Lactose intolerants at lower risk of certain cancers: Study

A few days ago I posted study that found that high milk consumption was linked to higher mortality, and found that this did not hold for milk products with low lactose content. This study doesn't mention studying that, so it is possible the harmful effect in this case would not be shown in people who eat the equivalent amount of fermented milk products, such as yogurt. Another possibility I did not see mentioned is whether there is a difference between those who drink full-fat and reduced fat milk. A high fat diet is known to increase the risk of these cancers.

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 4-Nov-2014

Contact: Jianguang Ji
Lund University
Lactose intolerants at lower risk of certain cancers: Study

People with lactose intolerance are at lower risk of suffering from lung, breast and ovarian cancers, according to a new study by researchers at Lund University and Region Skåne in Sweden.

"We found that people with lactose intolerance, who typically consume low amounts of milk and other dairy products, have a reduced risk of lung, breast and ovarian cancers", says Jianguang Ji, Associate Professor at Lund University and researcher at the Center for Primary Care Research in Malmö.

"The risk of cancer was not reduced in relatives of people with lactose intolerance, which indicates that protection against these cancers is related to diet. However, it would be wrong to conclude that milk is a risk factor for these cancers", emphasises Jianguang Ji.

There are large differences in the incidence of breast and ovarian cancers between different countries. Their incidence is highest in North America, Western Europe and the Nordic countries, and lowest in East Asia and Central African countries. Studies of immigrants and twins suggest this worldwide variation is more down to environmental factors than to genetic or ethnic factors.

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Factors such as lower calorie intake of because of low milk consumption and protective factors in plant-based milk drinks may contribute to the observed negative association between lactose intolerance and the studied cancers.

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