Dairy hits rock bottom
Evidence linking dairy and cancer adulthood is increasing, but childhood dairy consumption and cancer has not been widely studied. New research looked at the diets of just under 5,000 children from England and Scotland during the late 1930s. In this group, 770 cancer cases occurred between 1948 and 2005. This study revealed that high childhood dairy intake was associated with a near-tripling in the risk of bowel cancer. It was concluded that a family diet rich in dairy products during childhood is associated with a greater risk of bowel cancer in adulthood.
Van der Pols JC, Bain C, Gunnell D, Smith GD, Frobisher C, Martin RM. 2007. Childhood dairy intake and adult cancer risk: 65-y follow-up of the Boyd Orr cohort. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 86 (6) 1722-1729.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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