New research on a potential milk breast cancer link

For her part, Weiss recommends exercising caution. “There's a precautionary principle in public health that it's better to be safe than sorry. Humans are at the top of the food

chain, so we are vulnerable to anything we eat. There are reasons to believe that some foods are healthier than others, and some have risks. Milk is a product that comes from animals, and

the health of the milk depends on the health of the cow, including whether it has extra hormones in it." Weiss describes her general approach as sticking to organic fat-free dairy milk

and then to “mix it up by also drinking other kinds of plant-based milks — soy milk, almond milk, hemp milk, oat milk or rice milk.” But there are a couple of caveats, she cautions: “Make

sure the milks are unsweetened, and stick with organic soy milk, because over 80 percent of soy products are grown using chemicals. Also, make sure that if you drink less dairy milk, you

find another source for calcium and vitamin D, which helps build strong bones and bodies." Dawn Mussallem, D.O., a diagnostic breast specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville,

Florida, notes that the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has no recommendation on milk and breast cancer and that though this study suggests an association between milk

consumption and breast cancer risk, it does not say that milk directly causes the disease. "When counseling a woman who is not at an increased risk for breast cancer,” Mussallem says,

“I would let her know that research to date on milk consumption and breast cancer has been inconsistent, and I would highlight the benefits of milk for adults, including that it provides

beneficial nutrients like calcium and is an affordable source of protein, and that there has been convincing evidence linking milk with a decrease in colorectal cancer risk.” For a

postmenopausal woman who is at an increased risk of breast cancer, however, she says she would “discuss with her the AICR guidelines and the available studies on milk and breast cancer so

she can make her own decision." Overall, Mussallem says, “Cancer is a very complex process. Drinking milk isn't going to cause cancer.” When it comes to reducing your risk for

cancer, she says, the following guidelines are well accepted: Maintain a healthy weight; be physically active; eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans; limit fast foods

and sugary drinks; limit red meat and stay away from processed meat; and avoid alcohol. “It's about your overall lifestyle,” she adds. “And when it comes to milk consumption, the advice

needs to be individualized, like everything in medicine."