Dairy Part 2: Cancer

Dairy may increase one's risk of prostate cancer.

It's a scary prospect, isn't it? This tremendous "health food" causing cancer? How could that be? But the government said it was healthy!

Prostate Cancer

In a 2008 study on 142,251 men in Europe, the relationship between the consumption of animal foods, protein and calcium versus one's risk of prostate cancer was studied. After an average of 8.7 years, what was found? Those who consumed the most dairy products had the highest risk of this cancer (2727 incident cases of prostate cancer, 541 of which were advanced-stage disease). (I find it ironic that calcium from dairy products was also positively associated with risk, but not calcium from other foods... I think of all the poor men blindly following the governments recommendation to eat 3-A Day for "strong bones," all the while increasing their chances of prostate cancer...)

This study observed inverse associations with higher intakes of plant foods.

This in particular concerns me. My father is an avid dairy eater... He eats several servings of sour cream, buttermilk and/or skim milk, cheese and blue cheese dressing every day while shunning most plant foods (besides potatoes, of course). He's really worrying me.

Next up: What,exactly, is in that glass of milk and lactose intolerance.