Study Finds Yogurt May Have Significant Benefits in Fighting Colon Cancer

A new long-term study in the U.S. suggests that consuming just two servings of yogurt per week may help protect the bowels from certain types of cancer.

While scientists have long believed that the live bacteria in yogurt support gastrointestinal health, research findings have varied on the specific benefits and when they take effect.

This new analysis helps clarify some of the inconsistencies in previous research.

Epidemiologists found no strong link between yogurt consumption and the overall risk of colorectal cancer—the third most common cancer globally and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths.

However, when researchers categorized colorectal cancer into subtypes, they identified a significant association. These findings support other observational studies suggesting that yogurt may have anti-tumor properties.

“Our study provides unique evidence on yogurt’s potential benefits,” says epidemiologist Shuji Ogino from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University.

“My lab’s approach is to connect long-term diets and other exposures to key tissue differences, such as the presence or absence of specific bacteria. This investigative work strengthens the link between diet and health outcomes.”

Large-Scale Study Provides Key Insights

Though the results remain observational, they are based on extensive data, tracking the health and self-reported lifestyles of 87,000 women and nearly 45,000 men over more than three decades. Ogino and his team analyzed over 3 million years of combined individual follow-up data.

Colorectal cancer patients who ate at least two servings of yogurt per week were 20% less likely to develop Bifidobacterium-positive tumors than those who consumed less than one serving per month. This effect was particularly noticeable in proximal tumors located in the upper intestinal tract.

Bifidobacterium, a common microbe found in the human gut and most yogurt, is present in about 30% of colorectal cancer cases. When incorporated into tumor tissue, it is often linked to a more aggressive form of the disease.

Bifidobacterium appears to thrive in the low-oxygen environment of tumors, and its presence in certain colon cancers suggests it may be crossing the intestinal barrier into colon tissue more frequently than usual.

Potential Protective Role of Bifidobacterium

Interestingly, consuming more Bifidobacterium might help reduce this leakage over time. Early research indicates that the bacterium may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting properties, potentially strengthening the gut microbiome and the intestine’s protective barrier.

While more research is needed to determine whether yogurt can provide these benefits, observational evidence continues to grow.

“Our findings suggest that yogurt consumption may help prevent colorectal cancer associated with a weakened intestinal barrier,” the researchers note. “Further studies are needed to clarify the long-term effects of yogurt on colorectal cancer development.”

Proximal colon cancer, which develops in the upper part of the intestinal tract, has a lower survival rate than distal colon cancer and is becoming more prevalent.

The potential of food as a form of preventive medicine warrants further investigation. A 2021 randomized trial from Stanford University found that fermented foods like yogurt can influence the microbiome and immune system in healthy individuals.

Epidemiologist Andrew Chan from Massachusetts General Hospital, a co-author of the recent study, emphasized the significance of their findings. “Our research adds to the growing evidence linking diet, the gut microbiome, and colorectal cancer risk,” he said. “It also opens new pathways for exploring how these factors influence cancer risk, particularly among younger individuals.”

Read the original article on: Science Alert

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