Iranian women who drink more milk are about 76% more likely to get breast cancer than those who don’t, even when you account for other dairy like cheese or yogurt—so milk itself might be doing something unique that raises risk.

In Iran, women who drink skim milk or eat low-fat yogurt may be less likely to get breast cancer, but those who eat full-fat cheese or cream might be more likely—so the fat in dairy could be what makes the difference.

Iranian women who eat more low-fat dairy like milk and yogurt seem to have a much lower chance of getting breast cancer compared to those who eat very little — it’s not proven to cause the protection, but there’s a strong link.

Iranian women who eat a lot of full-fat dairy like cheese and butter may be nearly 9 times more likely to get breast cancer than those who eat very little of it — but this doesn’t prove the dairy causes the cancer, just that they tend to happen together.

Eating yogurt and cheese doesn't seem to raise or lower the chance of breast cancer in Iranian women, unlike milk or fatty dairy products, which might have a different effect.

People who drink whole milk regularly may be a bit more likely to die from any cause, heart disease, or cancer than those who drink skim or low-fat milk — but this doesn’t mean milk is the direct cause.