The Dairy-free Dilemma

A new report summarises the past decade’s research into how diet and physical activity affect cancer risk.

- Jennifer Bowden

Question:

My friend began a dairy-free diet after hearing that milk is taken from pregnant cows and is full of oestrogen. She’s had breast cancer and read that breast lumps can be caused by milk and other dairy products. Has research been done into the hormone levels in cows’ milk?

Answer:

We risk our lives daily, even doing common activities such as having a shower, driving a car or eating a meal. Each has risks as well as obvious benefits.

When it comes to the food we eat, do the risks outweigh the benefits for you? What is an unacceptable risk for you may be quite acceptable for me.

Each of us is genetically unique, predisposed more or less to certain chronic diseases, and we have our own preferences and cultural values about food.

Including dairy or animal products in your diet is a personal choice, even if you are resident in the land of the long white glass of milk.

All milk, whether from cows, goats or humans, naturally contains small amounts of various hormones, including oestrogen and progesterone. But do they promote the growth of hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast cancer?