Eating too much cheese may raise your risk of getting breast cancer by more than 50 per cent.
Cheddar and cream cheese in particular could increase the danger, a study of women’s diets found. Dairy, with the exception of yoghurt, has been linked to the disease because it contains a growth hormone called IGF-1, thought to turn good cells into malignant ones and encourage breast cancer growth. It has also been linked to obesity, which raises the risk of 13 types of cancer.
Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in New York looked at more than 3,000 women of whom 1,941 had breast cancer over 11 years, measuring dairy intake. They found cheese raised the risk of breast cancer by 53 per cent, particularly a high intake of cheddar and cream cheeses, while eating yoghurt appeared to cut the danger by 30 per cent.
Lead author and professor of oncology Dr Susan McCann said: ‘Dairy foods are complex mixtures of nutrients and non- nutrient substances that could be negatively as well as positively associated with breast cancer risk.’ Charity Breast Cancer Now said the cancer link was still not proven but people should eat a balanced and varied diet.
© Daily Mail