Express. Low-fat milk ‘cuts breast cancer risk’

Scientists in the US have found that women diagnosed with the disease put their chances of survival at risk by half if they eat ice cream and other fat-packed dairy products at least once a day.

They say diet changes could be the key to preventing women dying from cancer.

Dr Bette Caan, of California’s Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, which carried out the study, said: “High-fat dairy is generally not recommended as part of a healthy diet. Switching to low-fat dairy is an easy thing to modify.”

Studies have shown that higher lifetime exposure to oestrogen is a key trigger to breast cancer. Oestrogen levels are believed to be elevated in dairy products in the Western world because milk comes from pregnant cows. The hormones reside in the fat. High-fat dairy products studied included cream, whole milk, condensed or evaporated milk, ice cream, custard, flan, and also cheeses and yoghurts that were not low-fat or non-fat.

Sally Greenbrook, of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “All women should follow a healthy balanced diet. It helps you to maintain a healthy weight which, together with good practices such as lower alcohol intake and regular physical activity, can help to reduce your breast cancer risk.”