Lactose intolerant people less likely to get cancer

People who have lactose intolerance can’t digest lactose, the sugar in milk, and therefore have to avoid dairy products. As milk and dairy products consumption has been suggested to play a role in the development of some types of cancer, Swedish scientists decided to do a population study and investigate whether lactose intolerant people get less cancer. The cancer types in question were lung, breast and ovary. The researchers identified nearly 23,000 lactose intolerant people through health registers and compared their lung, breast and ovary cancer incidence with that of general population. And their predictions about lower cancer risk in people with dairy-free lifestyle were correct – the results showed that the risk of lung cancer was 45 per cent lower, breast cancer 21 per cent lower and ovary cancer 39 per cent lower in lactose-intolerant individuals. To investigate the role of genetics, the study also looked at cancer incidence in the families of these people but it turned out it was the diet that played the main role. The relatives of the lactose-intolerant people had similar cancer rates as the general population. The authors of the study suggested that three main factors might be to blame for dairy products increasing cancer risk – dairy products can contain high amounts of fats, particularly saturated fat, and some growth factors, such as insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). These dietary components have been linked to the development of various types of cancers. The third factor they mentioned is that avoidance of milk may alter the gut bacteria, encouraging a ‘friendly’ environment that can contribute to better overall health. Get more information on preventing and beating breast cancer through diet in our guide A Fighting Chance

_{Ji J, Sundquist J and Sundquist K, 2015. Lactose intolerance and risk of lung, breast and ovarian cancers: aetiological clues from a population-based study in Sweden. British Journal of Cancer. 112 (1) 149-152.}