Dairy Fat Might Affect Breast Cancer Risk
Consumption of dairy products and odds of breast cancer: an Iranian case–control study
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Some kinds of dairy might make breast cancer more likely, while others might help protect against it.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 555 / 58
Evidence Score
Researchers compare people who have a condition (cases) with similar people who do not (controls), looking back in time for differences in exposure. Useful but more prone to bias.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Some kinds of dairy might make breast cancer more likely, while others might help protect against it.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 555 / 58
Evidence Score
Researchers compare people who have a condition (cases) with similar people who do not (controls), looking back in time for differences in exposure. Useful but more prone to bias.
Publication
Authors
Dashti F, Soltani S, Benisi-Kohansal S, Azadbakht L, Esmaillzadeh A
Related Content
Claims (5)
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.
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 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.
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.
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.