HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Parodi, P. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Parodi, P. W.

Dairy Product Consumption and the Risk of Breast Cancer

Human Nutrition and Health Research, Dairy Australia, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA

Address reprint requests to: Dr Peter Parodi, 9 Hanbury St., Chermside, 4032, Queensland, AUSTRALIA. E-mail: peterparodi{at}uq.net.au

It has been suggested in some reports that dairy product consumption may increase the risk of breast cancer. This review gives a brief overview of the etiology of breast cancer and in particular the roles of fat, bovine growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1 and estrogens. Evidence from animal studies and epidemiology does not support a role for fat in the etiology of breast cancer. The daily intake of insulin-like growth factor-1 and biologically active estrogens from dairy products is minute in comparison to the daily endogenous secretion of these factors in women, whereas bovine growth hormone is biologically inactive in humans. On the other hand, milk contains rumenic acid, vaccenic acid, branched chain fatty acids, butyric acid, cysteine-rich whey proteins, calcium and vitamin D; components, which have the potential to help prevent breast cancer. Evidence from more than 40 case-control studies and 12 cohort studies does not support an association between dairy product consumption and the risk of breast cancer.

Key words: breast cancer, dietary fat, insulin-like growth factor-1, estrogens, growth hormone, rumenic acid, calcium