Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women worldwide and the leading cause of cancer death in this population. Every year, hundreds of thousands of women die from it, making it a major public health issue. Known risk factors include age, obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, a high-fat diet, alcohol consumption, as well as family history or genetic mutations. However, nearly one-third of cases could be prevented by addressing modifiable lifestyle habits, including diet.<\/p>\n
Milk and dairy products, widely consumed, are the subject of scientific debate regarding their role in the development of breast cancer. Some studies suggest they may promote the disease, while others indicate a protective effect, or even no significant influence. These differences are partly explained by the diversity of dairy products, their processing methods, the period of life during which they are consumed, and the type of tumor involved.<\/p>\n
Cow’s milk contains essential nutrients such as proteins, calcium, and vitamins, but also hormones and growth factors that could influence cancer risk. For example, high milk consumption during adolescence has been linked to a slight increase in risk, likely due to the impact of hormones present on breast tissue development. Conversely, fermented dairy products like yogurt or kefir appear to reduce this risk. Their richness in beneficial bacteria and low levels of growth factors such as IGF-1 may explain this protective effect. Cheese, depending on the type, shows mixed results: some hard cheeses may increase the risk in premenopausal women, while others, such as cottage cheese, may reduce it after menopause.<\/p>\n
The mechanisms at play are complex. Milk activates cellular signaling pathways involved in tumor growth, particularly through IGF-1, a protein that stimulates cell proliferation. However, certain milk proteins, such as alpha-casein, may instead slow the progression of some aggressive breast cancers by acting on inflammatory pathways and limiting the activity of cancer stem cells. Additionally, the calcium and vitamin D present in dairy products play a role in regulating cell division and may have an antiproliferative effect.<\/p>\n
Epidemiological studies reveal varying results depending on populations and periods of consumption. Moderate consumption of dairy products, particularly fermented ones, is often associated with a reduced risk, especially for hormone-dependent cancers. On the other hand, excessive consumption of whole milk or products high in saturated fats may increase the risk, partly due to potentially carcinogenic compounds such as endocrine disruptors or microplastics.<\/p>\n
It is therefore difficult to establish a universal recommendation. The effects of dairy products on breast cancer depend on many factors: the type of product, the amount consumed, age, and each person’s genetic profile. Future research will need to clarify these links to refine dietary advice, taking into account individual differences and key life stages, such as adolescence or menopause.<\/p>\n
DOI:<\/strong> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s13668-026-00753-5<\/a><\/p>\n Title:<\/strong> Breast Cancer in Relation to Dairy Product Consumption: A Review of Current Findings and Potential Mechanisms<\/p>\n Journal:<\/strong> Current Nutrition Reports<\/p>\n Publisher:<\/strong> Springer Science and Business Media LLC<\/p>\n Authors:<\/strong> Dilara Nur Kaplan; Nevin Sanlier<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do Dairy Products Increase or Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer? Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women worldwide and the leading cause of cancer death in this population. Every year, hundreds of thousands of women die from it, making it a major public health issue. Known risk factors include age, obesity, smoking,… Continue reading Do Dairy Products Increase or Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-international","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57\/revisions\/58"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}