High calcium prostate cancer link

Men eating plenty of cheese developed more cancers

Diets loaded with calcium have may play some role in the development of prostate cancer, claim researchers.

Their study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, compared men who consumed less than half a "serving" of dairy produce a day with those eating more.

Those eating 2.5 servings a day or more appeared to be almost a third more likely to develop the cancer than those eating the lowest amounts.

The dairy foods involved in the study included milk, cheese, butter and yoghurt.

Men have been told to eat plenty of calcium-rich food to keep bones and teeth strong into old-age, even though they are less prone to bone-thinning diseases such as osteoporosis than women.

Important gland

The prostate is a small gland lying close to the bladder which produces a component of semen which nourishes sperm.

Prostate cancer is one of the most common in UK men, although not every case turns out to be life-threatening.

The number of diagnosed cases has risen significantly in recent years, mainly due to increased detection.

The study authors suggested that dairy products helped suppress the body's natural production of a form of vitamin D, which is thought to have a protective effect against prostate cancer.

At present the evidence that calcium from dairy products might increase prostate cancer risk is extremely weak

Dr Tim Key, Imperial Cancer Research Fund

Those eating the most calcium had 17% less of the vitamin in their bloodstreams compared to those consuming the least.

However, Dr Tim Key, from the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, said that the evidence linking dairy produce to prostate cancer was still weak, as there had been a number of conflicting study results.

He said: "Prostate cancer rates are generally higher in Western countries with a high intake of meat and dairy products than in Asian countries with a lower intake of these foods, suggesting that some features of the Western diet may increase prostate cancer risk.

"This is an interesting hypothesis, and should be examined in other studies, but at present the evidence that calcium from dairy products might increase prostate cancer risk is extremely weak and should not be a reason for recommending dietary change.

"The estimated average requirement for calcium in adult men is 525 mg per day, and it would be unwise to consume less than this because calcium is essential for many purposes, particularly maintaining strong bones.

"Dairy products are particularly rich in calcium, but there is some calcium in most foods and other good sources include green vegetables and most types of bread."