A new study builds on evidence that yogurt, touted for its health benefits for millennia, may protect against certain colon cancers. The fermented food containing live bacteria "may be good for maintaining a good microbiome in our body," Dr. Tomotaka Ugai, a senior author of the study, tells NPR. Researchers analyzed the diets of more than 100,000 female registered nurses and 51,000 male health professionals who were followed for 30 years or more, finding those who regularly ate at least two servings of yogurt per week had lower rates of proximal colorectal cancer positive for Bifidobacterium, "a bacterial species found in yogurt," per a release.
There were 3,079 documented cases of colorectal cancer across the study group, according to Mass General Brigham researchers. While there was no major link between yogurt intake and overall cancer rates, regular yogurt eaters had a 20% lower rate of incidence of Bifidobacterium-positive tumors. This was driven by lower incidence of Bifidobacterium-positive proximal colon cancer, according to the study published Wednesday in Gut Microbes. Proximal colon cancer occurs on the colon's right side and has been shown to have worse survival outcomes than distal colon cancer occurring on the left side.
Researchers believe long-term yogurt intake may alter microorganisms in the gut, including Bifidobacterium, a probiotic generally believed to prevent gastrointestinal disorders, resulting in a "protective effect." Indeed, the study speaks of "the anti-tumor potential of yogurt." "My message is, if you like yogurt, go for it," Ugai of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School tells NPR. Study co-author Dr. Andrew T. Chan of Massachusetts General Hospital notes the research "provides an additional avenue" to investigate the role of diet and gut microbiome in the risk of colorectal cancer among young people, per USA Today. (More colon cancer stories.)
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