There has been a lot of buzz in recent years about milk and cancer. Specifically, studies have linked dairy consumption with increased risk of some cancers, as cow's milk contains estrogen and progesterone - both hormones that are linked to breast, ovarian, endometrial, testicular, and prostate cancers.
However, as we all know, the media really likes to "boost" up these findings with scare-tactic messages like "Time to take milk off the menu". In fact, certain ingredients in milk have also shown to decrease risk of certain cancers such as colorectal cancer. And let's not forget other nutritional benefits of dairy, like its great source of calcium.
One recent study pooled the results of 14 prospective cohort studies looking at the links between dairy and pancreatic cancer. Previous studies looking at this association had inconsistent results, but this study found that was found that consumption of milk, cheese, yoghurt, ice cream, calcium, and Vitamin D was not significantly associated with pancreatic cancer risk.
Although this study only looks at one type of cancer, it does support the ideas that 1) More evidence is needed in the field of dairy vs. cancer before solid conclusions can be made 2) The media too often forgets the other side of the story in order to go for the "shock factor". In the meantime, it's probably not a good idea to throw out all your yoghurt and milk, but I'd say moderation is a safe bet.
Sources:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/nourish/201303/time-take-milk-the-menu
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400175/Does-Milk-Cause-Cancer.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24631943
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