“A glass of milk a day helps prevent cancer”

A professor lays out the facts and fiction on nutrition and cancer.

“Swap your daily glass of beer or wine for a glass of milk and you are better protected against cancer,” says Ellen Kampman, professor, nutrition and cancer expert, and member of the Health Council of the Netherlands.

After 40 years of research, the professor has worked out the facts and fiction when it comes to nutrition and cancer. A healthy diet can lower the risk of cancer. Kampman gives some examples. For one, consuming red and processed meat is associated with a higher risk of colon cancer, while milk and other dairy products show a protective effect. “I compare healthy eating to the seatbelt in a car,” explains Kampman. “You can skip it and get lucky, but you can also fly through the windshield. With healthy eating, there’s still a chance of cancer, but you’re much better protected.”

In the Wheel of Five
Milk contains many nutrients, such as vitamin B12, protein and calcium. Dairy intake is also associated with a lower risk of colon cancer and eating yogurt with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. This is why milk and dairy products are included in dietary guidelines almost everywhere in the world, which help people make healthy food choices. What’s more, milk is delicious and healthy, as well as convenient and affordable. The health effects of dairy are confirmed in the Guidelines for a Healthy Diet from the Health Council of the Netherlands, (in Dutch) where Professor Kampman is also a member. This is also the reason that semi-skimmed and skimmed milk and milk products – including quark and yogurt – and cheese (20+ and 30+) are included in the Nutrition Center’s Wheel of Five.

Milk helps fight colon cancer
Dairy and whole grain products significantly reduce the risk of colon cancer. Dairy is a natural source of calcium and, according to Kampman, this may explain milk’s protective effect in colon cancer. “It’s all about the calcium, which seems to protect the intestinal wall. What is interesting in this study is that the effect of lactose intolerance has also been demonstrated: those who can’t tolerate dairy are indeed at a greater risk of colon cancer.”

Simple switch
There are a few easy changes you can make to reduce your risk of cancer. According to Kampman, it is advised to replace beer or wine with a glass of milk, as well as white bread with whole wheat bread, which is a source of fiber. Another option is to eat less red or processed meat.

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About Professor Ellen Kampman
Ellen Kampman is a nutritional epidemiologist and professor of Nutrition and Disease at Wageningen University. Kampman was a visiting professor at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and completed her postdoc at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
Her research focuses on the role of lifestyle in cancer prevention and prognosis. Her group conducts observational and interventional studies in countries with high and low/middle income. She has published more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific articles and book chapters, serves on (inter)national advisory and scientific committees, and is editor-in-chief of the AACR journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention.

Ellen Kampman

Want to know more?
Interview with Ellen Kampman in the AD (subscribers can read the whole article). In Dutch: Kankerdeskundige: ‘Terwijl iedereen doordrongen is van het risico van roken, ligt dat bij bier heel anders’ | Gezond | AD.nl