Reducing Colorectal Cancer Risk With Increased Calcium Intake

In 2022, around 1.9 million people worldwide were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, making it the third most frequent type of cancer (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Colorectal cancer

Go to source). This type of cancer, also known as bowel cancer, can be avoided by getting regular tests and making lifestyle changes like keeping a healthy weight, avoiding smoking, and eating a healthy diet. Previous studies have connected the use of certain foods and beverages, such as red and processed meats, ultra-processed foods, and alcohol, to an increased risk of colorectal cancer. A new study published in the journal Nature Communications discovered that consuming calcium-rich foods and drinks is associated with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Diet-wide analyses for risk of colorectal cancer: prospective study of 12,251 incident cases among 542,778 women in the UK

Go to source). Researchers also confirmed the association between alcohol consumption and the chance of developing bowel cancer, as well as red and processed meats.

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Increasing Daily Calcium Consumption Reduces Colon Cancer Risk By 17%

For this study, researchers examined dietary data from more than 542,000 women who participated in the Million Women Study (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Cohort Profile: the Million Women Study

Go to source). Scientists analyzed an average of 16 years of medical data from each participant to look for correlations between 97 food types and nutrients and colorectal cancer risk.

Following the study, the researchers discovered a correlation between calcium intake and lowered colorectal cancer risk, particularly with the following six dairy-related foods and nutrients and their relationship with calcium: Dairy milk, yogurt, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

Researchers discovered that taking an extra 300 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day, which is equivalent to about one glass of milk, was related to a 17% decreased risk of colorectal cancer.

"This is the most comprehensive single study ever conducted into the relationship between diet and bowel cancer, and it highlights the potential role of calcium in the development of this disease," Keren Papier, BSc, Ph.D., senior nutritional epidemiologist in the Cancer Epidemiology Unit in the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and lead author of this study, stated in a press release.

"Further research is needed to understand the potential health impacts of increasing calcium in different populations," said her colleague.

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Alcohol, Red and Processed Meat Linked to an Increased Risk of Colon Cancer

The same study found more evidence of a relationship between alcohol use and increased colorectal cancer risk. Scientists discovered that an additional 20 grams (g) of alcohol- equivalent to one big glass of wine- was associated with a 15% increased risk of colorectal cancer.

The study also enhanced current evidence about the link between red and processed meat intake and bowel cancer risk, revealing that eating 30 g more of these per day elevated a person's cancer risk by 8%.

"Every 12 minutes, someone in the U.K. is diagnosed with bowel cancer, making it the fourth most common cancer in the country," Lisa Wilde, Ph.D., director of Research and External Affairs at Bowel Cancer UK, who was not involved in the study, stated in a press release.

"We already know that around half of all bowel cancers could be prevented by having a healthier lifestyle and this new research supports this, with a particular focus on dairy," the author stated.

Wilde also urged that, "Other changes you can make to help reduce your risk of developing bowel cancer include eating plenty of fiber from whole grains, pulses, fruits, and vegetables, avoiding processed meat and limiting red meat, maintaining healthy body weight, engaging in regular physical activity, quitting smoking, and consuming less alcohol. Making lifestyle changes might be difficult, but we believe it is worth the effort."

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Could Eating Healthier Lower the Risk of Colorectal Cancer?

Nilesh Vora, M.D., a board-certified hematologist, medical oncologist, and medical director of the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, California, said, "I believe that we have long associated human intake with the possible development of [gastrointestinal] cancer, such as colon cancer. So I think it's interesting [and] I think it's consistent with what we believe to be a possible problem," said Vora, who was not involved in the study.

"I think there's a growing notion that the reason why there's an increasing incidence of colon cancer, especially amongst younger people, is because diets have changed," he told me. "And all of this is still hypothesized, but studies like this, which could generate more research and more powerful studies, may be able to educate us in telling patients what they should and shouldn't be eating to lower their risk of colon cancer."

How to Get More Calcium in Your Diet If You Are Dairy-Free

Monique Richard, M.S., RDN, LDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist said, "It is correct that a cup of milk provides 300 mg of calcium," she instructed us, "but a variety of foods, high in quality, specifically leafy greens, such as collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, and lesser-known vegetables, such as cooked nettles, lambsquarters, amaranth leaves, and nopales provide close to 300 mg of calcium per cup in addition to fiber, potassium, vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin K, and magnesium to name a few additional beneficial nutrients."

"For those who are lactose-intolerant or choose not to consume dairy for religious, preferential or personal reasons, additional food options to consider include exploring tofu, fortified orange juice or almond milk, soy milk, sardines, nuts, or tahini to your meals," according to her.

"It is important to understand that the nutrients related to reducing colorectal risk, such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and riboflavin are not solely related to dairy," says Richard. "There are multiple studies who have observed populations around the world with minimal or nonexistent dairy intake but also a reduced cancer risk while having robust bone health."

"Practice addition by subtraction- meaning, your cells will benefit from what it doesn't have to fight against [such as] toxins, excess nutrients," according to her. "Increase what nurtures them while eliminating what does not. For many people, lowering the risk of colorectal cancer begins with what we put in our mouths."

References:

1. Colorectal cancer - (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/colorectal-cancer)
2. Diet-wide analyses for risk of colorectal cancer: prospective study of 12,251 incident cases among 542,778 women in the UK - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55219-5)
3. Cohort Profile: the Million Women Study - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29873753/)

Source-Medindia