Turns out there may be an upside to being lactose intolerant. New research out of Sweden finds people with lactose intolerance are at lower risk of suffering from lung, breast, and ovarian cancers.
The findings, by researchers at Lund University and Region Skåne in Sweden, appear to confirm previous research suggesting that high consumption of milk and other dairy products may contribute to a higher incidence of breast and ovarian cancers in North America and Western Europe.
"We found that people with lactose intolerance, who typically consume low amounts of milk and other dairy products, have a reduced risk of lung, breast and ovarian cancers", said Jianguang Ji, an associate professor at Lund University and researcher at the Center for Primary Care Research in Malmö.
"The risk of cancer was not reduced in relatives of people with lactose intolerance, which indicates that protection against these cancers is related to diet. However, it would be wrong to conclude that milk is a risk factor for these cancers.”
For the study, the researchers examined medical charts for 22,788 Swedish residents with lactose intolerance. They found their risks of lung cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer were markedly lower than people without lactose intolerance. But the researchers noted other factors may also play a role.
"We must interpret these results with caution because the association we found is insufficient to conclude a causative effect," said Ji. "Further studies are needed to identify factors that explain the study's results."
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