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
Surprising Findings
Yogurt and cheese showed zero association with breast cancer risk, despite being dairy products.
Most people assume all dairy is the same — but this study says cheese and yogurt might be biologically different from milk, possibly due to fermentation, probiotics, or processing.
Practical Takeaways
Switch from whole milk to skim or low-fat milk — and keep eating yogurt and cheese if you like them.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Yogurt and cheese showed zero association with breast cancer risk, despite being dairy products.
Most people assume all dairy is the same — but this study says cheese and yogurt might be biologically different from milk, possibly due to fermentation, probiotics, or processing.
Practical Takeaways
Switch from whole milk to skim or low-fat milk — and keep eating yogurt and cheese if you like them.
Publication
Journal
Breast Cancer
Year
2022
Authors
F. Dashti, S. Soltani, Sanaz Benisi-kohansal, L. Azadbakht, Ahmad Esmaillzadeh
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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.