Calcium reduces the risk of colorectal cancer

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition investigated calcium intake and risk of colon adenoma. Adenomas are benign growths that are often associated with early stages of colorectal tumor development. Since previous research has shown that calcium intake reduces the risk of colorectal tumors, evaluating the association of calcium intake to the risk of colon adenoma may be useful in the prevention of colorectal cancer.

The researchers compared the total calcium intake of 3,696 participants with verified adenoma of the colon with the calcium intake of 34,817 control participants in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial.

After adjustment for known risk factors, adenoma risk was 12% lower for participants with the highest total calcium intake than for participants with the lowest calcium intake. The protective association between total calcium and colorectal adenoma was largely due to calcium supplement use, with a 27% decrease in adenoma risk for participants taking >1200 mg/d than for nonusers of supplements.

High calcium intake, particularly from supplements, is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal adenoma.