The consumption of low-fat dairy products can lower the risk of breast cancer, suggests a study published by researchers at Laval University and the Research Center.
In premenopausal women, eating 14 or more servings of lean dairy products per week was associated with a 7% lower breast density than those who took fewer than three.
“What we have shown is that in premenopausal women, the consumption of low-fat dairy products was associated with a decrease in breast density, whereas for dairy products that were high in fat, there was a mammary density that was increased in our population,” said researcher Elizabeth Canitrot.
Breast density is one of the major risk factors for breast cancer.
“Breast density reflects the relative abundance of glands and ducts in the breast tissue,” according to study leader Professor Caroline Diorio of the Faculty of Medicine at Laval University.
The higher the breast density, the greater the risk of developing breast cancer.
Caroline Diorio
The researchers recruited 1,546 women, including 775 who had not reached menopause by the time they presented for a mammogram.
Participants agreed to complete a food frequency questionnaire on their drinking and food consumption patterns over the past year.
The protective effect of daily consumption of at least two lean dairy products in premenopausal women would be comparable to that of tamoxifen, a drug that reduces the risk of breast cancer by 50% in women who may develop this disease. .
In contrast, the researchers found a higher breast density of 4% in women who consume a lot of high-fat dairy products compared to those who consume little or none at all.
However, Canitrot warns that it is impossible to conclude from this study that the protective effect observed is attributable to low-fat dairy products.
“This is one of the limits of our study,” she admitted.
We are exclusively interested in dairy products, we do not look at the diet in general, but indeed, it is quite possible that it is the marker of a particular diet, lower in fat. It would be interesting to watch it.
Caroline Diorio
The findings of this study are published by the medical journal Anticancer Research.
Kathy Ottowell is a seasoned journalist with nearly 15 years experience. While studying business at London Business School, Kathy conducted numerous research studies how social media advertising has changed the landscape of traditional PR. As a contributor to Tech Driod, Kathy covers health and science stories.
