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Prostate cancer risk could be increased by high dairy consumption says US study

High dairy consumption has been linked to increased prostate cancer risk – but the study's methods have been challenged
High dairy consumption has been linked to increased prostate cancer risk – but the study's methods have been challenged High dairy consumption has been linked to increased prostate cancer risk – but the study's methods have been challenged

EATING high levels of dairy products may be linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to new research.

Men who ate higher amounts of dairy were between 7 per cent and 76 per cent more likely to develop the disease, a US study found. Experts at the Mayo clinic in Chicago reviewed 47 studies, with more than a million participants, to better understand the risks of prostate cancer associated with plant and animal-based foods.

Two meta-analyses and seven cohort studies on dairy consumption found the men had an increased risk of between 7 per cent and 76 per cent of developing prostate cancer. However, other studies did not find a link.

Researchers found a decreased risk of developing the disease in vegetarians and vegans.

John Shin, MD, lead author of the study, published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, said the findings supported "a growing body of evidence on the potential benefits of plant-based diets".

Dairy products are rich in calcium and the researchers suggest the mineral may play a role in the link between higher consumption and increased risk. But they caution that more research is needed to determine the nature of the associations found.

Tom Sanders, professor emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics, King's College London, said there were "weaknesses" in the methods used in the study.

He said: "Vegans have about a 35 per cent lower risk of prostate cancer than meat-eaters but this may reflect the fact they are usually much lighter than meat-eaters rather than the absence of dairy foods from their diets.

"It is notable that the incidence of prostate cancer is much higher in black men of African ethnic origin, who generally consume few dairy products, compared with white men.

"The prevalence of prostate cancer has increased markedly in south-east and east Asia, where few dairy products are consumed."

Jemma Crew (PA)