Consuming Yogurt May Reduce the Risk of Certain Types of Colon Cancer
Individuals consuming at least two servings of yogurt weekly experienced a 20 percent reduction in the rate of a certain type of tumor.
According to a recent study tracking over 130,000 health care professionals for decades, yogurt may lower the risk of a specific kind of colon cancer by 20 percent.
Those who included a minimum of two servings of yogurt in their weekly diet exhibited markedly reduced rates of colorectal cancer, likely due to gut microbiome changes.
The results highlight yogurt’s potential contribution to cancer prevention, as noted by the study’s authors.
Two or More Servings
The study, published in Gut Microbes, analyzed data from multiple studies that tracked participants for approximately fifty years.
The study did not find a statistically significant connection between yogurt consumption and overall colorectal cancer risk that could be deemed reliable (indicating the result might be coincidental). However, individuals consuming at least two yogurt servings weekly did show a 20 percent lower rate of a specific tumor type found on the right side of the colon, which tests positive for Bifidobacterium bacteria.
Right-sided tumors frequently exhibit fewer obvious symptoms, such as bleeding, resulting in later diagnoses when the cancer has potentially spread, often leading to worse survival rates.
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Participants tracked their yogurt consumption (both plain and flavored) every four years through a detailed food survey. However, the research did not indicate if certain types of yogurt provided a greater protective effect against colorectal cancer.
While no statistically significant links were found between long-term yogurt consumption and overall colorectal cancer rates, there was an association concerning bifidobacterium-positive tumors, with a noted 20 percent lowered incidence rate among participants ingesting two or more servings of yogurt each week.
Further Research Needed
“There has been a long-standing belief that yogurt and other fermented dairy products promote gastrointestinal health,” remarked Dr. Tomotaka Ugai, co-senior author from the pathology department at Mass General Brigham and the epidemiology department at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Our recent findings indicate that this protective effect may be particularly relevant to Bifidobacterium-positive tumors.”
Dr. Andrew T. Chan from Massachusetts General Hospital reiterated that this study reinforces the connection between diet, gut bacteria, and the risk of colorectal cancer. He added that it opens new paths for further research, especially regarding how these elements influence colorectal cancer risk among younger populations.
