Study results show high-fat dairy consumption leads to higher mortality in breast cancer patients
In the first study of its kind, researchers show that consuming high-fat dairy products following a breast cancer diagnosis increases a patient’s likelihood of dying of the disease in the future.
The study involved a group of women who were diagnosed with early-stage, invasive breast cancer between 1997 and 2000.
To determine dairy food portion sizes and product consumption, study participants completed a questionnaire upon enrollment and again 6 years later. The category of high-fat dairy products researchers tracked included cream, condensed or evaporated milk, custard, flan, ice cream, pudding, and whole milk, as well as low-fat or non-fat cheeses and yogurts. The women were followed for 12 years on average following study entry.
“Women consuming one or more servings per day of high-fat dairy had a 64% higher risk of dying from any cause and a 49% increased risk of dying from their breast cancer during the follow-up period,” said lead author Candyce H. Kroenke, ScD, MPH, staff scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research.
Susan E. Kutner, MD, chair of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Regional Breast Care Task Force, said, “Women have been clamoring for this type of information. They’re asking us, ‘Tell me what I should eat?’ With this information, we can be more specific about recommending low-fat dairy products.”
Study results are published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Source: Kaiser-Permanente.