Men who snack on milk, ice cream and cheese may have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer than men who consume less calcium from dairy products, according to researchers. Their study of nearly 21,000 men found that those who consumed more than 600 milligrams (mg) of calcium daily from dairy products had a 32% higher risk of prostate cancer than men who consumed no more than 150 mg of calcium a day, over 11 years. Each additional daily increase of 500 mg of calcium from dairy products was associated with a 16% increase in prostate cancer risk.
A high calcium intake, particularly from dairy products, may suppress blood levels of vitamin D. Besides serving as an important nutrient, vitamin D is a hormone that may protect against prostate cancer by preventing the growth of prostate cancer cells.
The findings support previous studies that found a link between high dairy intake and prostate cancer.
Other experts note that further studies on the role of vitamin D in suppressing prostate cancer and on the mechanism by which calcium influences a man
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