Largest study into diet and disease suggests extra 300mg of calcium a day is associated with a 17% lower risk

Summary

A study of over 540,000 women found that an additional 300mg of calcium daily—equivalent to half a pint of milk—reduces bowel cancer risk by 17%.

Both dairy and non-dairy calcium sources, like fortified soy milk, offer protective effects.

Bowel cancer, the third most common cancer globally, affects nearly 2 million annually and is rising among younger adults.

Risk factors include red/processed meat and alcohol, while prevention focuses on diet, exercise, and avoiding smoking.

Published in Nature Communications, the study highlights calcium’s role in reducing cancer-causing bile acids in the colon.