Calcium May Be Linked to Prostate Cancer

Calcium May Be Linked to Prostate Cancer

SAN FRANCISCO--New data from a long-term study suggests there may be a possible link between the consumption of dairy products and prostate cancer, according to researchers from Harvard's School of Public Health.

Of the 20,885 men tracked for 11 years in the Physicians' Health Study, 1,012 developed prostate cancer. The investigators found a moderate elevation in risk of prostate cancer in men who consumed higher amounts of dairy products.

Researchers believe that it may be the calcium in dairy products that suppresses vitamin D. The study found that men who drank more than six glasses of milk a week had lower levels of this potentially protective form of vitamin D than men who drank fewer than two glasses of milk a week. The study did not follow supplement consumption, but men who do not have an actual clinical need for supplements might want to be cautious. For more information, contact Bob Brustman at (617) 432-3952 or at brustman@hsph.harvard.edu.

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