Milk has long been seen as a healthy food. For many people, drinking milk is part of everyday life from childhood to old age. Milk contains many important nutrients that help the body stay healthy.
It is rich in calcium and phosphorus, which are needed for strong bones and teeth. It also provides protein, B vitamins, potassium, and vitamin D. Because of these nutrients, milk is often recommended to support bone health and provide energy and nutrition.
However, milk is not suitable for everyone. Some people are allergic to proteins found in cow’s milk. About two percent of children develop this type of allergy.
Others have lactose intolerance. Lactose is the natural sugar found in milk. People who cannot digest lactose properly may experience symptoms such as bloating, stomach pain, and diarrhea after drinking milk.
Scientists have also been interested in another question: how does milk affect long-term health? Previous studies have produced mixed results. Some research has suggested that milk may protect the heart and help people live longer.
Other studies have raised concerns about possible links between high milk consumption and certain cancers. Because the findings have not always agreed, researchers continue to investigate the issue.
A new study from Sun Yat-sen University has provided fresh information on this topic. The research was published in the journal Clinical Nutrition and was conducted by Xiang Jun Wang and colleagues.
The researchers used data from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study, a large long-term health study in China. They focused on 18,214 adults aged 50 years and older who did not have cardiovascular disease at the beginning of the study between 2003 and 2006.
One interesting feature of the study is that the participants generally drank much less milk than people in many Western countries. Nearly seventy percent of the participants did not drink milk at all.
About fifteen percent drank milk moderately, defined as one to three servings per week, with one serving equal to 250 milliliters. Another sixteen percent drank more than three servings of milk each week and were classified as high milk consumers.
The researchers followed the participants for an average of 11.5 years. During this period, 2,697 people died. Among these deaths, 917 were caused by heart disease and 1,029 were caused by cancer.
When the researchers examined the results, they found that people who drank milk moderately appeared to have health benefits. Compared with people who never drank milk, moderate milk drinkers had lower risks of dying from heart disease, stroke, and all causes combined. These findings suggest that drinking a small to moderate amount of milk may be linked to better heart health and longer survival in populations where milk consumption is generally low.
However, the picture changed when milk intake became higher. Participants who drank milk more than three times per week had a higher risk of dying from cancer overall. The increased risk was especially noticeable for esophageal cancer, which affects the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach.
At the same time, the researchers did not find evidence that high milk intake increased the risk of death from several other cancers, including lung cancer, liver cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, or colorectal and anal cancers.
The researchers concluded that in populations that consume relatively little milk, moderate milk drinking may offer benefits for heart health, while higher milk consumption may be linked to an increased risk of cancer mortality.
They emphasized that the study shows associations rather than direct cause-and-effect relationships. In other words, the research does not prove that milk itself protects the heart or causes cancer.
The team believes more studies are needed to understand why milk may have different effects on heart disease and cancer risk. Future research may help identify whether certain nutrients in milk, lifestyle factors, or genetic differences influence these health outcomes.
For now, the findings suggest that when it comes to milk, more is not always better. A moderate amount may provide important nutrients and possible heart benefits, but drinking larger amounts may carry risks that scientists still need to understand.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about a breakfast linked to better blood vessel health, and drinking too much coffee could harm people with high blood pressure.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about unhealthy habits that may increase high blood pressure risk, and results showing plant-based protein foods may help reverse diabetes.
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