(Dr. Wright) We’ve had the message crammed down our throats for years, with celebrities sporting milk mustaches and chirping, “It does a body good!” Kids need milk for strong bones! They need milk to grow up to be astronauts and athletes. They need milk for their future!
Well, it looks like the only future we’re securing for our kids with milk could be a future marred with cancer. Prostate cancer, specifically. According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, drinking large quantities of milk in adolescence could raise the risk of prostate cancer later in life. The study followed 8,894 men from Iceland who were born between 1907 and 1935. The men were followed for 24 years by researchers, who found that men who consumed regular amounts of milk while growing up were at much greater risk of developing prostate cancer–risk up to 64 percent higher than that of men who lived in areas where milk was more scarce.
Before someone points out that this study is observational and doesn’t necessarily indicate a direct link between drinking milk and ending up with prostate cancer, let me point out that this study comes on the backs of two others that do show a link. One, published in BMJ Open, links the estrogen in cow’s milk to an increased risk of prostate cancer. Another, published just this past November in Nutrition and Cancer, showed that milk boosted the growth of prostate cancer cells by 30 percent.
Don’t be fooled by the milk myth. Even the researchers who uncovered this worrying link say it’s not enough to prompt cutting down on milk consumption–too many benefits to weigh against the risks, they say. Those so-called benefits are iffy at best. As the risks continue to stack up, I think we’ll see which column will weigh more. But will it ever be enough to bring down milk?
The only things that don’t cause cancer are natural foods (non-GMO) grown in soil that is not nutrient deficient, as well as animals that live off of grass instead of corn and GMO feed.
I watch and read your articles some are a blessing while others are news werethy to get it to others, thank you. Just found out people over 70 are called units, (“Heard this from Jeff a brain surgeon coming from Washington. Said That any one over the age of 70 that comes in to an emergency, and is determined to have advance neuron surgery, needing Stroke therapy or aneurism, The HHS committee Basically stated that a patient over 70 in not a person but is called a unit if you have government support, like Veterans and Goverment health plans, this is what is stated in the new Obama’s Health care plan. These ethic committee panels, Ethic groups would meet to decide were the money would go for hospitals and for patients over 70 the patient called units that is, and basically patients or units would generally be denied and all you would get would be comfort care. Basically be denied. Because of your age. ( I gess if you have lots money you will live). If a patient comes in over the age of 70 with a bleed in the brain I promise (Quote Jeff said) I am not going to get a bunch of the ethic committee panel to come in 2am morning to allocate to do the emergency surgery you can count on it. This is in the new Obama’ Health care plan). Dr. Hozte please check out this it is scary “Wow”. Dr. Hotze You tells us what we don’t know that is a blessing. But the Ethic committee does not tell this to the public or the our Goverment what is up with this. This is real bad.
This article does raise a legitimate concern but does not say what kind of milk was consumed for the study. If I had to hazard a guess,I’d bet that it is the commercial additives and hormones that are regularly fed to the diets of these poor cows that are the primary culprit.
We buy our mild from a local organic dairy where the cows are treated very humanely ( Radiance Dairy in Fairfield, Iowa). It might cost a little more…but then when one looks at the cost of poor health, suffering and medical care, does it really?
“Forks over Knives” people watch this movie it will change the way you look at food. I have eliminated all animal and processed food from my diet after watching this movie. LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR “YOU ARE NOT A BABY COW” YOU ARE A HUMAN BEING STOP DRINKING THE WHITE POISEN. Do your research and find out more…..
The more I read about things that cause cancer the more I realize that I cannot continue to wear clothes, eat food, drink water, go in the sun, have furniture or carpeting or breathe. Not much left to live for is there?
What about organic milk? Any data on that?
Did the study consider other factors like what the cows were exposed to? Or the habits of folks in the area that accompanied milk drinking? At that time, milk could have well been used to supplement lack of other foods which could point the finger at what they were lacking rather than what they were consuming, which is a much stronger danger in almost every diet scenario. In this day and age most ‘studies’ have an agenda one way or the other so it always helps to take them with a grain of salt.
Often the difference is in trying to ‘prove’ something rather than an honest search for the truth. This is human nature and can be best demonstrated in our court systems with DA’s trying to ‘win’ a conviction rather than a simple search to reveal the truth. Understanding the natural biases built in to the vast majority of people can go a long way to mitigate rushes to judgment.
As with most research, this ignores correlates. Was it commercial milk laced with Bgh..genetically engineered hormones..was it raw milk…organic..homogenized…there’s milk and there’s milk. I wouldn’t touch commercial milk. I only drink raw milk, pasture fed, with no hormones! I don’t believe that raw milk without GMO hormones causes cancer!
Something I’ve always wanted to know, as a cheese eater and milk abstainer: what effect does cheesemaking and yoghurtmaking have on the less desirable qualities of milk?
I would love a study on the effects of organic raw milk from grass fed cows or goats instead of this unspecified study. I bet there would be a different outcome.
Keep up the good job of supplying very useful information.
Helen
Serioulsy…..WHAT DOES NOT CAUSE CANCER?
I have read (in the Washington Post) that crack cocaine does not cause cancer. Folks who use it do not normally live long enough to exhibit cancer growths…….