Researchers led by Mass General Brigham find that long-term consumption of yogurt may reduce the risk of developing certain types of colorectal cancer, highlighting the potential benefits of integrating yogurt into diets.
Long-term consumption of yogurt might play a vital role in reducing the risk of specific types of colorectal cancer, according to a new study led by researchers at Mass General Brigham. The compelling findings suggest that yogurt, which contains live strains of beneficial bacteria, could be particularly effective against proximal colorectal cancer positive for Bifidobacterium.
The study, published in Gut Microbes, utilized long-term data from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS).
These comprehensive studies have been tracking over 100,000 female registered nurses and 51,000 male health professionals for decades, meticulously recording lifestyle factors, dietary habits and disease outcomes.
Participants who consumed two or more servings of yogurt per week experienced a 20% lower incidence of proximal colorectal cancer positive for Bifidobacterium compared to those who did not. This bacterium, commonly found in yogurt, was detected in about 30% of tumor tissue samples from colorectal cancer patients.
“Our study provides unique evidence about the potential benefit of yogurt,” corresponding author Shuji Ogino, the chief of the Program in Molecular Pathological Epidemiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said in a news release. “My lab’s approach is to try to link long-term diets and other exposures to a possible key difference in tissue, such as the presence or absence of a particular species of bacteria.”
The connection between yogurt consumption and Bifidobacterium-positive tumors is particularly noteworthy. Proximal colon cancer, which occurs on the right side of the colon, often has worse survival outcomes compared to distal cancers, underscoring the importance of preventative measures.
“It has long been believed that yogurt and other fermented milk products are beneficial for gastrointestinal health,” added co-senior author Tomotaka Ugai, a junior faculty member at Brigham and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Our new findings suggest that this protective effect may be specific for Bifidobacterium-positive tumors.”
The research seeks to transform the understanding of how the microbiome contributes to disease development and progression. The researchers aim to identify the risk factors and environmental exposures linked to early-onset colorectal cancer and establish strategies to mitigate its burden.
Further investigations are needed to confirm these findings and to better understand the mechanisms at play, but this study provides a promising avenue for future research on dietary impacts on cancer prevention.
“This paper adds to the growing evidence that illustrates the connection between diet, the gut microbiome and risk of colorectal cancer,” added co-author Andrew T. Chan, the chief of the Clinical and Translational Epidemiology Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. “It provides an additional avenue for us to investigate the specific role of these factors in the risk of colorectal cancer among young people.”
As the scientific community continues to unravel the complex relationship between diet and health outcomes, this study serves as a beacon of hope and a call to action for integrating beneficial dietary practices into everyday life.