Does Lactose Intolerance Contribute to Lower Cancer Risk?
Key Takeaways:
- The article discusses a recent study that suggests a link between lactose intolerance and a reduced susceptibility to certain cancers such as lung, breast, and ovarian cancers.
- This link is thought to be due to dietary influences associated with lactose intolerance, meaning that people who are lactose intolerant often consume less milk and dairy products.
- Despite these findings, it’s emphasized that milk should not be considered a direct cancer risk factor based on current evidence.
- The reduced cancer likelihood could be due to a lower calorie intake as a result of reduced milk consumption. Substitution of milk with plant-based beverages, potentially containing protective ingredients, could also be an influencing factor.
- It’s important to approach these findings with caution as more research is needed to identify the specific factors that contribute to these results and whether there is a causative effect.
Findings from a fresh study have hinted at a potential association between lactose intolerance and reduced susceptibility to some specific forms of cancer. The underlying belief is that diet plays a central role in this reduced vulnerability.
This novel research analyzed information from close to 23,000 Swedish individuals suffering from lactose intolerance, as well as their immediate family members. Lactose intolerance is a condition characterized by the body’s inability to digest lactose, a sugar present in dairy products. This is primarily due to deficient or non-existent levels of the enzyme lactase, needed for lactose digestion, as affirmed by the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Lower Cancer Rates among Lactose-Intolerant Individuals
Researchers noted that individuals with lactase deficiency demonstrated lower incidences of lung, breast, and ovarian cancers as compared to lactose-tolerant counterparts.
Interestingly, siblings and parents of lactose intolerant subjects showed risk levels for these cancers comparative to those seen in the wider population. This lends more weight to the idea that dietary influences linked to lactose intolerance might have a possible bearing on the lowered cancer risk, suggested Jianguang Ji, Associate Professor at Lund University.
Lactose intolerance often compels people to restrict their consumption of milk and other dairy products as per researcher’s comments. However, it’s important to note that this doesn’t outrightly label milk as a cancer risk factor.
Reduced Cancer Risk Factors Identified
Ji posits the reduced likelihood of certain cancers in lactose intolerant people could be attributed to a range of factors. This includes lower calorie intake resulting from restricted milk consumption, and consumption of plant-based beverages as milk substitutes, which might have protective ingredients.
“Nonetheless, we need to be cautious in interpreting these results because the association we found is insufficient to conclude a causative effect,” warns Ji. “Additional research is required to pinpoint the factors that can clarify these study results.”
This research was recently featured in British Journal of Cancer.
Additional Information
For more details on lactose intolerance, visit the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website here.
