People who have high levels of high-fat dairy foods
and conjugated linoleic acid, a component of dairy foods,
in their diet may have a reduced risk of colorectal cancer,
according to a report in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition.
"High-fat dairy, and not only low-fat dairy, may be
beneficial," Dr. Susanna C. Larsson from Karolinska Institute,
Stockholm stated.
Larsson and colleagues examined the association between
long-term consumption of high-fat dairy foods and the
rate of colorectal cancer among more than 60,000 women
between 40 and 76 years old who participated in the Swedish
Mammography Cohort.
Women who consumed at least four servings per day of
high-fat dairy foods had a 41-percent lower risk of colorectal
cancer than did women who consumed less than one serving
of high-fat dairy foods per day, the authors report.
The association remained after accounting for other risk
factors, including alcohol consumption, family history
of colorectal cancer, smoking, physical activity, and
the use of multivitamin supplements, aspirin, oral contraceptives,
and postmenopausal hormones.
Further analysis of the data identified a relationship
between levels of high-fat dairy food in the diet and
extent of colorectal cancer risk, with each additional
two servings of high-fat dairy foods reducing the risk
of colorectal cancer by 13 percent.
The lowest risk of colorectal cancer was associated with
high consumption of cheese, the results indicate.
Increased dietary linoleic acid levels also correlated
with decreased colorectal cancer risk, the investigators
observed. Subjects who had the highest levels of dietary
linoleic acid had a 29-percent reduction in risk compared
with subjects who had the lowest levels of linoleic acid.
"More research on conjugated linoleic acid and high-fat
dairy foods in relation to colorectal cancer as well as
other cancers and diseases are needed before we can recommend
increased consumption of high-fat dairy," Larsson added.
SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, October
2005.
Reference
Source 89
November
23, 2005
