{"id":771845,"date":"2026-09-15T22:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T22:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/771845\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T22:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T22:18:11","slug":"prostate-cancer-can-dairy-consumption-impact-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/771845\/","title":{"rendered":"Prostate Cancer: Can Dairy Consumption Impact Risk?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AdultShare on Pinterest<\/a>A survey suggests that only 20% of U.S. males know that milk and dairy products are potentially linked to prostate cancer risk. Eva-Katalin\/E+\/Getty ImagesA new survey found that only 1 in 5 men in the United States is aware of the potential link between dairy product consumption and prostate cancer risk.Only 20% of men surveyed said they had received information from a medical professional about how nutrition can impact prostate cancer risk.Body fat and family history might have a bigger impact on prostate cancer risk than dairy products and other dietary considerations.<\/p>\n

In a new report, researchers say that the vast majority of men are unaware of the potential link between diet, in particular dairy products, and the risk of prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

The researchers reported that a survey<\/a> they commissioned found that only 20% of U.S. males knew that consuming milk and other dairy products<\/a> was linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

Once they were informed about the risks, 66% of those surveyed said they would be inclined to avoid or reduce dairy products in their diet.<\/p>\n

About 76% of respondents also said they would support requiring warning labels on dairy products to inform people about the associated risk of prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

Over half of those surveyed said they were aware that exercise and consumption of fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

However, the survey indicated that only 20% of males had received information from a healthcare professional about the relationship between prostate cancer risk<\/a> and nutrition.<\/p>\n

Members of that organization said<\/a> their survey shows a need for more awareness on this topic in the medical field.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhysicians and other healthcare professionals need more education on the dangers of dairy products and the benefits of a plant-based diet for prostate cancer,\u201d said Noah Praamsma<\/a>, MS, RDN, a dietitian and nutrition education coordinator with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.<\/p>\n

However, experts not involved in the survey told Healthline that the connection between diet, dairy products, and prostate cancer risk hasn\u2019t been well established. Body fat<\/a> and family history are likely to have a greater impact on prostate cancer risk than dairy intake.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t an evidence-backed prevention strategy and nothing here supports eliminating dairy or going fully plant-based for prostate cancer prevention specifically,\u201d said Ying Wang<\/a>, PhD, a senior principal scientist in epidemiology research at the American Cancer Society (ACS).<\/p>\n

S. Adam Ramin<\/a>, MD, a urologist, urologic oncologist, and medical director of Urology Cancer Specialists in Los Angeles, has a similar opinion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe relationship between dairy consumption and prostate cancer remains an area of ongoing research, but I would not consider dairy consumption alone to be a major or definitive risk factor for prostate cancer,\u201d Ramin told Healthline.<\/p>\n

There has been research in the past that has explored the connection between diet, dairy products, and prostate cancer risk and mortality.<\/p>\n

Most of that research is more than a decade old, however.<\/p>\n

A 2015 meta-analysis<\/a> of 32 previous studies that was published reported an association between an elevated risk of prostate cancer among people who consumed larger amounts of dairy products.<\/p>\n

Another 2013 study<\/a> published in February 2013 concluded that people who consumed at least 1 serving of skim or low fat milk<\/a> each day had a 19% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to people who rarely drank skim or low fat milk.<\/p>\n

A 2005 study<\/a> published in May 2005 tracked more than 3,600 males over an 8- to 10-year period. Those researchers reported that males with the highest consumption of dairy (about 3 servings per day) were more than twice as likely to develop prostate cancer compared to males who consumed less than 1 serving per day.<\/p>\n

In addition, some past research<\/a> has indicated that a diet including \u201cred foods,\u201d such as tomatoes and watermelon<\/a>, that contain lycopene<\/a> may help reduce the progression and growth of prostate cancer cells.<\/p>\n

A diet that includes fresh fruit, especially citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, has also been listed as a way to help reduce the risk<\/a> of prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

Other research has indicated that a healthy diet may lower the risk of cancer progression and mortality.<\/p>\n

A 2023 study<\/a> that involved 2,000 males with prostate cancer reported that the participants who followed a diet consisting largely of plant-based foods had a 52% lower risk of prostate cancer progression as well as a 53% lower risk of prostate cancer recurrence. <\/p>\n

These results, however, were preliminary and have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. <\/p>\n

A 2016 meta-analysis<\/a> examined dairy consumption and cancer mortality. That analysis looked at 11 previous studies involving over 700,000 participants. It reported that males with the highest consumption of whole milk had a 50% higher risk of death from prostate cancer than males with the lowest consumption of whole milk.<\/p>\n

However, Wang noted that the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Cancer Research Institute both grade<\/a> the evidence linking dairy and dietary calcium<\/a> to prostate cancer as \u201climited-suggestive,\u201d two tiers below \u201cconvincing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSome observational studies have suggested a possible association between higher consumption of dairy products, particularly milk, and prostate cancer risk, but these studies do not prove that dairy causes prostate cancer,\u201d added Ramin. \u201cThe evidence is also not consistent enough to recommend that men completely eliminate dairy from their diets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer<\/a> in males in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death in U.S. males.<\/p>\n

The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates<\/a> there will be more than 330,000 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in 2026, with more than 36,000 deaths from the disease.<\/p>\n

The organization notes that prostate cancer cases increased<\/a> about 3% per year between 2014 and 2022, with the steepest rise occurring in advanced-stage diagnoses.<\/p>\n

According to the ACS, the increase in diagnoses is largely due to more males being screened for the disease. The organization also notes that Black males have a higher incidence<\/a> of prostate cancer than white males.<\/p>\n

Prostate cancer occurs when malignant cells form a tumor<\/a> in the prostate gland<\/a>, which can then spread to other parts of the body. It is considered to be a slow-growing cancer.<\/p>\n

being over the age of 50having a family history of the diseaseobesity<\/p>\n

Additionally, a recent study<\/a> reported that an enhanced diet and exercise program, along with behavioral support, can improve the quality of life for males undergoing prostate cancer treatment.<\/p>\n

Wang said the only modifiable lifestyle factor with a strong evidence link to prostate cancer risk is body fat, and that is specifically graded for advanced prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, Wang said a healthy lifestyle is still important. \u201cSo, maintain a healthy weight, stay active, don\u2019t smoke, and eat a healthy diet<\/a>,\u201d she told Healthline.<\/p>\n

Ramin agreed. \u201cThere is no guaranteed way to prevent prostate cancer, but men can take several steps that support overall health and may help reduce their risk,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

Wang added that regular PSA screenings are also important, especially for people of African ancestry or a family history of prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

Ramin said this is sound advice. \u201cJust as important is understanding your individual risk and talking with your physician about prostate cancer screening,\u201d he said. \u201cProstate cancer can develop without causing any symptoms in its early stages, so waiting until urinary problems, pain, or blood in the urine<\/a> develop is not an appropriate screening strategy. For many men, PSA testing can be an important part of that conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important message I would give men is not to be afraid of screening or to assume that the absence of symptoms means everything is fine,\u201d Ramin added. \u201cKnowing your risk and having an informed conversation with your doctor gives you the opportunity to detect prostate cancer earlier, when treatment is more likely to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestA survey suggests that only 20% of U.S. males know that milk and dairy products are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":771846,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[59,102,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-771845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=771845"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771845\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/771846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=771845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=771845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=771845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}