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Study shows preventive qualities of milk

Category: Colon

Although there remains some contention as to whether milk provides worthwhile health benefits, a study appearing in the Journal of Dairy Science states that habitual milk drinking lessens the odds of receiving a positive blood test for diabetes or a blood test indicating the presence of colon cancer.

A group of Swedish researchers at the University of Lund experimented on cells found in colon tumors by applying the milk protein lactoferrin4-14 (Lfcin4-14) while the cells were placed under ultraviolet light. Their results show that cancer cells treated with Lfcin4-14 didn't grow as much as cells that hadn't been exposed to the protein.

"We previously hypothesized that the prolongation of the cell cycle in colon cancer cells as a result of Lfcin4-14 treatment may give the cells extra time for DNA repair," said Stina Ordesson, one of the study's main authors. "Indeed, UV light-induced damage was decreased in colon cancer cells treated with Lfcin4-14 compared with controls."

The Food and Drug Administration says that raw milk should be avoided, as the bacteria normally removed by pasteurization can make people sick. Some animal rights groups have pointed to the prevalence of lactose intolerance and milk allergies as evidence that milk does not, in fact, do a body good.