnoses, as well as deaths related to these diagnoses.
Using dietary questionnaires and medical diagnoses, researchers studied nearly 100 dietary factors to see if there was a link between each food and colorectal cancer.
What did this study reveal?
The researchers performed several statistical analyses, including Mendelian randomization, which takes genetic differences into account. Here are some of their findings.
First, like previous studies, they found that alcohol and red and processed meats were most strongly associated with colorectal cancer. Specifically, for every 30 grams (about 1 ounce) of red and processed meat consumed per day, the risk of colorectal cancer was increased by 8%. Considering a typical serving size is around 100 grams, this equates to an increased risk of around 29% if you eat red or processed meat every day. Importantly, they found a stronger association for processed meat than for red meat.
Regarding alcohol consumption, they found a 15% higher risk of colorectal cancer for every 20 grams of alcohol consumed per day. In the United States, a standard drink contains about 14 grams, or about 0.6 fluid ounces, of pure alcohol. This is the amount of alcohol contained in:
- A 12-ounce can of regular beer at 5% alcohol by volume
- A 5-ounce glass of wine at 12% alcohol by volume
- A 1.5 ounce shot glass of distilled spirits at 40% alcohol by volume
They also found inverse relationships with other foods and colorectal cancer, including foods high in fiber, such as fruits and whole grains, and foods high in vitamin C and folate. By including these types of foods in your eating habits, your risk of colorectal cancer may decrease.
Significantly, researchers also found that all dairy-containing foods except cheese and ice cream were inversely associated with colorectal cancer. Specifically, they found a 17% reduced risk of colorectal cancer for every 300 mg of calcium consumed per day. This means that if you drink about one cup of milk per day, which contains about 300 mg of calcium, you can reduce your risk of colorectal cancer by about 17%.
Researchers hypothesize that the protective role of milk and dairy products may be due to its calcium content and that calcium may protect against colorectal cancer due to its ability to bind to bile acids and free fatty acids. of the colon, thus reducing their potential carcinogenic effects. They also claim that if calcium is not the reason for the reduction, it could be due to other components of dairy products, including conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), butyric acid and sphingomyelin, which inhibit all the growth of chemical substances. -cancer cells induced in the colon in animal studies.
How does this apply to real life?
In a nutshell: If you want to reduce your risk of colorectal cancer, drink milk and avoid alcohol. It’s also important to monitor your intake of processed meats. This includes cold cuts, sausages, bacon, pepperoni, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and ham. Processed meats don’t just increase the risk of colorectal cancer. They have also been implicated in increasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Some researchers have even linked eating processed meat to an increased risk of dementia.
The study authors note that they were unable to study the link between calcium supplements and colorectal cancer — and previous studies are mixed. If possible, get your calcium through food. If you don’t like or can’t tolerate milk, there are many other foods that contain calcium. These include firm tofu, yogurt, kefir, almond milk, almonds, calcium-fortified orange juice, soy milk, canned sardines, or salmon and oat milk .
Looking at the bigger picture, another new study found that adopting healthy eating habits, maintaining a healthy weight, maintaining physical activity and adopting health-conscious habits, including avoiding tobacco and moderating alcohol consumption, are collectively associated with a lower risk of CRC. This emphasizes a holistic approach to health rather than just one aspect to reduce the risk of disease.
The essentials
This study found that by drinking one cup of milk per day, women can reduce their risk of colorectal cancer by about 17%. On the other hand, frequent consumption of alcohol and processed meats is likely to increase the risk of colorectal cancer and other diseases. It’s also important to include plenty of fiber in your diet, which has also been linked to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.
And since proper hydration helps fiber do its job, be sure to drink plenty of water, too. Physical activity also helps move things through your intestines and has also been linked to a lower risk of colorectal cancer.
