Lower Your Risk of Colon Cancer With the Right Fat
A high intake of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is a kind
of fat found naturally in cow's milk, significantly lowers risk
of bowel cancer, according to a new study.
60,000 Women Over 15 Years
Middle-aged women who
reported having the highest intake of CLA during the late '80s
were about 30 percent less likely to have developed bowel cancer
within the following 15 years. Data from over 60,000 women were
analyzed.
Even further, those who ate at least four servings of high-fat
dairy foods each day had a 41 percent lower risk of bowel cancer
than those who ate less than one. Each increment of two servings
of dairy products equaled a 13 percent reduction in a woman's
colon cancer risk.
Increases Some Risks, Decreases Others
Milk-based products have been linked to increased risk of other
cancers, such as breast cancer and prostate cancer, but both
milk and calcium have been associated with a lower bowel cancer
risk in several previous studies.
Current research has usually focused on calcium as the potential
mechanism for this. Few if any other studies have evaluated the
role of CLA.
Bowel cancer is the third most common form of the disease
worldwide.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition October 2005; 82(4):
894-900 Food Navigator USA.com October 10, 2005
Dr. Mercola's Comment:You may recall that cancer, NOT heart
disease, is now America's top killer.In my book, any natural
strategy that cuts your risk of the top killer by half is worth
looking into more seriously.
CLA is one such potent cancer-fighter, for as little as 0.5
percent in your daily diet could reduceyour risk of colon
cancerby more than 50 percent.
CLA is primarily in dairy products produced from cows that were
not fed grain. Much of the animals' ability to produce CLA is
shut down the moment they start eating foods they were not
designed to eat like grains.
If you are eating commercial beef you can rest assured that the
last three months of that steer's life it was fed grain in a
feedlot prior to slaughter. This is unfortunate as their CLA
production is virtually shut off.Grass-fed cattle typically have
500 percentmore CLA than commercial grain-fed beef.
Of the various types of dairy foods assessed in this study the
strongest protection for cancer was seen with cheese. That is
great news as that is probably the easiest way to obtain
grass-fed raw milk. There are far less restrictions on its sale
and it is widely available in every state.
It is important to undestand that the pasteurization processcan
actually change the three dimensionalstructure of the fragile
milk proteins (especially casein) and convert them into proteins
your body was never designed to handle. This frequently results
in health complications.
Pasteurized milk is inferior to raw milk in a number of
importantways as it:- Increasestooth decay
- Has a lower
calcium content
- Has a lower A, B, and C vitamin content
- Dramatically increases allergic reactions and effects on
your health
If you are concerned about potential health risks from drinking
raw milk I suggest you review my article on why raw milk is
becoming more popular. If you are unable to find a local dairy
farmer in your area who sells raw milk, I encourage you to visit
the Real Milk Web site to locate a source close to you.
If you are interested in lowering your risk of colon cancer and
you are unable to easily secure raw milk, I would encourage you
to seek grass-fed, organic, raw milk cheese in your local health
food store. BUT please make sure it is grass-fed.