OnMedica – News – Yogurt consumption could help reduce the risk of cancer of the intestine

Men who ate yogurt had a lower risk of pre-cancerous growth of the intestine, especially adenomas more likely to become cancerous

Eating at least two weekly servings of yogurt can help reduce the risk of precancerous bowel growth – at least in men – research * published online in the newspaper Intestine found.

The associations observed were the strongest for adenomas that are very likely to become cancerous and for those located in the colon rather than in the rectum.

Previously published research suggested that eating a lot of yogurt could reduce the risk of bowel cancer by altering the type and volume of bacteria in the gut (microbiome), but it was not clearly established whether yogurt consumption could also be associated with a lower risk of precancerous growths.

The researchers examined diets and subsequent changes of different types of adenomas in 32,606 men participating in the follow-up study on health professionals and 55,743 women who participated in the study. # 39; study on the health of nurses.

All participants in the study had endoscopy of the lower bowel between 1986 and 2012, and every four years they provided detailed information on their lifestyle and diet, including the amount of yogurt that they had eaten.

During the study period, 5811 adenomas developed in men and 8,116 in women. Compared to men who did not eat yogurt, those who ate two or more servings a week were 19% less likely to develop a conventional adenoma. This lower risk was even greater (26% less likely) for adenomas very likely to become cancerous and for those located in the colon rather than in the rectum. Although no obvious association was found in men with a potentially more dangerous type of adenoma (serrated), a tendency to reduce risk was observed in those 1 cm or more , which is considered important.

No such association between yogurt consumption and the development of adenomas was evident in women.

This is an observational study that does not establish the cause, but the researchers pointed out that Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, two bacteria commonly found in live yogurt, can reduce the number of carcinogenic chemicals in the gut. And the stronger bond observed for adenomas that develop in the colon may be partly due to the low acidity (pH) of this part of the intestine, making it a more hospitable environment for these bacteria.

Yogurt can also have anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce "leakage" of the gut, because adenomas are associated with increased permeability of the intestine, they suggested.

*Zheng X, Wu K, Song M et al. Yogurt consumption and the risk of conventional and serrated colorectal cancer precursors. Gut published online June 17, 2019. doi: 10.1136 / gutjnl-2019-318374