Nutrition & Diet Study: lactose intolerance means lower cancer risk

[Second Summer]

People with lactose intolerance have lower risk for certain types of cancer, according to a study by a team of researchers at Lund University in Sweden. Lactose intolerant people have a decreased risk of lung cancer, ovarian cancer and breast cancer, but the decreased risks were not found in their family members, suggesting that the protective effects against these cancers may be related to their specific dietary pattern.

The study was published in the British Journal of Cancer, 14. Oct. 2014.
http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/bjc2014544a.html

 

[Clueless Git]

Out of all the different kinds of gender neutral cancers they could have chosen 2 out of the 3 cancers they chose to monitor are unique to females.

I'm wondering if they had some inkling that milk consumption is more likely to cause cancer in wimmin.

If they did then my guess would be that reasonably strong links twix the estrogen pumped into the dairy herds and increased cancer risks to our already estrogen laden lady folks are already in existence.

 

[Clueless Git]

Wording is interesting as well ...

They do mention that the lactose intolerant consume less dairy.

The overall wording seems to designed to keep the focus on lactose intolerance reducing cancer risk rather than simply on milk consumption increasing it, though.

Message to be read is "Not lactose intolerant, darling? Unlucky! Your extra risk of cancer is totaly unavoidable so just keep on chugging the cow-pus."

 

[Second Summer]

Wording is interesting as well ...

They do mention that the lactose intolerant consume less dairy.

The overall wording seems to designed to keep the focus on lactose intolerance reducing cancer risk rather than simply on milk consumption increasing it, though.

Message to be read is "Not lactose intolerant, darling? Unlucky! Your extra risk of cancer is totaly unavoidable so just keep on chugging the cow-pus."

I think they want to be careful and not write a conclusion that goes any further than what their data supports. It's still possible that it's the genetic mutation that codes for lactose intolerance itself that somehow directly protects against these cancers. Or perhaps that lactose intolerant people tend to eat less (because there is less for them to eat), thereby avoiding excess weight to a larger extent.

If they did a follow-up study on people who didn't consume dairy for reasons other than lactose intolerance (such as vegans), then they would be in a stronger position. But then they need to find a number of vegans greater than 5, which is the typical number of vegans in studies like these.

 

[Clueless Git]

I think they want to be careful and not write a conclusion that goes any further than what their data supports. It's still possible that it's the genetic mutation that codes for lactose intolerance itself that somehow directly protects against these cancers. Or perhaps that lactose intolerant people tend to eat less (because there is less for them to eat), thereby avoiding excess weight to a larger extent.

If they did a follow-up study on people who didn't consume dairy for reasons other than lactose intolerance (such as vegans), then they would be in a stronger position. But then they need to find a number of vegans greater than 5, which is the typical number of vegans in studies like these.

One small thing there ...

It's lactose tolerance that is actualy the genetic mutation.

Lapping the lactation's leaked from the udders of other species mothers simply isn't natural.

According to wiki lactose intolerance runs as high as 90% in countries where industrialised bovine abuse is less of a long standing dietary abomination.

 

[flyingsnail]

Lapping the lactation's leaked from the udders of other species mothers simply isn't natural
.

And selectively breeding and harvesting crops is? Humans aren't the only species to exploit other animals for their secretions.

If they did a follow-up study on people who didn't consume dairy for reasons other than lactose intolerance (such as vegans), then they would be in a stronger position. But then they need to find a number of vegans greater than 5, which is the typical number of vegans in studies like these.

Or people with a dairy allergy. You could just track dairy intake in northern Europeans, which are almost all lactose tolerant, and see what relationships you find.

Anyhow, dairy has been most linked to reproductive related cancers, perhaps due to the hormones in it, which is probably why they tracked them.