Calcium reduces colorectal cancer risk in men

Men who get the most calcium have lower risks of colorectal cancer. A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition analyzed over 45,000 Swedish men with no history of cancer who were between the ages of 45 and 79. Their food intake and diet were analyzed and they were followed for an average of 6.7 years.

Men whose calcium intake was in the top one-fourth of participants had a 32 percent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer than those in the bottom fourth. Dairy, the main source of calcium in Swedish diets, had the greatest protective effect on the colon. Men who consumed seven or more servings of dairy per day reduced the risk to 54 percent below that of men whose intake was less than two servings per day.

In an editorial in the same issue, researchers added that in addition to calcium, vitamin D may have also played a major role in the reduction of colorectal cancer seen in these men.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 83, No. 3, 667-673, March 2006.