Illness Researcher

Dairy products

Suggested

2 studies · 1 recommendation

Last updated: February 25, 2026

Dairy products – Colorectal Cancer
Suggested2 studies

Dairy consumption linked to reduced colorectal cancer risk across large-scale studies

Two major studies encompassing over 114,000 participants support an inverse association between dairy intake and colorectal cancer risk. A prospective cohort analysis from the UK Biobank found that protein from dairy products and milk was inversely associated with colorectal cancer, with the protective effect persisting even after accounting for IGF-I concentrations — suggesting alternative biological mechanisms beyond growth factor pathways. An umbrella review consolidating multiple large-scale meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies identified the dairy–colorectal cancer relationship as one of the strongest and most consistent cancer-protective dietary associations in the literature. The pooled evidence across both observational and aggregated analyses consistently demonstrates reduced colorectal cancer risk with higher dairy consumption, positioning dairy products as a meaningful component of a cancer-risk-reducing dietary pattern.

Evidence

Diet, metabolic mediators, and cancer risk

Authors: Watling, Cody

Published: July 13, 2023

In a prospective cohort analysis of approximately 114,000 UK Biobank participants, protein from all dairy products and milk were inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk. Although dairy protein intake was positively associated with circulating IGF-I concentrations (assessed in 438,453 participants), and IGF-I has been linked to colorectal cancer risk, IGF-I concentrations did not appear to explain the inverse dairy-colorectal cancer association, suggesting alternative protective mechanisms.

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Milk and dairy products: good or bad for human health? An assessment of the totality of scientific evidence

Authors: Abargouei AS, Abrams SA, Ahearn TU, Alexander DD, Anne Raben, Arne Astrup, Astrup A, Astrup A, Astrup A, Aune D, Aune D, Aune D, Beavers KM, Beavers KM, Bendtsen LQ, Bergholdt HK, Berneis KK, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Bolland MJ, Booth AO, Bácsi K, Cauley JA, Chen M, Chowdhury R, de Goede J, Dietz WH, Doidge JC, Dong JY, Dror DK, Ellis D, Frid AH, Gao D, Genkinger JM, Gijsbers L, Gilbert JA, Heyman MB, Hjerpsted J, Holt PR, Holt PR, Host A, Hou R, Hu D, Huncharek M, Huncharek M, Huth PJ, Ian Givens, Jakobsen MU, Ji J, Kalkwarf HJ, Kanis JA, Karagas MR, Keum N, Krauss RM, Laaksonen MA, Lamprecht SA, Larsson SC, Latino-Martel P, Le Louer B, Li F, Lorenzen JK, Lu L, Maersk M, Maghsoudi Z, Mao QQ, Merritt MA, Michaelsson K, Mora S, Mursu J, Musunuru K, Newmark HL, Nilsson M, O'Sullivan TA, Onning G, Paganini-Hill A, Park YW, Power ML, Qin LQ, Raziani F, Rice BH, Rideout TC, Rizzoli R, Roddam AW, Rozen P, Sabita S. Soedamah-Muthu, Savaiano DA, Schoemaker AA, Sieber R, Sjogren P, Soedamah-Muthu SS, Soedamah-Muthu SS, Soerensen KV, St-Pierre AC, Tanja Kongerslev Thorning, Thorning TK, Tine Tholstrup, Tong X, Travis RC, Wang C, Weaver CM, Yang Y, Yu Y, Zang J, Zheng H

Published: January 1, 2016

This umbrella review assessed meta-analyses of observational studies examining dairy intake and cancer risk. Milk and dairy intake was inversely associated with colorectal cancer, representing one of the strongest and most consistent cancer-protective associations identified. The pooled evidence from multiple large-scale meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies demonstrated a reduced risk of colorectal cancer with higher dairy consumption, supporting dairy as a component of a cancer-risk-reducing dietary pattern.

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