28.01.2015 Views

Milk-and-Dairy-Products-in-Human-Nutrition-FAO

Milk-and-Dairy-Products-in-Human-Nutrition-FAO

Milk-and-Dairy-Products-in-Human-Nutrition-FAO

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

154<br />

<strong>Milk</strong> <strong>and</strong> dairy products <strong>in</strong> human nutrition<br />

4.9 <strong>Dairy</strong> <strong>in</strong>take <strong>and</strong> cancer<br />

Genetics <strong>and</strong> environmental factors both contribute to the development of cancer<br />

(ACS, 2005). Heredity accounts for approximately 5–10 percent of all cancers (ACS,<br />

2005) while it is estimated that about 30 percent of cancer deaths are related to poor<br />

nutrition <strong>and</strong> lifestyle (WHO, 2011b). Although a high <strong>in</strong>take of dietary fat has<br />

been implicated <strong>in</strong> the development of some cancers, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g colon, breast, <strong>and</strong><br />

prostate cancers, <strong>FAO</strong> <strong>and</strong> WHO (2010) concluded that there is no probable or<br />

conv<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>g evidence for significant effects of total dietary fat on cancer. Similarly,<br />

the panel concluded that there is <strong>in</strong>sufficient evidence for establish<strong>in</strong>g any relationship<br />

between consumption of SFAs <strong>and</strong> cancer (<strong>FAO</strong> <strong>and</strong> WHO, 2010). Of primary<br />

concern was the possible relationship between total dietary fats <strong>and</strong> overweight <strong>and</strong><br />

obesity (<strong>FAO</strong> <strong>and</strong> WHO, 2010). However, WCRF <strong>and</strong> AICR (2007) states that<br />

there is conv<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>g evidence that obesity, weight ga<strong>in</strong> <strong>and</strong> overweight short of obesity<br />

<strong>in</strong>crease the risk of cancers of the colorectum, oesophagus (adenocarc<strong>in</strong>oma),<br />

endometrium, pancreas <strong>and</strong> kidney, <strong>and</strong> of postmenopausal breast cancer.<br />

<strong>Dairy</strong> foods <strong>and</strong> calcium consumption have been hypothesized to play different<br />

roles depend<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>in</strong>dividual cancer sites (as discussed <strong>in</strong> the follow<strong>in</strong>g<br />

sections). Some components <strong>in</strong> milk <strong>and</strong> dairy products such as calcium, vitam<strong>in</strong><br />

D, sph<strong>in</strong>golipids, butyric acid <strong>and</strong> milk prote<strong>in</strong>s may be protective aga<strong>in</strong>st cancer<br />

(Parodi, 1998; Parodi, 1999; Parodi, 2001; Parodi, 2003; Parodi, 2004; Garl<strong>and</strong> et al.,<br />

2006; German <strong>and</strong> Dillard, 2006; Holt et al., 2006). Both the positive <strong>and</strong> negative<br />

associations of milk <strong>and</strong> dairy products with various types of cancer <strong>and</strong> possible<br />

mechanisms are discussed <strong>in</strong> the sections below. As the literature on milk/dairy<br />

consumption <strong>and</strong> cancer is extensive, this review is limited to the f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs of recent<br />

WCRF reports (see Section 4.9.6).<br />

4.9.1 Colorectal cancer<br />

Colorectal (<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g anal) cancer is the third most common cancer <strong>in</strong> the world. An<br />

estimated 1.24 million people worldwide were diagnosed with colorectal cancer <strong>in</strong><br />

2008, with almost 60 percent of cases be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the developed world. There is wide<br />

geographical variation <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>cidence, much of which can be attributed to differences<br />

<strong>in</strong> diet, particularly the consumption of red <strong>and</strong> processed meat, fibre <strong>and</strong> alcohol,<br />

<strong>and</strong> to differences <strong>in</strong> body weight <strong>and</strong> physical activity. Incidence rates of colorectal<br />

cancer are <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> countries where rates were previously low as diets become<br />

more westernized.<br />

Several studies, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g animal, <strong>in</strong> vitro, epidemiological <strong>and</strong> human cl<strong>in</strong>ical<br />

studies, have <strong>in</strong>vestigated a possible protective role for dairy foods, <strong>and</strong> particularly<br />

dairy food nutrients, such as calcium <strong>and</strong> vitam<strong>in</strong> D, <strong>in</strong> colon cancer. Calcium <strong>in</strong> milk<br />

may play a protective role <strong>in</strong> colon cancer, given that <strong>in</strong>tracellular calcium directly<br />

<strong>in</strong>fluences cell growth <strong>and</strong> apoptosis, <strong>and</strong> bioactive constituents <strong>in</strong> milk may also play<br />

a role <strong>in</strong> the protective effects of milk on colorectal cancer (WCRF <strong>and</strong> AICR, 2007).<br />

4.9.2 Breast cancer<br />

Breast cancer is the lead<strong>in</strong>g cause of death from cancer <strong>in</strong> females worldwide, estimated<br />

to be responsible for almost 460 000 deaths <strong>in</strong> 2008. An estimated 1.38 million<br />

women across the world were diagnosed with breast cancer <strong>in</strong> 2008, account<strong>in</strong>g for<br />

23 percent of all cancers diagnosed <strong>in</strong> women. Determ<strong>in</strong>ants of breast cancer <strong>in</strong>clude

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!