Gut: boys over girls! Yogurt may help reduce the risk of cancer in men

June 27, 2019 / BIOON / - eating two or more servings of yoghurt per week may help reduce the risk of abnormal enlargement (adenoma), at least in men, according to a new study published in the journal gut The results showed that the strongest association was observed between the nodules and those located in the colon rather than the rectum Photo source: Previous research published at http://cn.bing.com shows that eating more yoghurt can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by changing the type and quantity of intestinal bacteria However, it is not clear whether the intake of yoghurt is related to the lower growth risk of precancerous tissue (i.e adenoma) Therefore, the researchers studied the diet and subsequent development of different types of adenomas in 32606 men and 55743 women who participated in the health professional follow-up study Between 1986 and 2012, all study participants underwent lower intestinal endoscopy, an operation that allows clinicians to observe the lining of the intestine Every four years, they provide detailed information about their lifestyle and diet, including how much yogurt they eat During the study period, 5811 adenomas were seen in men and 8116 in women Men who ate two or more servings a week were 19% less likely to develop traditional adenomas than men who did not eat yoghurt For adenomas that are most likely to become cancerous, and those located in the colon rather than the rectum, the risk reduction is even greater (26%) In women, there was no significant association between yogurt intake and adenoma development This is an observational study, so it is impossible to determine the cause of these phenomena The researchers say further research is needed to confirm the findings and reveal the biological issues involved But they believe that a large number of subjects and regular updating of diet and lifestyle factors have increased the weight of the results To explain their findings, the researchers explained that two common bacteria in live yoghurt - Lactobacillus and Streptococcus thermophilus - may reduce the amount of carcinogenic chemicals in the gut They added that the stronger association of adenoma growth in the colon may be partly due to the lower acidity of this part of the intestine, making it a more suitable environment for these bacteria Alternatively, yogurt may have anti-inflammatory properties and may reduce the "leakiness" of the gut, as adenomas are associated with increased gut permeability Reference: Xiaobin Zheng et al Yogurt consumption and risk of conventional and serialized anticipators of chromatic cancer, gut (2019) Doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-318374